## Example Risk Assessment For Food Preparation, Cooking And Service

This example risk assessment applies to restaurants, cafés, sandwich bars, pubs, takeaways or hotel kitchens.  
The café employs five permanent staff working a variety of shifts to prepare, cook and serve food. A young person under 16 helps on a Saturday to serve food and load and unload the dishwasher. One staff member does not speak English well. The business is open from 7 am to 5.30 pm. 

## How Was The Risk Assessment Done?

The manager followed the advice at www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/. To identify the hazards and risks, they: 

 
looked at the guidance on HSE's web pages for catering and hospitality and young workers; 
 
walked around the kitchen, the stockroom and all other areas, noting things that might pose a risk; 
 
talked to staff to learn from their knowledge and experience, and to listen to their concerns and opinions; 
 
looked at the accident book, to understand which risks previously resulted in incidents. 
The manager noted what was already being done to control the risks and recorded any further actions required. Having put in place the actions the risk assessment identified, the manager discussed the findings with staff, displayed the assessment in a prominent place so all staff could see it and made it part of the induction process for new workers. They told the young person's parents about the findings and how risks to that young person will be controlled. They also made sure that the worker who had difficulty understanding English had the safety arrangements explained to her in a language she understood. The manager will review the risk assessment whenever there are any significant changes such as new work equipment, work activities or workers. 

## Do Not Just Copy This Example And Put Your Company Name To It As That Would Not Satisfy The Law And Would Not Protect Your Employees. You Must Think About The Specific Hazards And Controls Your Business Needs. The Hse Site Has A Template And Other Examples **To Help You Produce Your Own Assessment.** Risk Assessment Company Name: Smith'S Café Assessment Carried Out By: Nk Simpson Date Assessment Carried Out: 9/10/19

 
What are the hazards? 
What are you already doing to control the risks? 
Who might be harmed and how? 
 Good housekeeping - work areas 
kept tidy, goods stored suitably etc. 
Slips and trips 
 Kitchen equipment maintained to 
prevent leaks onto floor. 
 Equipment faults leading to leaks 
Kitchen/food 
service staff and customers may be injured if they trip over objects or slip on spillages. 
quickly reported to manager. 
 Drainage channels and drip trays 
provided where spills more likely. 
 Staff clean up spillages (including 
dry spills) immediately using suitable methods and leave the floor dry. 
 Suitable cleaning materials 
available. 
 Good lighting in all areas including 
cold storage areas. 
 No trailing cables or obstruction in 
walkways. 
 Steps and changes in level 
highlighted. 
Done 
What further action do you need to take to control the risks? 
Who needs to carry out the action? 
When is the action needed by? 
Manager 
31/10/19 
31/10/19 
Consider whether it is 
appropriate to change floor surface with better surface roughness. 
Manager 
11/10/19 
11/10/19 
Remind staff to maintain good standard of housekeeping. 
Manager 
29/11/19 
28/11/19 
Repair damaged floor tiles by the dishwasher in the kitchen. 
Manager 
24/10/19 
24/10/19 
Ensure suitable footwear with good grip worn by staff. 
hazards? 
What are you already doing to control the risks? 
Who might be harmed and 
how? 
Manual handling  
 Ingredients bought in package 
sizes that are light enough for easy 
handling. 
 Commonly used items and heavy 
stock stored on shelves at waist height. 
 Suitable mobile steps provided and 
Handling heavy 
items such as flour sacks, ingredients, boxes of meat, trays of crockery, kegs etc 
Kitchen staff and food service staff 
may suffer injuries such as strains or bruising from handling heavy/bulky objects. 
staff trained to use them safely. 
 Handling aids provided for 
movement of large/heavy items. 
 Sink at good height to avoid 
stooping. 
 Staff trained in how to lift safely. 
 Staff trained in risks of hot oils and 
on procedure for emptying/cleaning fryers. 
Contact with steam, hot water, hot oil and hot 
surfaces 
 Staff trained in risks of releasing 
Kitchen staff and food service staff may suffer scalding or burns injuries. 
steam. 
 Water mixer taps provided.  All staff told to wear long sleeves.  Heat-resistant gloves/cloths/aprons 
provided. 
 Staff trained to handle knives.  Knives suitably stored when not in 
use. 
 First aid box provided and 
Knives 
Staff involved in food preparation and service could suffer cuts from contact with blades. 
nominated first aider always on site. 
What further action do you need to take to 
control the risks? 
Who needs to carry out the 
action? 
When is the action 
needed by? 
Manager 
From now on 
 
Ensure team working for moving heavier items (eg 
pots). 
Manager 
28/10/19 
28/10/19 
Display 'hot water' signs at sinks and 'hot surface' signs at hot plates. 
Manager 
From now on 
 
