Safety and Risk Management Certificate Program Details
The Certificate in Safety & Risk Management addresses many of the safety challenges distillers face and provides critical knowledge to spirits producers on how to create effective risk management systems. After completing the program, you'll gain an understanding of current regulations, best practices in the industry, and how to instill a culture of safety in their business. Courses will be taught by distillery health and safety specialists from around the country, industry safety and insurance experts, and representatives from regulatory bodies. The DISCUS Fire Protection Manual is a recommended resource for completing this program. It is available free of charge for members on the DISCUS Member Portal and at a discounted rate for nonmembers participating in this program ($495). If interested in purchasing the manual, please contact membership@distilledspirits.org.
To complete the program, participants must earn 30 credits as outlined below. The certificate must be earned within 24 months of attending your first course. Participants must also pass an exam to show competency in the domain.
Interest Form
Please fill out this form to indicate that you are beginning a certificate program with DISCUS Academy.
Certificate Tracker
Use this tracker to track your progress through the certificate program. Upon completion of the program, you will be asked to upload the tracker to verify completion of required courses.
Core Courses - (11 credits) Core courses provide participants with the fundamental principles necessary to understand the laws and regulations governing the spirits industry.
Leadership – (2 credits) All participants are required to take Workplace Diversity & Inclusion and one other Leadership elective. These courses are available in the Leadership domain and are linked below.
Responsibility – (1 credit) All participants are required to take one Responsibility course. These courses are available in the Leadership Domain and linked below.
Electives - (16 credits) The remaining credits can be achieved through elective courses. Electives allow participants to take a deeper dive into areas of interest, giving you the flexibility to specialize in topics relevant to your career.
Core Courses (Required)
Customers and Employee Safety
Developing a Safety Program
DSP Safety
Environmental Safety, EPA Plant Permits, and Clean Air Act Considerations
Fire Protection
Product Recall
Production Facility Risk Management
Retail Risk
Risk Management
Supply Chain Risk
Walking & Working Surfaces: Slips, Trips & Falls
Electives (Choose 16)
Agricultural Risk (coming soon!)
Alcohol Handling (coming soon!)
Chemical Storage & Reporting
Developing an ESG Program
Electrical Safety
Emergency Planning (coming soon!)
Environmental Permitting & Reporting
Food Safety
Health & Safety Compliance
Insurance
Intro to Policies and Procedures
Key Principles of Distillery Layout
Loading and Unloading (coming soon!)
Managing Ancillary Operation Risk
Material and Barrel Handling Safety (coming soon!)
Preventative Equipment Maintenance (coming soon!)
Process, Plant & Equipment Safety (coming soon!)
Regulated Waste Handling
Reputational Risk
Spill Control
Sustainability and Climate Risk
Tasting Room Safety & Risk Management (coming soon!)
Transporting Hazardous Substances (coming soon!)
Visitor Center & Tours Risk Management (coming soon!)
Leadership
Workplace Diversity and Inclusion (Required)
Creating an Organizational Culture
Leadership Communication Styles (coming soon!)
Management Process
Sparking a Movement
Responsibility
Alcohol Responsibility
Mindful Mixology
Underage Drinking Prevention
U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Alcohol: What You Need to Know to Promote Responsible Consumption
Certificate Application Process
In order to earn a domain certificate, applicants must complete the following steps:
- Fulfill the domain course requirements as outlined above.
- Complete and submit the tracking form below. Your tracking sheet will be reviewed by DISCUS Academy staff to ensure all courses meet the requirements. Upon successful review, applicants will be eligible to take the domain exam.
- Take the domain exam and receive a score of 70% or higher. Exam questions will be taken from Core Courses. In the event of a failure, students may retake the exam one week after the failure. A maximum of 2 retakes will be allowed.
- Certificates will be available to download immediately after the exam is passed.