Contents

INTRODUCTION

This booklet will help you to carry out your work activities more safely and in a way that protects your own and others health and security. It focuses on good practice and is not intended as a complete or authoritative guide to the law. Further advice and guidance should be sought from your employer, written sources, such as leaflets, websites and posters and the qualified health and safety representative. Information in this booklet will help you to understand the principles behind the safety and security issues with which you may or may not be directly involved.

The meaning of health, safety and security at work

Most people spend a significant part of their lives at work and they do not expect their health, safety and security to be compromised through work related illness, injuries or breaches of security. The measures we are concerned about are controlling and reducing risks to anyone who might be affected by work activities. As an employee you have the responsibility to maintain a safe working environment not only for yourself but for other colleagues and visitors within your organisation. By following companies procedures, training and instructions you will be complying with the relevant legislation that will prevent you being prosecuted and more importantly prevent accidents/injuries.

KEY WORDS

• Health – A state of well being, with the absence of illness or disease
• Safety – The absence of risks
• Workplace – Any building or area where you work
• Accident – An unplanned, uncontrolled event with the potential to cause injury or damage
• Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - A major enforcement authority
• Hazard - Something that has the potential to cause harm
• Risk – The likelihood of harm for example a sprain, fracture or other injuries resulting from the hazard
• PPE - Personal protective clothing or equipment
• Health and Safety Policy – A written outline of an organisations policy for health and safety

Personal Hygiene - Personal Hygiene is an important part of your job role. Your appearance says a lot to your customers. You never get a second chance to make a first impression – make it a good one. Pride in your appearance shows a pride in yourself. Good personal hygiene will maintain good customer satisfaction and promote a good company image.
Poor standards of personal hygiene from catering & hospitality employees can lead to contamination which in turn can lead to poisoning, illness or even death. It displays a lack care and consideration for the customer, colleagues and the law.

Clothing - Normal outdoor clothes can bring bacteria into premises in dust and dirt. Your employer should either provide you with a uniform or request that you wear certain clothes, not only to represent the establishment image but also so as you change your clothes when you arrive for work.

Jewellery - This can also harbour dirt and bacteria, which can be transferred to foods during handling. Physical contamination (foreign bodies) can happen if stones from rings or earrings drop into food. Imagine the consequences of finding the back of an earring in your food.

Perfumes and Aftershaves - Because of their strong smell these can taint foods such as milks, eggs and cheeses and consequently ruin the taste. A light deodorant is best.

Handwashing - Because our hands are part of our bodies that come into contact with all foods and equipment we use as part of our daily job, they are a most efficient way of causing cross contamination unless they are washed. Hopefully you already regularly wash your hands. Most people only do this when they can see dirt on their hands or they feel sticky. But what of the dirt and bacteria that we cant see? To make sure that foods and production areas don’t become contaminated, regular handwashing is crucial in reducing the number of bacteria on our hands. It is not only food handlers who should be aware. Bar persons for example handle glasses with bare hands daily. Your customers then drink from that glass.

Illness & Cuts - Spit and mucus can carry harmful bacteria. As the saying goes, ‘coughs and sneezes spread diseases’. Areas and foods can become contaminated by sneezing, picking your nose, touching your mouth and then food, or by then biting your fingernails. Faeces (human waste), carries bacteria and because toilet paper is absorbent, bacteria can pass onto your hands after using the toilet. People suffering from food poising carry the bacteria in their faeces and have diarrhoea, which is easily spread without the use of soap, water and disposable towels for handwashing. Cuts should always be covered with a blue waterproof dressing. The reason being that harmful bacterium from us, via the cut, can cause contamination and the blue plaster can be easily identified should it fall off. Illnesses such as diarrhoea, sickness, coughs, sore throats should be reported to your line manager in order to prevent the illnesses spreading.

Smoking - When we smoke we put our hands to our mouth we then come into contact with foods and equipment. A bacterium that lives in our mouths is then passed on to the next thing you touch.

Hair - Hair and dandruff is a source of bacteria and can also cause physical contamination. It should be tied back or hats worn by food handlers. Remember not to scratch your head.

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WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY ABOUT PERSONAL HYGIENE?

Hygiene Regulations say that all people working in food handling areas MUST keep high standards of personal cleanliness and wear clean suitable protective clothing.

In practice this means that it’s against the law to: -

• Smoke or spit in food handling areas
• Eat, chew gum or drink while handling food or drinks
• Wear jewellery or false nails that could contaminate food

By law you must also: -

• Follow all health and safety procedures in your area of work by following instructions correctly and by attending the relevant training.
• Maintain a high standard of personal hygiene by washing regularly and wearing the correct clothing.
• Cover cuts, spots etc. on hands with a blue, waterproof dressing.
• Report any illnesses, like and upset stomach, diarrhoea, sickness, infected wounds and sores to your supervisor or manager straight away.
• Report accidents or near misses in the appropriate way.
• Report any hazards or potential hazards that may cause harm.
• Wear any PPE that has been issued.

