Health and Safety in Restaurants & Foodservice

All restaurants must adhere to the same rules, regulations and legislations. Environmental Health and the Food Standards Agency set necessary protocols in order to protect diners from contracting any illnesses due to poor storage, preparation or cooking of food. By law, it is the responsibility of restaurants and foodservice operations to comply with all regulations. Understanding the different elements and areas for compliance is vital not only for your guests and customers but also for the survival of your business.

Restaurants and catering operations are prime settings for increased workplace dangers and potential safety concerns. In both back-of-house and front-of-house locations, there are a high number of issues to consider and implement correct preventative measures for, to ensure the safety of staff and guests.

• Fire - open flames are a common feature of a professional kitchen. With open flames comes a great risk of fire. Combined with the high use of cooking oils, and the risk further increases if correct safety isn't observed. Flammable materials such as alcohol behind the bar and in cellars, materials, upholstery and linens in dining areas and cleaning materials stored in back of house locations also further increase the threat of fire should a stray spark take hold.
• Knives and sharp food prep equipment - namely knives however mandolins, slicers, food processors, peelers and chippers are also a prime source of both minor and major injuries in food service settings.
• Burns - with hot surfaces, boiling oils and liquids and general heavy reliance on high heat cooking equipment standard, burns are a major hazard.
• Slips and trips - kitchens are busy, high traffic areas making them prime targets for accidental slips. With steam, cooking liquids, spilt ingredients and excess water in dishwashing areas just some of the potential sources of slippery floors, there's plenty going on that can cause an accident. Staff can clean up spills and food immediately and non-slip flooring could be in place but slips can still occur. Trips are just as likely in front-of-house areas with guests and servers moving between tables and chairs.
• Harmful substances - cleaning products, smoke and kitchen fumes are just some of the harmful substances that can pose a threat in restaurant and food service environments. COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) risk assessments are essential.

The topic of food health and safety has its own strict set of rules and legislations regulated by the Food Standards Agency. The Food Standards Act 1999 was established by the FSA to regulate food safety and standards across the entirity of the food service industry, from producer and supplier through to retailer. The ultimate objective is protecting public health from the risks associated with food.

While there are many areas to the Food Standards Act, the basics for commercial kitchens can be summed up with the 4 C's;

• Cleaning
• Chilling
• Cooking
• Cross Contamination

Cleaning

This basically involves keeping all surfaces, equipment, utensils and other areas or items in the kitchen correctly sanistised to prevent the spread of bacteria.

Chilling

All foods must be stored at recommended temperatures to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. Raw and cooked foods must be stored separately. 

Cooking

Food must always be cooked to safe recommended internal temperatures to ensure that any potentially harmful bacteria is killed. This is typically a minimum of 70°C for 2 minutes however this may vary depending on the food being cooked.

Cross Contamination

When preparing or cooking food, separate utensils, knives and cutting boards must be used for different products such as meat, seafood and vegetables. This also applies for equipment used when dealing with raw and cooked foods. Cloths are also an often overlooked source of cross contamination and specific cloths must be allocated per area. Prevention of cross contamination not only relates to equipment but also entire preparation and cooking areas. With an increase in legislation around allergen management it is critical that catering kitchens can demonstrate correct procedure, record keeping and full product traceability.

With the main areas of food preparation, cooking and general operations and procedures covered, you would think that there couldn't be anything left to regulate. With health and safety being a major focal point in food service businesses, there are plenty of other rules that must be followed.

• HACCP Plans for Commercial Kitchens. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a proactive scheme which aims to prevent problems rather than wait for them to occur and then rectify them. Every restaurant should have an HACCP plan in place which is expected to be used and implemented on a daily basis. By following the recommended guidelines, while also creating your own personal restaurant HACCP plan, you are able to tailor each guideline to your own specific needs.
• Installation of required equipment. Every restaurant must have specific items in their kitchen which are standard nationwide. These include; the required amount of cooker hoods and ventilation, three compartment sinks for use if the dishwasher should break down and a sloping draining board to ensure that any water drains toward the bowl and does not sit stagnant on the drainer. Commercial fridges for storage and commercial upright freezers with solid doors that hold precision temperatures are vital for food safety. If you need larger storage capacity, walk in refrigeration such as walk in cold storage rooms or freezer rooms are a great addition for large restaurants, hotels and foodservice businesses. Installing a blast-chiller in the kitchen to reduce the risk of any bacteria multiplying on your cooked food before the cooling process is complete ensures that catering businesses comply with food safety legislation. Blast chillers cool the food faster therefore any germs that may be present are effectively killed.
• Maintenance of equipment. All refrigeration should be routinely cleaned and maintained. This includes daily, weekly, monthly and annual tasks that not only maintain a hygienic environment in which to store food but also to ensure that equipment is running optimally. This involves temperature monitoring, general cleaning of refrigeration componants and scheduling of yearly service by a qualified engineer.
• Staff training. With so many regulations to adhere to it is vital that staff receive correct training. This will cover areas including legal responsibilities, health and safety and food safety plus many other essential topics such as; 
  • Storage, handling and preparation of food. Any supplies that cross the boundary into your restaurant become your responsibility. The stated requirements regarding all food items, at any stage, must always be adhered to. This includes correct food labelling, suitable storage containers, proper placement of product during storage, FIFO (first in first out) stock rotation and the disposal of any products that may be near to expiry. 
  • Hygiene of employees. Hand washing and general hygiene is critical. This includes hair nets, beard nets (where applicable), disposable gloves for food prep and hand sanitising stations. If there are any bugs or sickness then that person should be either sent home or given tasks that will remove them from any aspect of the food process.
• Pest control. All businesses have a responsibility to introduce preventative measures to combat or address pest infestation. This will include adequate proofing of buildings, waste management and general cleaning and maintenance.
• Fire safety. Fire is an increased risk in foodservice settings and so robust fire safety is vital. This will include areas such as equipment maintenance, deep cleaning of cooking utensils, appliances and ventilation ductwork, clear escape routes, and in-depth fire risk assessments. This area must be included in staff training.
• Observe maximum restaurant capacity. It might be tempting to squeeze in a few more covers however the more people there are, the less room for guests to move and servers to do their job causing a higher chance of accidents. In case of fire, an overloaded capacity can hinder escape routes. Set a realistic capacity that allows health and safety to be observed and stick to it.