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Food safety for child care providers and nurseriesYou are legally required to complete a food premises registration form. You can get a registration form can be obtained from the Environmental Health Customer Services Section. Remember an Environmental Health check is a part of the registration process. But t he decision to register as a day-care provider is based on assessment of both 'fit' premises and 'fit' person by Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED). Therefore meeting the Environmental Health requirements does not necessarily mean registration will be granted. For more information on food safety for child care providers see below:
Food safetyYou must examine all food operations carried out within your business, including purchase, storage, handling, preparation, cooking, service and transport, and ensure that at each stage, the food is being treated in a safe and hygienic way. When you examine your food business operations in this way, you will be able to identify where food safety problems may arise, and ensure that you and your nursery staff have the necessary procedures in place at any critical points, to control these food safety problems. You should consider the following examples of hazards including the:
This close examination of your food business operations, known as hazard analysis, is not difficult to carry out and the controls you put in place can be very simple. You must:
Once your hazard analysis is in place, it is important for you to regularly review your control measures and take any necessary steps to take account of future changes in your operations. You will find further guidance booklets available from the Food Standards Agency. Telephone the Food Standards Agency for further information 0845 606 0667. The booklets recommended are:
TrainingStaff who handle food must receive written or verbal instruction in the Essentials of Food Hygiene before starting work. This should cover:
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is one of many registered training centres running food hygiene and health and safety certificate courses. See the Food hygiene safety and standards courses. Reducing food poisoning risksTo reduce the risk of food poisoning you should adopt the Food Standards Agency's recommended approach to food safety:
Food allergiesCare must be taken with the preparation of foods containing nuts. Some children can be allergic to nuts and other foods and a severe reaction can occur. You must consulate with parents and take appropriate precautions in the purchase or preparation of foods. Read Be allergy aware available from the Food Standards Agency. Telephone 0845 606 0667. See also the webpage Information about food allergies. Temperature controlWe recommend that you provide a thermometer in all chilled and frozen storage units and regularly check the temperatures remain at or below 8°C for chilled foods and around -18°C for frozen foods. We recommend that you make regular checks of your equipment for storing cold foods to ensure it is working correctly and you keep a written record of your checks. For more information see the Food Safety Pack. Personal hygieneRegular hand washing is important for personal cleanliness. Hand washing facilities must be provided with soap and hand drying facilities. All staff should be reminded of the need for this prior to starting or returning to work, and specifically:
StructureThe structure of the food rooms must be readily cleansable. Suitable floor coverings or floor tiles, vinyl floor covering etc. Wall and ceilings finishes should be washable paints. Ceramic wall tiles are preferable alongside or above food preparation surfaces. There must be a potable water supply in the sink within the kitchen. CleaningAll equipment used for food preparation must be kept clean and kept in such condition and constructed so it can be kept clean. We strongly recommend that you draw up a cleaning schedule. This will help you ensure that all aspects of your operation are covered by:
It is essential to use the correct cleaning materials. Detergents or degreasers are required to clean items or areas that are greasy or oily. These materials do not kill bacteria. Disinfectants should be used on surfaces that come into contact with food or hands, and must be of a food safe type. They kill bacteria but do not have cleaning properties. It is important to clean items or areas with detergent before using disinfectants. Sanitisers are chemicals that have detergent and disinfectant properties. When used in food preparation areas they must be of a food safe variety. For advice on the most appropriate materials for your needs we recommend that you contact your supplier. Care must be taken with the use of cleaning materials. The manufacturers instructions must always be followed. Lighting and ventilationThere must be suitable and sufficient lighting and ventilation provided within the kitchen. WasteThere must be adequate arrangements in place for the disposal of food waste and other refuse. Lidded, readily cleansable bins must be provided and the waste should be regularly removed from the kitchen and stored so as to not attract Pests. Pest controlYou must take all reasonable precautions to prevent food pests, namely rats, birds, mice, cockroaches and flying insects gaining entry into food storage and preparation areas. This is to prevent the contamination of foodstuffs. Management of health and safetyThe Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires an employer to carry out an assessment of risks to the health and safety of people in employment and of any other person, including the children in your care, who may be affected by their work activity. The risk assessment should involve the identification and evaluation of hazards in the workplace and the implementation of controls to reduce the risks from those hazards. The significant findings of the assessment should be recorded where there are five or more employees. You can obtain a guide to carrying out a risk assessment entitled "5 Steps to Risk Assessment" from HSE Books. Telephone 01787 881165. Health and safety documents and postersYou must have Employers' Liability Insurance and display your certificate. It is an offence not to have adequate insurance or not to display your certificate prominently. You must display a Health and Safety poster. These are available from HSE Books. Telephone: 01787 881165 and quote ISBN 0717624935. A new version came into effect on 1 July 2000. Your enforcing authority is this office and the Employment Medical Advisory Service is Rose Court, 2 Southwark Bridge, London, SE1 9HS. Telephone: 020 7556 2100. The remaining information which needs to be filled in on the poster relates to the arrangements within your business for health and safety. You must complete an OSR1 form which must be completed as a requirement of the Offices, Shops and Railway Premises Act 1963. A form can be obtained from the Environmental Health Customer Services Section on 0207 341 5282. Health and safety needs to be effectively managed as with any other aspect of business. Your business must have a written health and safety policy statement. This should make clear your commitment to high standards of health and safety. It should be signed and dated by the director of the company. The policy must then be translated into effective action and you should therefore set out the organisation (the people and responsibilities) and the arrangements (the systems and procedures) for putting your policy into practice. Injuries and infectious diseasesThe Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (Riddor) require that certain incidents and accidents at work are reportable to the Local Authority via the Incident Contact Centre on 0845 3009923 or visit www.riddor.gov.uk. You must ensure that you have procedures are in place to ensure this is done. For more detailed guidance on incident reporting you are advised to obtain a copy of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995, ISBN 0717624412. Quote HSE 31 for a single copy. This is available from HSE Books, telephone: 01787 881165. You
A poster is available from the Dept of Health and the Public Health Laboratory Service on infectious diseases in childcare facilities. To get a copy contact the Health Improvement Information Centre (HIMPIC) on 0207 725 3438. For new premises you will have to consult the Royal Borough's Building Control Officer on 0207 937 5464. Once operational, all means of escape from fire issues in the nursery fall within the remit of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA). They can be contacted on 0207 587 4811 or visit www.london-fire.gov.uk General health and safety informationFor further general advice please contact:
Training is an important way of achieving competence and helps to convert information into safe working practices. It is an important part of a business's safety culture and involves all levels of employees at the nursery. It is a requirement of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and other Regulations that every employer ensures that his employees are provided with adequate health and safety training. The Royal Borough runs health and safety training courses, for further information see Food hygiene and workplace safety courses. Further readingWe advise you to refer to the Industry Guide to Good Hygiene Practice: Catering Guide. You can get this from Chadwick House Group Ltd, Chadwick Court, 15 Hatfields, London SE1 8DJ. Telephone: 0207 827 5882 or fax your order on 0207 827 9930. Price £3.60. Useful websitesSee also:
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