KEY POINTS

• People naturally carry bacteria on their body.
• You MUST follow the simple personal hygiene rules to make sure you don’t contaminate foods and areas.
• When issued with the correct PPE, ensure that you wear it as it will not only protect you but the food that you are dealing with.

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FIRE

Fire prevention is an important obligation for all businesses. Not only are people at work at risk from fire, but visitors, contractors, fire fighters, neighbours and anyone else in the vicinity may be affected. You must be aware of potential sources of fires and what you can do to prevent them. You also must be aware of your organisations fire procedures and equipment should you ever need to use them. Your workplace should conduct regular fire drills in order to not only keep staff fully conversant in the procedure but also to ensure all alarms and warning devices are in good working order.

KEY WORDS

Fuel – Anything that can be burned in a fire such as paper, wood, furnishing and chemicals.
Evacuation Route – The designated way out of a building in case of fire or other emergency.

Causes of Fires
Fires may be caused in a variety of ways:

• Sparks from Electrical Equipment
• Overheated Equipment
• Hot Fat in Fryers
• Smoking
• Incorrect Storage of Waste
• Incorrect Storage of Chemicals

Fire Prevention
Fire prevention and control depend on managing three factors, commonly referred to as the ‘fire triangle’. Fires need the right combination of these three to burn. Once a fire has started it may spread very quickly, producing smoke and fumes. The emphasis must always be on preventing a fire from starting, rather than putting it out, as this will endanger people’s lives further.

                                                   
  
Material, which could become fuel, either intentionally or by accident, must be kept to a minimum – for example, waste and rubbish should be removed regularly. Smoking should only be allowed in designated areas and cigarettes should be extinguished properly. All equipment should be turned off and unplugged after use and the temperature of fryers should be monitored at all times. Store waste and hazardous substances correctly.

Evacuation routes and procedures.
It is more important to evacuate people from a building that to stop and fight a fire. However, there are occasions when simple fire fighting techniques can eliminate a fire before it takes hold. On discovery of a fire there are many things you can do.

Tackle the fire
Your workplace will have a range of fire extinguishers. You must only use these if you are trained and authorised to do so. Under new legislation all fire extinguishers are now red, however some establishments are still using the colour coded ones. These are perfectly safe. The range of extinguishers and their uses are;

• Fire Blanket - By smothering the fire with this the fire is deprived of oxygen and so extinguished. Fire blankets are used for fires such as people, fat fryers & cookers.
• Foam Extinguisher – By spraying the foam onto the fire it deprives it of oxygen so extinguishing it. Used for fat and cooker fires. Used on non-electrical fryers as it is a wet substance and could cause electrocution.
• Powder Extinguisher – Used for electrical fires as it is a dry substance, which cools the fire so starving it of heat. Cannot be used on fat fryers as the force that the cold powder is delivered from the extinguisher would spread the fat and cause further injury. Can be used on chemical fires.
• Water Extinguisher – This works by removing the heat from the fire so extinguishing it. Can be used on bins, storage areas and non-electrical fires. Must never be used on fat fires. Water in contact with hot fat explodes and causes terrible injuries.
• Carbon Dioxide – This is the opposite of oxygen, so by using this on a fire you will take away the oxygen required to help it burn. Used on fires such as electrical.

Raise the alarm
Around your workplace there will be alarm points, small red boxes that require you to break the glass and press the button. This will activate the fire alarm. 

Evacuate the building
All buildings must have a fire exit. These are emergency exits to enable people to get out of a building in the opposite direction from a fire. The route is marked by green signs with arrows to indicate the way out.  Fire doors and exits should be kept clear at all times. If not the evacuation procedure will slow down. Fire doors should never be kept locked and only accessible (opened) from the inside of the building. All staff, customers and visitors should meet at a designated assembly point at a safe distance from the building. At this assembly point it is important that you report to the relevant manger and do not re-enter the building unless authorised by the chief fire officer/ manager

KEY POINTS

• Fires can cause death
• You must be careful and follow all fire safety procedures
• Fire can seriously damage properties
• Know your evacuation route and assembly point

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HAZARDS, ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES

In the workplace there a numerous hazards and accidents waiting to happen. In the catering and hospitality industry employees are exposed to many hazards such as dangerous machinery, chemicals, heavy lifting, slippery surfaces, obstacles on the floor and use of equipment that could cause injury if not used correctly. All kinds of people visit catering and hospitality establishments such as, customers, officials and the staff work there. It is the employers’ responsibility to ensure that a risk assessment has been carried out and safety procedures put in place to prevent accidents to these people. The employer must make all staff aware of safety measures to be carried out so as to cut down the risks of injury to all people in the building.

