CHAPTER 4

HEALTH, SAFETY
AND SECURITY
Learning Objectives
• Identify elements to maintain personal health and
hygiene.
• Identify elements to maintain a safe environment.
• Identify practices to avoid hazards in work place.
• Describe the procedures of work place accidents
• Identify security measures to maintain a secure
environment.
• Describe the procedures of work place security
threats.
Maintain Personal Health And Hygiene
The factors listed below and it is their individual
responsibility to ensure that they are put into practice:
• Staff should be clean and should use deodorants (but not
strong smelling ones)
• Aftershave and perfumes should not be too strong (as this
may have a detrimental effect on the customer’s palate)
• Sufficient sleep, an adequate and healthy intake of food
and regular exercise is essential for good health and the
ability to cope with the pressures and stress of work
• Particular attention should be paid to the hands. They
must always be clean, free of nicotine stains and with
clean, well-trimmed nails
• Teeth should be brushed before coming on duty and the
breath should be fresh smelling
Maintain Personal Health And Hygiene continue..
• Men should normally be clean-shaven or with any
moustache or beard neatly trimmed
• Women should only wear light make-up. If nail varnish is
worn then it should be clear
• Earrings should not be worn with the possible exception
of studs/sleepers
• Uniform must be clean, starched as appropriate and
pressed. All buttons must be present
• Hair must be clean and well groomed. Long hair must be
tied up or back to avoid hairs falling into foods and drinks
and to avoid repeated handling of the hair
• Shoes must be comfortable and clean, and of a plain, neat
design. Fashion is not as important here as safety and foot
comfort
Maintain Personal Health And Hygiene continue..
• Cuts and burns should be covered with waterproof
dressings
• Any colds or other possible infections should be reported
immediately
• Hands should be washed immediately after using the
toilet, smoking or dealing with refuse. Hot water and soap
must be used
• Staff should try to avoid any mannerisms they may have,
such as running their fingers through their hair, chewing
gum or scratching their face
• Excessive jewellery should not be worn
Maintaining A Safe Environment
Potential benefits of good health and safety practices:
• Reduction in accidents and ill health
• Motivated workers
• Enhanced company reputation
• Increased productivity
• Improved profitability
Maintaining A Safe Environment continue..
Potential cost of accidents in the workplace:
• Employees absent from work due to illness and stress
• Compensation claims
• Prosecution
• Fines
• Legal costs
• Damage to the business’ reputation
• High staff turnover
Maintaining A Safe Environment continue..
Who is responsible for health and safety?
• Employers/employees
• People in control of work premises
• Self-employed
• Designers
• Manufacturers
• Suppliers
• Local authorities
• Enforcement officers
• Environmental health officers
• Health and safety inspectors
Maintaining A Safe Environment continue..
This means that employer must:
• Provide safe equipment and utensils
• Train staff in safe working practices
• Provide first aid equipment
• Keep an accident book
• Produce a policy document telling everyone how to
work safely
• Provide good welfare facilities including rest
facilities, drinking water, toilets, washing facilities,
changing rooms and lockers
Maintaining A Safe Environment continue..
In regard to health, safety and security, staff must:
• understand food hygiene regulations and be aware it
is their responsibility to act within the bounds of
these regulations
• notify management of any major illnesses
• perform duties in any area concerned with the
handling of food in a hygienic manner, paying
attention to food and hygiene regulations
• make themselves familiar with all escape routes and
fire exits in the building
• ensure that fire exits remain clear at all times
• participate in fire evacuation drills and practices
Avoiding Risks
Risk
• Is the chance of somebody being harmed by a hazard.
• There may be a high risk or a low risk of harm.
Risk Assessment
Five steps to assessing risk:
1. Look for hazards
2. Identify who could be harmed and how
3. Work out the risks and decide if the existing
precautions are good enough or whether more
should be done to prevent harm being caused
4. Write down what the hazard is and what the risk is
and keep this as a record
5. Re-check the hazard and the risk at regular intervals
and go back and change the risk assessment if
necessary
Avoiding Hazards
Hazard is anything that can cause harm such as:
• Extremes of cold and heat
• Uneven floors
• Excessive noise
• Chemicals
• Electricity
• Working using ladders
• Moving parts and machinery
• Dust and fumes
Avoiding Hazards continue..
