About this course
About this course
Risk assessment sits behind almost every clause of a modern BRCGS audit, from supplier approval and HACCP to site security and contingency planning. This one-day virtual programme introduces the analytical techniques used to identify, rank and mitigate risks across a food manufacturing operation, and shows learners how to present that work in a format auditors can review confidently.
Who should attend
The course is designed for technical managers, quality managers, HACCP team leaders, internal auditors and anyone asked to produce formal risk assessments as part of their BRCGS evidence pack. No prior formal qualification in risk assessment is required, although a working knowledge of site operations is assumed. The programme is equally relevant to staff at food manufacturing sites, packaging suppliers and storage or distribution operators certified to any of the BRCGS Global Standards.
What the programme covers
Content is structured around the lifecycle of a sound risk assessment. Learners work through identifying hazards, defining likelihood and severity scales, selecting scoring frameworks, documenting decisions, reviewing residual risk and setting review triggers. The session also covers the difference between a hazard analysis, a risk assessment and a threat assessment, with worked examples drawn from product recall events and non-conformity patterns seen across real audits. Particular attention is given to risk assessments in supplier approval, product development sign-off, change control and the management of temporary process deviations.
Assessment and certification
Delegates complete an end-of-course assessment. A pass earns the official BRCGS Certificate of Achievement, recognised by retailers and certification bodies as evidence of competence in formal risk assessment methodology. The certificate is downloadable immediately on successful completion.
Course format and delivery
The programme runs as a single full-day live virtual session. Delivery combines methodology teaching with worked examples and small-group discussion, and delegates receive supporting materials ahead of the session for reference. A question-and-answer segment at the end of the day allows learners to raise site-specific risk assessment scenarios for group discussion.
Why this matters
Retailers and certification bodies increasingly expect risk-based decision making rather than tick-box compliance. Teams that can articulate the reasoning behind a control measure, rather than simply point to a procedure, perform noticeably better during surveillance audits. A well-trained risk assessor also saves significant time across the technical function by standardising methodology, reducing rework and creating documents that survive scrutiny from multiple customers. This course is often taken alongside the BRCGS HACCP programme and the HARA course to give technical staff a complete toolkit for hazard identification, risk ranking and preventive control. Sites with US-bound product often add the HARPC programme for the preventive controls framework required under FSMA.
See the wider BRCGS courses and training catalogue or browse the full range of food safety training for related programmes.