Ensure handles on pans maintained. 
Manager 
21/10/19 
21/10/19 
Ensure staff trained in use of coffee machine. 
16/10/19 
16/10/19 
Manager and staff 
Tell staff not to use knives to remove packaging - suitable cutters will be provided. 
hazards? 
What are you already doing to control the risks? 
Who might be harmed and 
how? 
 Where possible and sensible, staff 
use tools (cutlery, tongs scoops 
etc) to handle food rather than hands. 
 Food grade, single‑ use, non-latex 
Food handling 
Frequent hand washing can cause 
skin damage. Some foods can cause some staff to develop skin allergies. 
gloves are used for tasks that can cause skin problems, eg salad washing, vegetable peeling and fish filleting. 
 Where handling cannot be avoided, 
hands are rinsed promptly after finishing the task. 
 Dishwasher used instead of 
washing up by hand. 
Contact with bleach and other cleaning chemicals 
 All containers clearly labelled.  Where possible, cleaning products 
marked 'irritant' not purchased and milder alternatives bought instead. 
Prolonged contact with water, particularly in combination with detergents, can cause skin damage. 
 Long-handled mops and brushes, 
and strong rubber gloves, provided and used. 
 Staff wash rubber gloves after 
using them and store them in a clean place. 
Staff cleaning premises risk skin irritation or eye damage from direct contact with bleach and other cleaning products. Vapour may cause 
breathing 
problems. 
What further action do you need to take to 
control the risks? 
Who needs to carry out the 
action? 
When is the action 
needed by? 
14/10/19 
14/10/19 
Manager and staff 
Staff reminded to thoroughly dry hands after 
washing. 
30/10/19 
29/10/19 
Manager and staff 
Provide non-taint, nut-oilfree cream for staff to apply regularly to replace the moisture 'stripped' by frequent washing. 
11/10/19 
11/10119 
Manager and staff 
Remind staff to check for dry, red or itchy skin on 
their hands and to tell manager if this occurs. 
11/10/19 
11/10/19 
Manager and staff 
Staff reminded to thoroughly dry hands after washing. 
30/10/19 
29/10/19 
Manager and staff 
Provide non-taint, nut-oilfree cream for staff to apply regularly to replace the moisture 'stripped' by frequent washing. 
11/10/19 
11/10/19 
Manager and staff 
Remind staff to check for dry, red or itchy skin on their hands and to tell manager if this occurs. 
hazards? 
What are you already doing to control the risks? 
Who might be harmed and 
how? 
 Daily check of gas appliance 
controls. 
 Inspection, service and test carried 
out by Gas Safe registered engineer every 12 months. 
Gas appliances 
Staff and customers could 
suffer serious/fatal injuries as a result of explosion/ release of gas. 
 Staff know where main isolation tap 
is and how to turn supply off in an emergency. 
 Manager visually inspects the 
system once a year and is competent to do so. 
Electrical 
Staff could suffer serious/fatal injuries as a result of electric shock. 
 System inspected and tested by an 
electrician every five years. 
 Staff trained to check equipment 
before use and to report any defective plugs, discoloured sockets or damaged cable and equipment. 
 Staff know where fuse box is and 
how to safely switch off electricity in an emergency. 
 Plugs, sockets etc suitable for 
kitchen environment. 
 Access to fuse box kept clear.  Residual current devices (RCDs) 
installed on supplies to hand-held and portable appliances. 
What further action do you need to take to 
control the risks? 
Who needs to carry out the 
action? 
When is the action 
needed by? 
Manager 
16/10/19 
16/10/19 
Contact Gas Safe registered engineer to fit 
suitable flame failure device on oven. 
Manager 
From now on 
 
Manager to inspect plugs, cables etc regularly. 
Get electrician to inspect electrical equipment and advise on how often these should be inspected and tested. 
hazards? 
What are you already doing to control the risks? 
Who might be harmed and 
how? 
Fire risk assessment done as at www.communities.gov.uk/fire and 
necessary action taken. 
Fire 
Staff or customers could suffer 
serious/fatal injuries from burns/smoke inhalation. 
 Staff trained in cleaning, assembly 
and operating procedures. 
 All dangerous parts to machinery 
suitably guarded. 
Machinery 
Staff risk serious injury from contact with dangerous or moving parts of machinery. 
 Daily checks of machinery guards 
before use. 
 Staff trained to spot and report any 
defective machinery. 
 Safety-critical repairs carried out by 
competent person. 
 Operating instructions easy to 
locate. 

 
Published by the Health and Safety Executive 11/19 

What further action do you need to take to 
control the risks? 
Who needs to carry out the 
action? 
When is the action 
needed by? 
None 


Manager 
22/10/19 
21/10/19 
Remind staff to always isolate (switch off from power supply) machinery before carrying out maintenance or cleaning work.