18.2 Roles and Responsibilities

18.2.1 Operator

The responsibilities of the operator are to:

  • Produce safe, wholesome, properly labelled product in compliance with the CFIA regulatory requirements i.e. applicable acts and regulations, Manual of Procedure, Meat Hygiene Directives, FSEP Manual and guidelines.
  • Establish and maintain the HACCP system and HACCP records.
  • Identify and correct deviations in a timely and appropriate manner.
  • Develop and implement acceptable and effective action plans in response to non-compliances identified by the CFIA.
  • Correct items requiring correction as identified by the CFIA.
  • Provide written programs and records as requested by the CFIA.

Once per year, the Licence to Operate a registered establishment is renewed in accordance with the Meat Inspection Regulations, 1990 Section 29.(4). At this time, the CFIA will evaluate the establishment senior management commitment towards their HACCP system and other applicable regulations. The evaluation criteria will be provided in the form of a CVS Task.

Inspector generated corrective action requests, operator action plans, follow up documentation and records of any enforcement actions taken provide a history of compliance that must be considered when conducting the yearly evaluation of senior management commitment.

18.2.2 Inspector

The responsibilities of the CFIA inspector are to:

  • Ensure all applicable verification tasks are assigned to the establishment as per section 18.6.
  • Conduct verification tasks according to the national frequency.
  • Take and document enforcement action(s) when necessary to protect public health, to protect consumers from fraud and to protect animal welfare or health as outlined in the MOP, Chapter 14.
  • Seek guidance and program clarification as required.
  • Communicate verification task results to the operator by issuing Verification Reports and Inspection Report - Corrective Action Requests (CAR) as defined in section 18.7.4.
  • Assess the operator's action plans submitted in response to CARs as per section 18.7.5.
  • Follow-up on items requiring correction that were identified on the Verification Report as per section 18.7.6.
  • Follow-up on operator's action plan implementation in response to CARs as per section 18.7.6.
  • Follow the regulatory enforcement actions and procedures as detailed in the MOP, Chapter 14.
  • Maintain hard copy documentation on site as defined in section 18.7.7.
  • Submit electronic information as defined in section 18.7.7.
  • Complete a Verification Task Comments Submission Form whenever the need for a change to a verification task is identified (see section 18.5).
  • Ensure their copy of Chapter 18 of the MOP (including task procedures) is current by incorporating the latest directives.

18.2.3 Supervisor

The responsibilities of the supervisor are to:

  • Schedule inspectors to ensure that all establishments are visited at the prescribed frequency and tasks are assessed at the prescribed frequency.
  • Complete Quality Management System (QMS) verification activities.
    • In slaughter establishments, QMS verification activities are the responsibilities of the Veterinarian in Charge and the Regional Veterinarian Officer.
    • In processing establishments, QMS verification activities are the responsibilities of the Complex Supervisor.
  • Provide support to inspection staff in relation to program or policy clarifications.
    • Questions related to CVS and the verification tasks are forwarded to the Area CVS Coordinator.
    • Questions related to program or policy issues are forwarded to the Area Program network specialist.
  • Select and conduct verification tasks CVS according to the verification process, as an inspector, when necessary.
    • Provide support to inspection staff in relation to situations of non compliance or enforcement.
    • Complete a Verification Task Comments Submission Form whenever the need for a change to a verification task is identified (see section 18.5).

18.2.4 Regional Veterinary Officer (RVO)

The responsibilities of the RVO are to:

  • Provide supervisory and/or technical oversight at federally registered slaughter establishments.
  • Complete Quality Management System (QMS) verification activities in slaughter establishments.
  • Provide support to inspection staff in relation to program or policy clarifications.
  • Provide support to inspection staff in relation to situations of non compliance or enforcement.
  • Within the CVS, anywhere there exists a "supervisory" responsibility, the RVO may fulfill that role as related to slaughter or veterinary specific activities.
    • This includes selecting and conducting verification tasks according to the CVS verification process, as an inspector, when necessary.

18.2.5 Area CVS Coordinator

The responsibilities of the Area CVS Coordinator are to:

  • Support the delivery of CVS in their area.
  • Respond to issues/questions about CVS and the verification tasks from area operations staff and management. If clarification is required, seek advice from the Area Program Network Specialists, the Area FSEP Coordinator and the National CVS Coordinator.
  • Review with program staff proposed revisions, additions or deletions to the verification tasks received from Inspectors and Supervisors. Forward proposed revisions, additions or deletions to the National CVS Coordinator for review and acceptance.

18.2.6 Area FSEP Coordinator

The responsibilities of the Area FSEP Coordinator are to:

  • Respond to FSEP issues/questions about verification tasks from the Area CVS Coordinator and Programs staff.
  • Complete a Verification Task Comments Submission Form whenever the need for a change to a verification task is identified (see section 18.5). This form is forwarded to the Area CVS Coordinator for review and consideration.
  • Participate, as required in the completion of the Section 4 verification tasks.

18.2.7 Area Program Specialist and Regional Contacts

The responsibilities of the Area Program Network Specialist and Regional Contacts are to:

  • Respond to meat program issues/questions related to verification tasks from the Area CVS Coordinator and operations staff.
  • Provide support to the Area CVS Coordinator and operations staff as required.
  • Complete a Verification Task Comments Submission Form whenever the need for change to a verification task is identified (see section 18.5).
  • Participate, as required, in the completion of the Section 4 verification tasks.

18.2.8 National Program Chief

The responsibilities of the National Program Chief are to:

  • Respond to issues/questions about verification tasks from the National CVS Coordinator and other Program network staff.
  • Review proposed revisions, additions or deletions to the verification tasks received from Area Program Network staff. Forward proposed revisions to the National CVS Coordinator for review and acceptance.
  • Propose revisions, additions or deletions to the verification tasks as required when amendments are made to the Meat Inspection Act (MIA), MIR, MOP, FSEP Manual and other applicable acts and regulations. Forward proposed revisions to the National CVS Coordinator for review and acceptance.
  • Propose revisions, additions or deletions to the QMS verification criteria as required when amendments are made to the MIA, MIR, MOP, FSEP Manual and other applicable acts and regulations. Forward proposed revisions to the National CVS Coordinator for review and acceptance.
  • Ensure that directives amending the MIA, MIR, MOP or FSEP Manual include the required changes to the verification tasks.
  • Ensure that directives amending the MIA, MIR, MOP or FSEP Manual coincide with the release of any required changes to the QMS Criteria.

18.2.9 National CVS Coordinator

The responsibilities of the National CVS Coordinator are to:

  • Respond to issues/questions about CVS and verification tasks from the Area CVS Coordinators or Program network staff or managers.
  • Accept or suggest revisions to the verification tasks received from the Program Chiefs or Area CVS Coordinators.
  • Accept or suggest revisions to the QMS verification criteria received from the Program Chiefs or Area CVS Coordinators.
  • Review, in consultation with the National Program Chief, the national frequency for verification tasks at least annually and adjust as required.

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