Food safety training is one way to ensure your employees are aware of food safety. Ignoring basic health and safety guidelines can lead to all sorts of problems for businesses and their customers. A recent case highlights the financial cost that lapses in food health and safety can cost any business, as this week the second highest fine in the country was handed out to an Indian restaurant in Scunthorpe.
Indian Restaurant Breached the Food Hygiene Regulations
The director of the Indian Restaurant was fined £21,632 after they were prosecuted for breaching the Food Hygiene Regulations. Mr Hamid was charged with nine offences which included a rat infestation to which he admitted his guilt. The remaining eight charges he denied, however he was found guilty and fined for his failings. After inspectors visited the kitchens of the Raaz Restaurant discovered:
- Live rat infestation
- Kitchen and dining room both in a dirty state
- Rat faeces behind the fridge and on the floors
- Filthy gas cooker
- Dirty fridges
- Containers full of raw and uncooked prawns mixed together
- Salad stored next to the meat
- Mould in the sink
- Dirty hand basins
- Trampled rat droppings in the carpet where food was stored
- Staff were not trained or supervised
- No bin in the kitchen
Education is Essential
One of the ideal food safety courses to choose is the CIEH Level 2 Food Safety in Catering. Sending your managers or even yourself as the owner on this course can provide you with the skills you need to offer training to staff on all levels, pass on good food safety skills and to create food safety management plans.
Topics covered in the training include:
- Safe storage and temperature control of food
- Training strategies
- Contamination of food and how to prevent it
- Bacteriology
- Food poisoning
- Monitoring and controlling food standards
- Legal compliance
- How to communicate and cooperate with enforcement officers
Food Safety Standards
The HSE will not fail to prosecute any catering firm found breaching the Food Safety Standards. If you would like to ensure your catering business is in line with the law it is necessary to partake in training, and provide it to your workers. There are many food safety training courses available for personnel and employees on all levels. Give our advisors a call on 0808 1966 830 to find out more about our current food hygiene courses.