Many fields require a certificate granted by an official to prove that you manage issues relevant for occupational safety in your work. According to the law, for instance someone dealing with unpacked, easily perishable foodstuffs in their work must take a test to attain a hygiene passport. This article presents the most common licences and cards.
Hygiene passport
The food agency requires a hygiene passport of employees who in their work process unpacked easily perishable foodstuffs and work in food premises (e.g. cafés, restaurants, industrial kitchens, fast food restaurants, grocery shops and factories manufacturing foodstuffs).
When applying for a hygiene passport, you must take a hygiene passport test organized by independent players around Finland under the supervision of the Food Agency. For a list of hygiene passport examiners, go to Food Agency website.
The hygiene passport test must be taken within three months of starting the job.
Construction business
Various licences and cards are required in the construction sector depending on the job description, such as asbestos removal licence, hot work card and occupational safety card.
Alcohol passport
An alcohol passport is often required in jobs in the restaurant business, in case the job description includes serving alcohol. Also restaurants need to have a separate licence to sell alcohol. In addition to restaurants, various events and festivals may need a licence and alcohol passports to sell alcohol.
Whenever the restaurant is open, there must be at least one employee holding an alcohol passport, a so-called responsible manager. You must be over 18 to take the alcohol passport test.
Age limit passport
Age limit passport is a responsibility action developed by the member associations in Päivittäistavarakauppa ry for employees who sell products with age limit control.
Acquiring an age limit passport is not obliged by the law, but your employer may oblige you to have it before starting in your job. The age limit passport is free of charge for the employee.
Security steward licence
Acting as a security steward requires a 32 hour training for security stewards. The security steward licence is valid for five years and a renewal of the card requires taking eight hours refresher training. The licence for acting as a security steward is granted by the police.
