Harmless looking Care Home kitchen?

Posted on | by Kevan

Can you spot the hazards in this seemingly harmless scenario?

For assistance with personal hygiene, the dating and defrosting of food within your workplace, email us at: [email protected]

HSQC have over 40 years of experience as a leading international safety and quality management consultancy. Our team provide technical advice and laboratory and scientific support to businesses in the hospitality, food, leisure, tourism, and catering industries.

 

 

  • The hand-wash basin is blocked by food so cannot be used to wash hands!
  • Some of the milk defrosting in the sink is alongside unfrozen milk
  • The defrosted and frozen products were not dated once frozen, making order of usage unclear

Did you spot them all?

SERVO award goes to Crimson Team

Posted on | by Kevan

Congratulations to Federico Ciampi and the team at 100 Queen’s Gate, who were recently awarded this best performance trophy by Richard Hannay of HSQC.

Ask us now about how SERVO can help your team stay at the top of their game! For a personalised monthly subscription for your organisation contact: [email protected]

There are no apps to download and no surprise in-app purchases. There’s no extra software to download or hardware to be bought.

Once registered, your kitchen manager can upload all the due diligence information that you need to monitor daily, including:

• Food Receipt / Delivery Records
• Food Storage Temperature Records
• Temperature Probe Calibration Records
• Defrosting Records
• Breakage Logs
• Looking and Reheating Logs
• Food Display Temperature Records
• Blast Chiller Records
• Hot Holding Records
• Structural Fabric and Equipment Maintenance Logs

Can you spot the potential hazards?

Posted on | by Kevan

potential storage, handling and fire safety issuesHere’s another real world hazard spotting exercise. The staff in this busy café were unaware of the potential hazards on show!

For assistance with fire safety issues and correct manual handling and storage within your operation, email us at: [email protected]

HSQC have over 40 years of experience as a leading international safety and quality management consultancy. Our team provide technical advice and laboratory and scientific support to businesses in the hospitality, food, leisure, tourism, and catering industries.

 

 

  • Fire extinguisher holding a door open; it should be wall-mounted or in a plastic container
  • Drinks (classed as a food) are on the floor posing a contamination hazard
  • Items stored on the floor pose a manual handling hazard to the staff member who has to lift them
  • The door is not in good condition and should be redecorated or, at the very least, kept clean!

Did you spot them all?

Norovirus – minimise the risk as cases rise

Posted on | by Kevan

Norovirus is a stomach bug that can cause moderate to intense nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. You might also get a headache, high temperature and feel generally achy. Symptoms usually come on quickly and can be quite unpleasant…

“You can get it through having close contact with someone with norovirus, touching surfaces or objects that have the virus on them, then touching your mouth, and eating food that’s been prepared or handled by someone with norovirus.”

Researchers believe norovirus can survive on surfaces, such as kitchen tops and door handles, for up to two weeks.

To ensure Norovirus does not take hold at your location, email us at: [email protected]

HSQC have over 40 years of experience as a leading international safety and quality management consultancy. Our team provide technical advice and laboratory and scientific support to businesses in the hospitality, food, leisure, tourism, and catering industries.

 

Allergic to alcohol?

Posted on | by Kevan

Alcohol can negatively affect us in a number of ways, including over-indulgence, reactions to sulphites or histamines contained in your drink, increasing the likelihood of reactions caused by existing allergies, and triggering the symptoms of asthma…

For support with allergen management within your business, email us at: [email protected]

HSQC have over 40 years of experience as a leading international safety and quality management consultancy. Our team provide technical advice and laboratory and scientific support to businesses in the hospitality, food, leisure, tourism, and catering industries.

 

Are you a kitchen hazard spotter?

Posted on | by Kevan

probe thermometer in working kitchen
A recent real world example of a food handler in a takeaway restaurant kitchen. There are at least 3 potential hazards on show here (see the end of this article)!

For support in implementing the use of probe thermometers correctly, and of documenting your calibration records, email us at: [email protected]

HSQC have over 40 years of experience as a leading international safety and quality management consultancy. Our team provide technical advice and laboratory and scientific support to businesses in the hospitality, food, leisure, tourism, and catering industries.

 

  • The probe thermometer is broken, so this kitchen cannot guarantee that their food is safe
  • It has not been cleaned recently
  • The food handler has decorated nail extensions and varnish which could potentially contaminate food being prepared

Level 2 Award in Fire Safety Principles

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Duration

One-day course

Assessment

Multiple-choice examination

Fees - Ask for your tailor-made quotation
Course: Cost per person
Exam: Cost per person

In-house group training (up to 20 people)
Course: Cost per person
Exam: Cost per person

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The Level 2 Award in Fire Safety Principles allows candidates to develop their basic fire safety awareness. It is particularly useful for employees who are to have a designated responsibility for workplace fire safety, for example as fire wardens or fire marshals, and provides the knowledge that will allow them to carry out duties relating to fire safety and emergency procedures.

Outline programme

This qualification covers the following topics:

Causes of fire in the workplace
Fire hazards
Characteristics of fire and smoke spread
Fire control methods
Means of escape
Fire detection and raising the alarm
Extinguishing fires
Fixed fire-fighting systems
The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Legal duties and penalties
Fire risk assessment
Fire safety inspections
Role of the fire warden
Induction briefings

Qualification information

Designed for: employees who hope to develop their basic fire safety awareness in order to assist their employer by undertaking more specific fire safety roles in the workplace to manage fire risk (e.g. as fire wardens/marshals/stewards etc.)

Course duration: One-day course
Assessment method: Multiple-choice examination
Ofqual accredited: Yes
Ofqual reference: 501/0340/4
Pre-requisite: None, although basic fire safety awareness to Level 1 standard is recommended
Suggested progression: Level 3 Award in Fire Safety Risk Assessment and Control