KEY WORDS

• Control or Control Measures – At item or action designed to remove a hazard or reduce the risk from it
• Hazard – Something with the potential to cause harm
• Risk – The result of what a hazard can do and the likelihood that it could happen

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RISK ASSESSMENTS

This is nothing more than a careful examination of what, in your workplace, could cause harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm. The aim is to make sure that no one gets hurt or becomes ill. Accidents and ill health can ruin lives, affect the business and lead to prosecution. Your employer is legally responsible for carrying out the risk assessment. You are responsible for upholding it.

How to Assess the Risks in your Workplace

STEP 1 – Look for the hazards
Concentrate on the significant risks

STEP 2 – Decide who might be harmed and how
Young workers, customers, maintenance or delivery, staff, visitors

STEP 3 – Evaluate the risks and whether existing precautions are adequate
How likely is it to cause harm? what types of injuries can be substained?  Are the existing measures enough?  Can I get rid of the hazard, if not how can I control it more?

STEP 4 – Record your findings
A written risk assessment must be kept should and inspector wish to see it in case of injury

STEP 5 – Review your assessment and take action if necessary
Regularly review the assessment to take into consideration any new machinery, chemicals or working practices..

Types of Hazards that Cause Accidents

Slips and Trips – The most common cause of injuries at work is the slip or trip. They happen in all kinds of businesses, but sectors such as catering and hospitality report higher than average numbers. Effective solutions are often simple and cheap. In fact to verbally warn someone of a wet floor or trailing wires costs nothing at all. In most cases yellow hazard signs are displayed.  Floor conditions can change very quickly with wet weather and spillages

Chemicals – Hazardous substances are used in many workplaces and may lead to a range of conditions including dermatitis, asthma and infectious diseases. Visitors and the general public may be at risk from them as well as the person using them. Hazardous substances include anything that could cause ill health to people in contact with them. They include cleaning chemicals and fumes. The best way to prevent illness from these substances is not to use them at all, but this is not appropriate. Protective clothing must be worn and made available by the employer and strict training and instructions of use will reduce the risk. All chemicals have orange squares or yellow triangles that indicate the level or hazard.

Dangerous Machinery and Tools – In the catering and hospitality industry there are many, from hand tools such as knives, medium sized machinery such as food blenders and slicers to large machinery such as dishwashers. All are hazardous if not used correctly. Only authorised and trained people should use such machinery. Never use machines without safety guards. Blue warning and advice signs should be on all dangerous equipment.

Manual Handling, Electrics and Pressurised Gas and Cookers – Are other hazards likely to cause accidents in your workplace.

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ACCIDENTS

There are thousands of accidents in the workplace every year and it has been estimated that in Britain alone 2.5 million people suffer work-related illness. There is always a reason why accidents occur, they do not just happen. With a good, comprehensive risk assessment, the risk of accidents will be reduced, however once an accident has occurred it must be dealt with properly.

Appointed persons and first aiders are people within your organisation who are responsible for looking after the first aid equipment, making sure it is available and taking control when somebody is ill or injured. All accidents and illness should be reported to these people.

Employers and employees need to know when accidents or illness have occurred to prevent them form happening again. They must follow the accident reporting procedure laid down by the law. All important points about the accident or incident of ill health must be recorded in the accident book. This may be needed for investigation purposes, comply with legislation and help prevent further accidents in the future.

KEY POINTS

• Obey instructions for the use of machinery and equipment
• Report any hazards that you come across
• Take action to warn people of risks to their safety by the use of verbal and written warning signs
• Report all illness and accidents to appropriate person

EMERGENCY

There are various forms of emergencies including fire, bomb, accidents and power failures. In all of these circumstances there is usually a contingency plan in place. These plan will include a procedure for evacuation or personal/maintenance numbers to call in the event of power failures to ensure that all customers and personal are not endangered in any way. Where a power failure occurs it may be possible to use a different source of equipment, for example, microwave instead of a gas oven.

KEY POINTS

• Follow procedures and instructions laid down by your employer
• Report any faults as soon as they occur
• Keep calm and work in a sensible manner

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MANUAL HANDLING

Almost one third of reportable accidents results from handling, lifting and carrying activities. Ruptured discs, sprained ligaments, fractures and muscular injuries are some of the common injuries sustained in poor manual handling techniques. Some injuries occur immediately but many develop gradually over a period of time due to the repetitive of the tasks being carried out and the strain on the muscles and joints being used.

As with all other health and safety issues the most effective method of prevention is to eliminate the risk of hazardous manual handling. This can be done by redesigning the workplace so that items do not need to be moved from one area to another or by the use of mechanical aids such as trolleys or convey belts.

