Person In Charge & ServSafe Manager Food Safety Training Classes

Important Notice:

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health would like to invite you to attend our 2019 Food Safety Education Conference, which will be held on Thursday, August 8th. The conference will be held from 8:30 am – 4:00 pm at the Copper Stone Event Center, which is located at 4630 Ridge Road, Brooklyn 44144. Please click here for conference registration details.

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Food safety education is a primary component of the Cuyahoga County Board of Health (CCBH) food protection program. We offer food safety instruction and education to both the industry and the public.

CCBH food inspectors (sanitarians) use the inspection component as an educational opportunity to reinforce correct food handling procedures with food  employees.

Educational requirements are outlined in Ohio Administrative Code, 3701-21-25. The code identifies the operator(s) with food safety knowledge as the “Person in Charge” (PIC).

There are two kinds of food safety certification levels: Level I and Level II. Both meet the requirements of the “Person in Charge.”

As of March 1, 2010, changes to the food code were added that require all new food shop operators to have at least one “Person in Charge” on duty at all times.

As of March 1, 2017,  each risk level 3 and risk level 4 licensed food shop is required to have at least one management or supervisory employee with a level 2 certification in food protection.

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) approves and maintains a list of classes and providers on its website. You can click here to view the ODH Food Safety Certification web page.

Level I Certification

Level I Certification in food protection provides basic safety and food handling training for the student. It is recommended for entry level food workers.

The Person In Charge (PIC) class is offered in a traditional classroom format and takes approximately three hours to complete. It includes a test that one must pass to receive their certificate. Classes are typically scheduled and held in our offices as well as other area locations.  Study guides can be found at bottom of this page with the applications.  Spanish version study guide is available.

CCBH also offers a corporate version of our Person In Charge training. If you would like this training held at your facility, designed specifically to meet the needs and concerns of your food shop operation, please contact our office.  Requirements for a corporate Person In Charge training is a minimum of twenty (20) students and an appropriate location (equipped to allow for presentation, tables, chairs, etc.).

Go to the Fee Schedule section below to view fees, the current schedule and/or download an application and study guide.

Click here to view a PIC Study Guide.

New –  PIC study guide in Spanish . Guía de estudios en Español

Level II Certification

The Level II certification provides in-depth training for food managers and is designed for those following a career in the food industry. It includes 16 hours of course work with a test. The type of class offered by CCBH is Servsafe.

Created by the National Restaurant Association as a way to certify food career professionals, the 16-hour course uses a textbook and all attendees must pass a final exam. The textbook is provided with payment of class fees.
The exam is administered and proctored by CCBH registered sanitarians.

The new ServSafe Manager 7th Edition Book and ServSafe Manager 7th Edition Online Course are now accepted by the Ohio Department of Health. Under the ServSafe Manager Instructor Resources section of www.servsafe.com, you will be able to download a new Ohio Student Supplement, that is specific to Ohio.

Please remember that the State of Ohio (ODH) requires the level two course presentation to be 15 hours (not including time taken for breaks). Students should familiarize themselves with the Ohio Food Code to ensure all requirements are met.

DUE TO THE HIGH DEMAND FOR THIS CLASS, we suggest that you call our office at (216) 201-2000 to verify the class you are interested in attending is still open. We have provided information and a 2019 schedule of training dates below.

The ServSafe course is also offered online through the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s website. For details on how to take the online course, please follow this link.

Things to Remember About the Online Course: 

• The ServSafe test must be taken at a proctored site.
• The fee to take the Servsafe exam at our office is in addition to the fee charged by the online site.
• Exams are given on the last day of the regular scheduled classes.
• Be sure to download and fill out the application completely.
• Other ANSI approved class and or test providers  use this link.

National Restaurant Association On-Line Food Allergy Training for Food Operators

Do your employees know the major food allergens? If asked, could they tell customers what allergen is present in your ingredients? The National Restaurant Association® (NRA) has launched the new ServSafe Allergens online course.
The new online training course was created in partnership with Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) to help restaurants address food allergens. “The ServSafe Allergens online course is designed to help both front-of-the-house staff and back-of-the-house operations better understand how to accommodate the growing number of guests with food allergies. Those who deal with this life-threatening condition are often unsure which restaurants can safely accommodate them — if at all.”

Visit: http://www.foodallergens.com/ for more details about the course. This course is not sponsored by CCBH.

Fee Schedule

Level I Person in Charge (PIC) class  – $30
Corporate Rate (20-50 students) – $600

Level II ServSafe class – $175
Test or Retest Only –   $65

Applications, Testing Dates & Locations

Level I – Person In Charge (PIC) – click here for information

Level II – ServSafe – click here for information – Additional classes may be scheduled in the future and will be posted here. Scheduling will be based on the availability of our building and other off-site training venues. 

ServSafe On-line Exam & Retest Application Only (for online class, retest or recertification only)

ServSafe Online Course (National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation)

ServSafe Practice Test

ServSafe Practice Test Answer Key 

Frequently Asked Questions regarding the required ODH Food Safety Training Certificate

ODH Food Safety Training Certificate Request Form

ODH Food Safety Certification

State of Ohio Uniform Food Safety Code