| Print | Back | Close |

Responsibilities of the Person in Charge

Purpose: Use this job aid to find out more about the responsibilities of the person in charge.

The primary responsibility of the person in charge is to ensure that your establishment is serving safe food. Any establishment that holds a permit to operate must have a Person in Charge.

The following summarize the responsibilities of the person in charge(PIC):

• Coordinate training and take corrective action as needed to protect the health and safety of your clients.
• Maintain satisfactory facilities and equipment within and around the establishment.
• Implement your establishment's food safety handling policies and procedures.
• Monitor staff to ensure compliance with your establishment's food safety policies, procedures, and standards. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring
• • staff use proper hand washing techniques
  • food is cooked to the specified temperatures, especially with regard to potentially hazardous foods (PHFs)/time/temperature control for safety foods (TCS Foods)
  • potentially hazardous foods (PHFs)/time/temperature control for safety foods (TCS Foods) are cooled properly
  • staff properly inspect food upon delivery, including checking for proper temperatures upon receipt
  • proper cleaning and sanitizing methods are used
  • staff use proper handling and storage guidelines to eliminate cross-contamination
  • no unauthorized personnel are allowed in food areas
  • employees practice good personal hygiene
  • customers use clean plates and utensils when using a self-serve food bars
  • properly train employees in food safety, including food allergy awareness, as it relates to their assigned duties

In addition to ensuring your establishment is serving safe food, the person in charge must demonstrate the following knowledge in day-to-day operations and also during an inspection:

• explain the relationship between the personal hygiene of a food service employee and the prevention of foodborne illness
• describe the responsibility for preventing the transmission of foodborne disease by a food service employee who has an illness or symptoms that may cause foodborne disease
• explain procedures in place to ensure food service employees comply with your reporting and restriction policy related to employee health and illnesses
• describe symptoms associated with diseases that are transmitted through food
• describe the importance of maintaining time and temperature control of potentially hazardous food (PHF)/time/temperature control for safety food (TCS Food) and how that will help prevent foodborne illness
• explain the risks associated with consuming raw or undercooked meat, poultry, eggs, and fish
• state the appropriate times and temperatures for safely cooking potentially hazardous foods (PHFs)/time/temperature control for safety foods (TCS Foods)
• state the appropriate times and temperatures for the safe receiving, storing, hot holding, cooling, and reheating of potentially hazardous foods (PHFs)/time/temperature control for safety foods (TCS Foods)
• describe the relationship between the prevention of foodborne illness and the management and control of cross-contamination, hand contact with ready-to-eat foods, hand washing, and maintaining the food establishment in a clean condition and in good repair
• describe foods identified as food allergens and the symptoms of a food allergen reaction
• describe how providing, installing, maintaining, and cleaning equipment is related to food safety
• detail the correct procedures for cleaning and sanitizing food-contact surfaces and cooking and serving utensils
• identify the source of water used and measures taken to ensure that it remains protected from contamination such as providing protection from backflow and precluding the creation of cross-connections
• explain how your establishment follows the law with regard to storage, use, and disposal of poisonous and toxic chemicals and materials
• identify critical control points in the operation from purchasing through sale or service