When manual handling needs to be used it is important to use the techniques below:

• Plan and prepare the task, assessing the load and route that needs to be taken ensuring that you get help if required and that the route is free from obstacles.
• Stand with you feet apart.
• Bend your knees, keeping your back straight
• Lean forward and try and grip around the base of the load with your hands
• Bring the load to waist height and bring towards your body
• Reverse the procedure when lowering the load

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SECURITY

The catering and hospitality industry is an open one. Customers, visitors and officials are invited to freely enter our premises. Monitoring these people can prove difficult. No one likes to feel scrutinised whilst enjoying a drink or meal. However, all employees must be aware of the security risks involved and what to do should they think there is a security risk. It is important to prevent unauthorised access to minimise the risk of theft, damage to the property and even injuries.

Public facilities such as toilets, public areas such as bars, receptions, hotels and restaurants, work areas such as kitchens and cellars are all used by people outside of your establishments’ employment. This poses massive security risks to your workplace.

Suspicious People, Unauthorised Entrances and Exits
Undesirable people may enter your place of work without notice for the intention of selling drugs, stolen goods or to steal. Such people are not always easily identifiable. Their behaviour is usually the give-away. These we call ‘suspicious people’. You need to know what to do about these as approaching them and asking them to leave could cause an unpleasant scene or even harm to yourself. The best thing to do is politely ask them their business in your workplace, a simple ‘is there anything I can help you with Sir or madam, ’usually lets them know that you’re onto them and they will leave. If not and they say they are looking for a particular hotel room for instance, you must discuss this with them, offering to call the hotel resident if they give you their room number, for their convenience. However you should report all suspicious circumstances to your manager or security.

All entrances and exists should be monitored closely to ensure that the people you want to enter your premises do so by these methods. Those that you do not want to enter will come in the back or fire door that they have found left open. Regular tours of the premises to determine any unauthorised open entrances/exists (fire doors, cellars, stores, offices, and staff changing rooms) should be carried out. If you find any of these breaches of security, report them to your manager or security.

Security of Staff, Work and Storage Areas

Staff Areas - Changing rooms and showers, offices and canteens. These are where you get changed; store your belongings and rest. Only staff should be allowed access to these areas. It is not advisable to bring valuables into work and your employer will not take responsibility for them. All of your personal belongings should be kept either in a locker or locked in the managers’ office. It’s not a nice thought to think that not only would strangers (suspicious people) steal from you, but so may your colleagues, unfortunately this is common. Better safe than sorry.

Work Areas – Some employees are responsible for the storage and control of many valuable things.

• Bar staff for liquor and cash
• Kitchen staff for foods and small equipment
• Restaurant staff for cash and equipment
• Reception staff for cash, safes, room keys and customer details
• Housekeeping staff for equipment and room master keys

It is imperative that only authorised people are allowed access to these areas and the contents of them. For instance, a chef needing a bottle of wine for cooking should not just walk behind the bar or to the cellar to help himself. The bar person is responsible for the monitoring of this to make sure the wine would be put to correct use and not be taken home by the chef. Likewise a bar person would not be allowed access to the kitchen stores. All requisitions should be recorded for security purposes.

Keys - For all departments there will be keys held by the designated members of that department. If all staff had keys to all departments there would be no need to lock them. Should these keys be lost or fall into the wrong hands then the security of that department is at risk. All missing or lost keys should be reported immediately to managers and security so action can be taken. Imagine the implications of a housekeeper losing the bedroom master key?

Cash - Other types of keys include key cards for electronic tills. These are given to cash handling staff. To operate the till they must use the key card, this immediately identifies them as the user for that particular transaction. The till cannot be operated without it, so reducing the risk of unauthorised people using the till. Only a few authorised people should be allowed access to the safe, which should be kept locked, at all times and away form the public eye.

Lost Property - What is lost property? ‘Anything that is found discarded or unattended’. It may be of little value or worth thousands. The main principle is that it belongs to somebody else and may hold sentimental or functional value. All lost property must be reported to the manager. All information about when it was found, where, the content and by whom, should be recorded. If you were to find a large package or bag this should be considered as a suspicious item, contact your manager or security immediately before you investigate further. This kind of precaution may seem a little exaggerated but a worthy one should the item turn out to be bomb.

Should someone enquire about lost property, for instance a customer lost their wallet, you should ask them to describe it, the contents and when it was lost before you consider giving it to them. The property must be signed for. Only authorised people should be allowed access to lost property storage and should not be allowed to take from it if the property is not recovered by the owner. This is stealing.

KEY POINTS

• Keep an eye out for suspicious people and items and report them
• Make sure all fire doors are kept closed at all times
• Lock all offices, tills, stores, lockers and safes after use
• Always know where your keys are
• Report all lost property to the proper person

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