Health and safety in the kitchen

More schools are beginning to take school meal provision in house. This may be plain sailing but it may not be. Leaving aside the discovery of asbestos lagging round the water pipes in the kitchen and other such horrors, previously unidentified, what about mouse-infestation?

The bad news is that the director, manager, secretary or similar office holder of a corporation or any person responsible for food is liable to prosecution if food standards are not maintained or a notice from an inspector is not complied with.

'Prosecution' indicates that the issue is criminal, not civil, and focuses on individuals as well as the corporate body. The worst case scenario is that as well as a school kitchen being shut by order; the head/principal or the business manager/finance director may be personally liable to prosecution, along with the canteen manager, if there is a problem with the state, use or construction of the premises or equipment.

The defence in law is that the organisation has taken reasonable precautions and exercised due diligence. This means that management, including senior management, needs to be satisfied that staff understand what is required, follow proper procedures, and know how to raise concerns with senior management.

It goes without saying that concerns raised need to be acted upon. It may be wise to have some form of outside consultancy to check the effectiveness of procedures. Due diligence needs to be applied to contractors as well as to employees. Head teachers and business managers are not supposed to be expert, but simply hiring someone else does not shift all responsibility onto their shoulders.

Designed There

© 2012 Association of School and College Leaders | Valid XHTML | Contact us