In relation to the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 the legal responsibilities of employers are to:
Take reasonable care of their own health and safety.
Not to misuse equipment, machinery or premises.
Provide safe working areas for employees.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) states that employees must:
Provide locked storage for substances.
Prevent danger by using safer chemicals.
Take reasonable care of personal safety in the use of hazardous substances.
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations 2013 states that:
All accidents or serious incidents that happen in the work place must be reported.
The misuse of equipment or machinery needs to be reported.
That all incidents no matter how minor need to be reported.
All business should have a documented HACCP system in place. The main aim of this law is to:
Look at how food is handled and introduce procedures that will ensure that the food is safe to eat.
Identify the hazards and critical control points for each dish.
Put strategies in place to prevent cross-contamination
The Food Information Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2014 ensures that employees:
Keep accurate records of all ingredients within the food.
Have a folder of recipes that customers can view to check the ingredients used in a dish.
Know and understand the various allergens and where to find the information to keep customers informed.
In relation to the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme 2011 (FHRS), Food safety officers from the local council will visit premises to check:
That all employees are working hard.
That employer’s are treating their workers fairly.
That all aspects of food hygiene is implemented and documented.
The primary aim of the Fire Safety Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2010 is to:
Carry out risk assessments to identify, manage and reduce the risk of fire.
Give new employees fire training.
Keep all fire extinguishers properly maintained and checked.
First Aid legislation states that:
One first aid box is needed for the organisation.
Only one trained person is allowed to administer first aid.
The first aid box should be regularly checked and easy to locate.
When treating a scald or a burn, it is important to:
Place the burn or scald under cold running water for at least ten minutes.
Apply burn cream immediately.
Cover the burn straight away to stop infection.
To help treat someone who is choking, it is important to:
Try dislodging the object using your fingers or any other suitable item.
Leave the person who is choking to call for help.
Encourage the person to cough to and carry out abdominal thrusts if the object is still lodged in the airways.