Food safety inspectors attached to the Central Board of Health have been
undergoing a series of training sessions to upgrade their sills ahead the two major
international events that are taking place in Antigua and Barbuda in a few months.
More than five thousand delegates are expected in St. John’s for the Fourth
Conference of Small Islands Developing States (SIDS4) on May 27-30 to be
followed days later by the ITC Men’s T20 World Cup from June 1-29 with eight
matches scheduled for the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
The CBH recently concluded a training course for public health inspectors and
environmental health aides from the Central Board of Health along with private
individuals in the food safety in a Certified Servsafe Training and Certification
Program held at the Villa Community Centre.
“The training was timely because of the two major events staring from the last
week of May. We also have added new public health inspectors so the training
served to upgrade their skills to better enable them to conduct thorough food safety
inspections. We literally need more ‘hands on deck’ because these events will
attract a large number of persons engaged in preparing and selling food to the
public for consumption.,” Acting Principal Public Health Inspector, Julienne
Mannix stated.
In addition to the new officers who were exposed to the training, Mannix said the
sessions also served as a refresher course for those officers who have been within
the system for a longer time.
“For those officers already in the system, the training helped to update their skills
set and it allows them to be able to conduct training themselves as well as to
conduct examinations,” she indicated.
Former Chief Health Inspector at the Central Board of Health Lionel Michael
conducted the training called the Food Safety Protection Managers Course, which
was designed to build capacity of the team in food safety inspections.
