The short version
- Health and safety risk assessments and site management must be led by personnel possessing verified qualifications under Appendix 10 Table 12.
- Requirements scale according to facility size, based on total employee headcount and operational risk levels.
- Staff responsible for health and safety must possess at least two years of industrial health and safety management experience.
- Where local regulations do not specify training hours or education levels, mandatory thresholds apply for diploma levels, postgraduate degrees, and 50 to 200 hours of specialized safety training.
Understanding the Scope of Health and Safety Competency Rules
Under Criterion 1.7 and Appendix 10 Table 12 of the ASC Feed Standard V1.2, feed manufacturers must ensure that staff responsible for managing employee health and safety and conducting site risk assessments possess verified competencies.
Health and safety officers oversee critical industrial hazards, including heavy machinery operation, chemical handling, electrical safety, dust explosion risks, and maritime loading dock procedures. To ensure effective oversight, Appendix 10 establishes a tiered framework that scales educational, experience, and training criteria based on facility workforce size.
Education Criteria Based on Facility Headcount
Staff responsible for health and safety must first comply with applicable local, national, or regional regulations governing health and safety education.
In countries where local regulations do not define specific educational qualifications based on workforce headcount and risk level, feed mills must apply the default thresholds set in Appendix 10 Table 12:
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Facilities with 10 to 49 Employees: Health and safety personnel must hold at least a post-high school diploma or equivalent qualification.
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Facilities with 50 to 99 Employees: Health and safety personnel must hold a post-high school diploma combined with a postgraduate degree or specialized qualification in occupational labor health and safety.
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Facilities with 100 or More Employees: Health and safety personnel must hold a post-high school diploma and a postgraduate degree in occupational health and safety.
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Facilities with 10 to 49 Employees: Safety personnel must complete at least 50 hours of specific occupational health and safety training.
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Facilities with 50 to 99 Employees: Safety personnel must complete at least 100 hours of specific occupational health and safety training.
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Facilities with 100 or More Employees: Safety personnel must complete at least 200 hours of specific occupational health and safety training.
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Health and Safety Risk Assessments: Under Indicator 1.7.1, site risk assessments covering machinery, noise, dust, chemical storage, fire safety, and ergonomic hazards must be conducted or approved by personnel meeting Table 12 qualifications.
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Corrective Action and Root Cause Analysis: Qualified safety staff must lead investigations into workplace accidents or near-misses, implementing hierarchy-of-controls mitigation measures ranging from hazard elimination to personal protective equipment provision.
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Record Retention: Feed mill management must retain copies of diplomas, postgraduate certificates, course completion transcripts, and employment history verification in central personnel files for audit inspection.
- ASC Feed Standard V1.2 (Criterion 1.7, Indicator 1.7.1, Appendix 10 Table 12)
- ASC Feed Standard Interpretation Manual V1.2 (Criterion 1.7 Guidance and Auditing Considerations)
- ILO Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155)
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