By Mthokozisi Nkosi, Food Scientist, SAATCA Registered R638:2018 Lead Implementer (SAATCA register RG003), Lead Auditor registered with Exemplar Global and IRCA, Founder of ASC Food Safety Consultants. Updated November 2026.
Short answer: the person in charge of your food premises needs Person in Charge training, and everyone else who works there needs food handler training. That comes straight from regulation 10(1)(a) and 10(1)(b) of R638. The question most owners get stuck on is who counts as which, so here is how I set it up when I train a business.
What R638 asks for
- Regulation 10(1)(a): the person in charge must be suitably qualified or adequately trained in food safety and hygiene. Where applicable, that training must be accredited.
- Regulation 10(1)(b): every other person working on the premises must be trained in the principles of food safety and hygiene.
- Regulation 10(1)(c) and (d): the person in charge must check that the training works and must keep training records that an inspector can see.
So the rule is not one certificate per business. It is one trained person in charge, plus trained staff, plus records that prove both.
Who needs which course
| Person | Course | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Owner or manager named on the Certificate of Acceptability | Person in Charge | Regulation 10(1)(a) applies to them directly |
| Shift supervisor, head chef, kitchen manager | Person in Charge | They run the floor when the person in charge is not there, and they train the staff |
| Cooks, prep staff, bakers, butchers, packers | Food handler | They touch the food, so regulation 10(1)(b) and the food handler duties in regulation 11 apply |
| Waiters, counter staff, drivers | Food handler | They carry, plate or deliver food |
| Cleaners and general workers | Food handler, at least the hygiene basics | Regulation 10(1)(b) covers every person working on the premises |
One person in charge is rarely enough
R638 names one person in charge, the person the certificate is issued to, but that person is not on the floor every hour you trade. I go through how to cover nights, weekends and leave in who is the person in charge on the night shift. The short version: train at least one supervisor per shift to Person in Charge level, so the business is covered when the owner is away or leaves.
A simple plan for a team of ten
- Train the owner or manager on the certificate as Person in Charge.
- Train one supervisor per shift as Person in Charge as well.
- Train every food handler on the food handler course in their first weeks on the job.
- Keep one training register: name, role, course, date and certificate number.
- Once a quarter, walk the floor and check that people do what they were taught. That is the assessment regulation 10(1)(c) asks for, and it is what an inspector wants to see in your records.
Training more than one person in charge?
Buy seats for your team in one order: 5 seats for R7 645 or 10 seats for R14 440 on the ASC Persons in Charge course. The course is on the SAATCA register for R638 Person in Charge training, is HPCSA CPD accredited and is run by a FoodBev SETA accredited training provider. ASC Food Safety is also an Exemplar Global Recognised Training Provider for 28 of its auditor, HACCP, GMP and ISO courses.
Questions owners ask me
Can I train my own staff instead? Regulation 10(1)(b) allows staff to be trained by an inspector or another suitable person. A trained person in charge can teach the basics, but you still need records, and a certificate from an accredited course is much easier to show an inspector than notes from an in house talk.
Does a waiter who never cooks really need training? If they plate, carry or serve food, yes. If you are unsure, train them. The hygiene course is short and cheap compared with a failed inspection.
We have two branches. Is one Person in Charge enough? No. Each premises has its own Certificate of Acceptability and its own person in charge.
See every R638 course or WhatsApp ASC for a quote on more than ten seats.
