Health and Safety in the Catering Industry

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is responsible for enforcing commercial catering health and safety regulations.

 

Groups who have responsibilities

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• Authorities (local councils, environmental health officers, health & safety inspectors)

• Employers (directors, senior managers)

• Employees (managers, supervisors, staff)

• Contractors (self-employed, companies, individuals)

 

All employing Caterers need to comply with Health & Safety Laws, which aim to prevent or control risks in the workplace.

Many accidents & incidents occur in the catering industry every day and it is the HSE’s responsibility to ensure that regulations are adhered to in order to minimise the risks.

 

As an employer in Catering you must;

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• Prepare a statement of safety policy. Risk Assessment.

• Appoint someone to assist in the Health & safety in the workplace.

• Assess what are risks in the workplace & make effective arrangement to control these.

• Carry out regular checks for these risks.

• Set up emergency procedures, mainly for fire & gas leaks in catering.

• Inform and train employees on the risks present and the arrangements in place to control them.

 

 

Enforcement Officers

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Enforcement officers ensure that all the health & safety laws are being followed.  HSE’s emphasis is on prevention but, where appropriate, we will come down hard on those that put others at risk, particularly where we employers are deliberately ignoring the laws.

 

The powers of enforcement officers

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• Visits (entry to premises announced, entry unannounced, routine, advice & support)

• Investigate (premises, individuals, organisation, seize records, seize equipment, collect samples, destroy stock, arrest individuals)

• Issue (prohibition notices, improvement notices, closure)

• Prosecution (magistrates court, crown court, fines, imprisonment)