In BC, under the Act, “dairy plant personnel” are persons engaged in specific duties in relation to dairy products for the performance of which licenses are required under the standards and qualifications established by regulation and must be licensed as dairy processing plant workers (dairy workers).
Dairy plants apply for dairy worker licenses on behalf of their dairy workers. A dairy worker may receive a license with or without restrictions. Restrictions are noted by the license being marked “Temporary” under the Restrictions section , if the applicant has not completed the mininimum food safety training requirements at the time of application.
In order to qualify for an unrestricted dairy worker licence, an individual must meet all of the following:
- Demonstrate at least 3 months dairy plant work experience that is authorized by a dairy inspector or gained under the supervision of a licensed dairy worker;
- Hold a certificate that confirms the satisfactory completion of a recognized dairy course, or pass a qualifying examination to ensure proficiency;
There is no continuing education requirement for workers with an unrestricted license.
BCIT currently offers the only recognized dairy courses (Food 1151 and Food 2151) in BC.
If you have received your dairy training elsewhere, please contact Food Protection Services with information about the course(s) to receive a determination of the equivalence of the content.
To receive an unrestricted license in BC, workers with experience and/or education from outside BC must:
- Be deemed to have education and experience equivalent to those of BC dairy workers with unrestricted licenses
- Successfully challenge the Dairy Worker Exam.
Workers with a “Temporary” restriction on their license must only work under the direct supervision of a dairy worker with no restrictions on their license. Workers are encouraged to attain their educational requirements as soon as feasible to receive a license with no restrictions.