The following aspects of the foodservice environment
have the potential to give rise to hazards:
• Equipment: liquidisers, food processors, mixers,
mincers
• Substances: cleaning chemicals, detergents, sanitisers
• Work methods: carrying knives and equipment
incorrectly and not following a logical sequence
• Work areas: spillages not cleaned up, overcrowded
work areas, insufficient work space, uncomfortable
work conditions due to extreme heat or cold
Avoiding Hazards continue..
Many accidents occur through carelessness or lack of
thought, for example:
• not wearing the appropriate protective clothing such
as an apron
• not wearing sensible (i.e. stable and properly fitted)
shoes
• delay in clearing spillages or picking up items of
equipment that have fallen on the floor
• being unaware of customers’ bags placed on the floor
• items of equipment stored incorrectly
• broken glass or crockery not wrapped up sufficiently
before being placed in the bin
Avoiding Hazards continue..
• forgetting to unplug electrical appliances prior to
cleaning
• putting ashtray debris into rubbish bins containing
paper (a fire hazard)
• forgetting to switch off and unplug an appliance after
use or at the end of the service
• not being observant with table lamps or lit candles on
a buffet
• over-filling coffee pots, soup tureens, glasses, etc
• using cups, glasses, soup bowls, etc., for storing
cleaning agents
• stacking trays incorrectly
Avoiding Hazards continue..
• carrying a mix of equipment on a tray, such as
cutlery, crockery and glassware
• carpet edges turned up
• faulty wheels on trolleys or castors on sideboards
• being unaware of customers’ walking sticks and
crutches
• inadequate space for the safe service of food and
drink because of bad planning
• lack of knowledge in carrying out certain tasks, such
as opening a bottle of sparkling wine
Incident / Accident Reporting
The information should include:
• the location of the accident
• the time of the accident
• a statement of the event
• details of witnesses
• treatment administered
Ensuring Fire Safety
The responsible person must:
• Make sure that the fire precautions, where reasonably
practicable, ensure the safety of all employees and
others in the building
• Make an assessment of the risk of and from fire in the
establishment; special consideration must be given to
dangerous chemicals or substances and the risks that
these pose if a fire occurs
• Review the preventative and protective measures
Ensuring Fire Safety continue..
Fire precaution guidelines are shown below:
• Remove all hazards or reduce them as much as
possible
• Make sure that everyone is protected from the risk of
fire and the likelihood of a fire spreading
• Make sure that all escape routes are safe and used
effectively
• Some way of fighting fires must be available on the
premises
• There must be some way of detecting a fire on the
premises and instructions on what to do in case of fire
Ensuring Fire Safety continue..
• There must be arrangements in place for what to do if
a fire breaks out on the premises. Employees must be
trained in what to do in the event of a fire
• All fire precaution devices must be installed and
maintained by a competent person
Ensuring Fire Safety continue..
Five steps to complete for a fire risk assessment:
1. Identify the potential fire hazards in the workplace
2. Decide who will be in danger in the event of a fire
3. Identify the risks caused by the hazards. Decide
whether the existing fire precautions are adequate or
whether more needs to be done
4. Anything arising from points 1 to 3 above should be
written down and a record kept, and all staff should
be informed of them
5. The risk assessment should be reviewed regularly to
check that it is up to date. If things change it should
be revised as necessary
Fire Detection And Fire Warning
Fires are classified as follows:
• Class A: fires involving solid materials where
combustion normally forms glowing embers
• Class B: fires involving liquids or liquefiable solids
• Class C: fires involving gases
• Class D: fires involving metals
• Class F: fires involving cooking oils or fats
Fire Fighting Equipment
Procedure in case of fire
This training should include:
• fire procedures in the employee’s specific area of work
• fire drill instructions for both customers and staff
• the location of fire points (safe places where staff and
customers should assemble after an evacuation) nearest to
employee’s particular area of work
• the location of fire exits
• the correct type of fire extinguisher to be used in relation
to the type of fire
• an identification of the employee’s specific
responsibilities in the event of fire
Procedure in case of fire
In the event of the fire alarm ringing employees must be
aware of the following rules:
1. Follow the fire instructions as laid down for the
establishment
2. Usher all customers and staff out of the work area
promptly and calmly
3. Pay special attention to customers with special needs
such as those with mobility problems
4. Walk quickly but do not run. Display a sense of urgency
5. Do not panic; remain calm as composure will be
imitated by others
6. Proceed as promptly as possible to the nearest assembly
point
Procedure in case of fire
7. Ensure that someone watches to see that there are no
stragglers
8. Follow the exit route as laid down in the establishments
fire instructions
9. Never use a lift
10. Never re-enter the building until told it is safe to do so
11. Do not waste time to collect personal items
Ensuring Fire Safety continue..
