Health & Safety in Restaurants: The Basics
A frequent health and safety risk assessment should be performed by all businesses and restaurants are no different. This entails taking a close look at your company and identifying any potential risks that could harm employees or members of the public. If you’re taking adequate steps to mitigate these risks, your restaurant risk assessment should be able to notify you.
Restaurants, food services, and delivery services require a thorough risk assessment procedure. There are many risks at work; some are less visible than others, such as those posed by deep-fat fryers and ovens. Are steps, for instance, properly marked, especially if waiters carrying hot plates are likely to use them?etail businesses:
Safety
– Check to see if the meal is safe to eat.
– Make sure the food is of the quality you claim it is and avoid misleading consumers with labelling, advertising, or marketing.
– Don’t add anything to, take anything away from, or alter food in any manner that makes it unhealthy to consume.
– Keep track of where you purchased the food, which is referred to as “traceability,” and make sure you can show these records upon request.
– Inform people when food has been pulled or recalled, why it was withdrawn, and what they should do. Withdraw dangerous food and create an incident report. Display your food hygiene rating.
Additives
– Use only authorised additives
– Employ just the additives that are permitted for that specific food.
Hygiene
– Using the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) principles, draught a hygiene plan.
– Be sure that “food contact materials” (which include packaging, food processing equipment, cookware, and surfaces) don’t alter or transfer anything to the food they come into contact with.
– You should also be able to trace the origin of your food contact materials (for example E.coli O157 and campylobacter, and salmonella).
– Control food allergies and assume responsibility for staff hygiene training.
HSE recommendations for kitchen health and safety
For organisations doing their first risk assessment, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has released templates and guidelines. You can fill up the standard risk assessment and health and safety in a kitchen policy design with the pertinent data.
As an alternative, many kitchens and restaurants decide to employ a health and safety expert with experience in the catering industry to do a risk assessment on their behalf. Long-term, this can be advantageous since a professional with knowledge of kitchen health and safety can frequently identify dangers and risks you’ve overlooked.
Many times, kitchen health and safety regulations are just plain sense. You either already manage a secure restaurant or intend to do so. But it’s crucial that you create a thorough health and safety in catering and hospitality policy that outlines how risks and other issues must be addressed. If (and when) the council decides to send an inspector, you will also be required to present this policy.
Who requires a certificate in food safety?
Food handlers in the UK are not required to have a hygiene certificate in order to prepare or sell food. However, companies that deal with food have a variety of obligations. The Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) business guidelines and the food safety hub on gov.uk are the finest resources to turn to for advice on everything from food safety to cleanliness and inspections.
Currently, all employee hygiene training is under the purview of the employers. It can be informal and on-the-job-based or a component of a structured programme, but having it in place and appropriate for your field of business is required by law.
How does the coronavirus affect the health and security of restaurants?
It’s quite unusual for someone to contract the coronavirus from food, according to gov.uk. This is due to the fact that it is a respiratory ailment and that it is not now known how it is spread through food or packaging.
In light of this, it becomes sense to adhere to strict health and safety procedures and minimise your company’s exposure to the coronavirus. Here is advice from gov.uk, along with a health and safety restaurant checklist tailored to coronaviruses:
– Observe the general advice
Everyone handling food should frequently wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (they should also do this before/after handling food, after being in a public place, blowing their nose, coughing, or sneezing). Any food handler who is ill shouldn’t be at work.
Operators of food businesses should adhere to the FSA’s recommendations for proper hygiene standards as well as their HACCP process (see 16 restaurant health and safety responsibilities above)
Keep an eye out for symptoms
You should isolate yourself if you or any food handler exhibits any of the following symptoms:
– A fresh, persistent cough and a fever
– A change in one’s natural sense of taste or smell (anosmia)
Know the rules for good food hygiene
– Adhere to a Food Safety Management System (FSMS) that incorporates HACCP procedures and current food hygiene guidelines (see above).
– Emphasise the value of more consistent handwashing and good hygiene habits
– Periodically disinfect and sanitise surfaces and items
Use caution when cleaning, packing, and disposing of waste
The World Health Organisation (WHO) claims that it’s unusual for an infected person to contaminate industrial products. But gov.uk advises:
Efforts to handle packaging and clean it in accordance with accepted risk assessments and safe working procedures adhere to coronavirus-specific cleaning and waste disposal recommendations.
Controlling employee illness
If someone exhibits symptoms while they are at your place of business or employment, you should send them home and tell them to adhere to the government’s stay-at-home advice. You should also contact 999 if you are experiencing symptoms. if they are gravely unwell.
Anyone who assisted the person exhibiting symptoms should properly wash their hands.
Unless the government’s policy regarding symptoms in the workplace changes, you do not need to shut down your business or place of employment.
Keep an eye on the coronavirus response hub on gov.uk for developments.
Use social distancing
– Maintain a two-meter space between people, and put up signs warning clients not to enter if they are experiencing symptoms.
– Restrict access to prevent crowding
On gov.uk, you can find a tonne more information about social distance in the workplace in the food and catering industries.
Gov.uk has emphasised that its advice is generic, should only be used as a guide, and that in the event of a disagreement, applicable law will always take precedence.
Consider getting company insurance
When it comes to insurance, restaurants and food enterprises have certain requirements. Public liability insurance should be considered as the main coverage.
Learn more about restaurant insurance for takeout.
Public liability protection
Recently, a number of big compensation lawsuits have focused on restaurants. Consider public liability insurance, which protects your company if a member of the public gets hurt or ill and blames you, as one claim might put you in a lot of financial trouble.
Insurance for employers’ liabilities
If your company employs at least one person, employers’ liability insurance is probably required by law. It safeguards you in case one of your employees becomes unwell or is hurt while working for you.
Most employers are legally required to carry employers’ liability insurance with a minimum limit of £5 million, or else they risk being fined up to £2,500 each day (although there are some exceptions).
Does all this sound confusing and don’t know where to start?!
Acton Safety are experts in all things for health and safety in food establishments. We have extensive experience in establishing good practice, setting standards for staff and managers to follow and staff training.
Call us on 01978 784 302, email us at [email protected] or complete our contact form.