They must therefore ensure that:
• fire exits are not obstructed
• fire-fighting equipment is not damaged or misused
• no smoking rules are observed at all times
• as far as is possible all electrical and gas equipment is
switched off
• all doors and windows are closed when not being used
for evacuation purposes
• fire doors are not locked or wedged open
• sufficient ashtrays/stands are available for the disposal
of cigarette ends and used matches
• the procedure for making an emergency fire call is
known
Maintaining A Secure Environment
The main security risks in the hotel and catering
industry are:
• Theft
• Burglary
• Robbery
• Fraud
• Assault
• Vandalism
• Arson
• Undesirables
• Terrorism
Maintaining A Secure Environment continue..
Measure to prevent crime:
• The best way to prevent theft is to stop the thief
entering the premises in the first place.
– Reception staff should be trained to spot suspicious
individuals.
– Everyone who comes in should be asked to sign in at
reception, and if they are a legitimate visitor, be given a
security badge.
• All contract workers should be registered and given
security badges, and they may be restricted to
working in certain areas.
• Should be a good security system at the back door,
where everyone delivering goods has to report to the
security officer.
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• Establishment restrict access to their premises by
using security keypad which requires staff to enter a
numerical code to gain access. The code should be
changed on a regular basis to maintain security.
• Establishments should try to reduce temptation for
criminals.
• Staff who handle money should be trained in simple
anti-fraud measures.
• Equipment such as computers, fax machines and
photocopiers should be marked with some type of
security identification or tag.
Maintaining A Secure Environment continue..
• There are many simple and obvious security measures
that can also be taken such as locking doors and
windows.
• Good lighting is important.
– Criminals are less likely to come onto the premises at night
if people can see them easily.
– Leaving lights on in some areas that can be seen by
passers-by can also help.
• Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras are used as
a deterrent against crime.
• With regard to staff, the first step is appoint honest
staff by checking their references from previous
employers.
Maintaining A Secure Environment continue..
• Companies include a clause in employee contracts
stating their “right to search”.
General Procedures of Security
Staff must be aware of the security measures that relate
to their own work environment as well as those outlined
below:
• The importance of wearing some form of recognised
identity badge
• Being observant and reporting ‘suspicious’ persons
and/or packages
• Not discussing work duties with customers or outside
of the workplace
• Allowing bags, packages and one’s person to be
searched upon request when either entering or leaving
the workplace
General Procedures of Security continue..
• Being aware of the security procedures for the
establishment in the event that sudden and urgent
action needs to be taken
• Ensuring external fire doors are kept shut but not
locked, nor left ajar in error
• Ensuring that all areas have been vacated when
responsible for ‘locking up’ duties. All toilets
/cloakrooms must be carefully checked and at the
same time all windows and doors should be checked
to ensure they are locked
• Keys should only be handled by someone in
authority. A signing out book should be available
when staff request keys
General Procedures of Security continue..
• Keys should never be left unattended
• When handling cash, all large denomination notes
should be checked carefully as well as all cheque and
credit card payments, to prevent fraud, the passing of
illegal notes and the acceptance of altered credit cards
• Being alert and observant at all times and not
hesitating in reporting anything suspicious to the
immediate superior
Workplace Security Threats
• Dealing with a suspicious item or package
• Dealing with a bomb threat
Dealing with a suspicious item or package
1. If an object is found then it must immediately be
reported to the security officer, manager or
supervisor
2. Do not touch or attempt to move the object
3. If there are customers in the immediate vicinity,
discreetly attempt to establish ownership of the
object
4. If the ownership is established then ask the customer
to keep the object with them or hand it in for safe
keeping
5. If no immediate ownership is established, then the
area should be cleared and the authorities notified
without delay
Dealing with a bomb threat
1. Be aware of and follow establishment policy with
regard to bomb threats and evacuation procedures
2. Evacuate the immediate work area
3. Search the work area to ensure it is cleared, if this is
their responsibility
4. Evacuate the premises and usher all customers/staff
through the nearest usable exits to specified
assembly areas
5. Count all persons present to determine their safety
and minimise the risk of accidents.