Good Food Hygiene – Food Safety Training

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Good food hygiene is essential to make sure that the food you serve is safe to eat. Good food hygiene helps prevent food poisoning and protects your reputation with customers.

The 4 main things to remember for good hygiene are the 4Cs:

• Cleaning
• Cooking
• Chilling
• Cross-contamination

Cleaning

Effective cleaning gets rid of bacteria on hands, equipment and surfaces. So it helps to stop bacteria from spreading onto food. You should do the following things:

• Make sure your staff wash and dry their hands thoroughly before handling food.
• Clean food areas and equipment between different tasks, especially after handling raw food.
• Clean as you go.
• Use cleaning products suitable for the job.
• Don’t let food waste build up.

Lack of basic cleanliness is one of the most common reasons for food business being prosecuted.

Cooking

Thorough cooking kills harmful bacteria in food. Undercooked food could cause food poisoning.

When cooking or reheating food, always check that it is piping hot all the way through.

It’s especially important to make sure that you thoroughly cook poultry, pork, rolled joints and products made from minced meat, such as burgers and sausages. This is because there could be bacteria in the middle of these types of meat. Proper cooking is essential to kill any bacteria, so these types of meat should not be served pink or rare and should be piping hot all the way through.

When you are keeping cooked food hot, you must keep it at 63 or above. This is a legal requirement.

Chilling

Chilling food properly helps to stop harmful bacteria from growing. Some foods need to be kept chilled to keep them safe, e.g. food with a “use-by” date, cooked dishes and other ready to eat food such as prepared salads and desserts.

It is very important not to leave these types of food standing around at room temperatures. So make sure you do the following:

• Check chilled food on delivery to make sure it is cold enough.
• Put food that needs to be chilled in the fridge straight away.
• Keep chilled food out of the fridge for the shortest time possible during preparation.
• Check regularly that your fridge and display units are cold enough.

Cold food must be kept at 8 or below. This is a legal requirement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Cross-contamination

This is where bacteria are spread between food, surfaces or equipment. It is most likely to happen when raw foods comes in contact with ready-to-eat food, equipment or surfaces. So if raw meat drips onto a cake in the fridge, bacteria will spread.

Not washing your hands thoroughly can spread bacteria to the other things you touch.

Cross-contamination is one of the most common causes of food poisoning. Do the following things to help avoid it:

• Keep raw meat/poultry and read-to-eat foods separate at all times.
• Wash your hands thoroughly after touching raw meat/poultry.
• Clean work surfaces, chopping boards and equipment thoroughly before your start preparing food.
• Ideally use different chopping boards and knives for raw meat/poultry and ready-to-eat food.

Want more information and help on Food Safety Training and Food Hygiene course then visit the following URL - http://www.blaketraining.co.uk/course/15/Food-Hygiene-Course

The Food Standards Agency

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The Food Standards Agency (FSA) was established in April 2000 to protect the health of the public in relation to food. It develops policies on food safety and other food issues and provides practical advice, information and assistance to all interested parties including the food industry, enforcers and consumers.

The FSA works closely with local authority trading standards and environmental health departments to ensure that food we eat is safe. Environmental Health Practitioners (EHP’s), sometimes also called Environmental Health Officers, have wide-ranging powers to maintain high standards of food hygiene in food businesses in their district. Your local EHP is there to uphold and enforce the law but also to offer advice and guidance to those in the food industry.

The FSA are also involved with:

• Policy development and providing advice and information to Ministers and other public bodies.
• Provision of advice and information to the public.
• Commissioning research and surveillance.
• Setting standards for and monitoring food law enforcement.
• Food hygiene – micro-biological safety.
• Chemical Safety.
• Genetically Modified (GM) foods.
• Radiological safety.
• Animal feed.
• Food standards – including labelling.
• Nutrition.

Food Contamination

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Food is contaminated if it contains something harmful or objectionable. Contamination may occur in a number of ways and cause illness, injury or make the food unfit for consumption.

Physical:

Foreign bodies in food are physical contaminants that should not be there. Some are dangerous, all are unpleasant and all are unwanted. They are a frequent cause of customer complaint.

• Cigarette ends
• Flies and insects
• Nuts, bolts and washers etc..
• Jewellery

Chemical:

Chemicals may enter the food chain from a variety of sources, e.g. mercury in sea water getting into shellfish, cleaning chemicals being used at the wrong strengths or getting into food accidentally.

Pesticides and lubricants used in food production may also find their way into the food chain. The FSA has set acceptable limits for certain chemicals to be found in food and still maintain food safety.

Biological:

The most common form of contamination is biological.

• Bacteria are found everywhere: on people, pests, dirt and dust, all raw foods and contaminated water. Food can be contaminated with bacteria but will often not smell, taste or look any different to food that has not be contaminated.

• Viruses most commonly enter food from contaminated water and multiple inside the body causing illness.

• Moulds and Yeasts can contaminate and grow on a wide range of foods. Most of us will have seen mould growing on food, changing its smell and visual appearance and making it unfit to eat.

Naturally Poisonous Foods

Green potatoes, rhubarb leaves and toxins found in raw or under cooked red kidney beans and other pulses can cause illness, although they are not often the cause of illness in food establishments. Only fish may develop a toxin as part of their natural decomposition.

Food Allergies

Although not strictly food poisoning problem certain foods can produce serious life threatening reactions in some people.

Many common foods such as:

• Shellfish
• Peanuts
• Nut Products
• Sesame seeds
• Milk
• Soya
• Fish

Are known to cause allergic reactions. It is estimated that 1-2% of the UK adult population suffer from a food allergy and this figure is even higher for children.

 

If you want to learn more about Food Hygiene then please visit http://www.blaketraining.co.uk/course/15/NEXT-Food-Hygiene-Course for our next Food Hygiene Course.

Spaces Still Available on “Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Level 3 Award in Supervising Food Safety” Course

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Spaces still left on this week’s ‘Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Level 3 Award in Supervising Food Safety’ course.

CIEH Level 3 Award in Supervising Food Safety in Manufacturing has been developed to benefit anyone working in a supervisory position where food is manufactured. Changes in legislation has placed greater onus on anyone in a food business with supervisory responsibility. It is vital for the supervisor to be equipped with both the knowledge and confidence to do their job role effectively.
It is relevant to all catering and manufacturing operations – food industry, pubs, hospitality, travel, contract catering, fast food outlets, in hospital, care and nursing homes, schools, prisons, the armed forces and many more.
A multiple – choice test will conclude at the end of the course with successful completion resulting in the nationally recognised qualification.

Dates: 2, 8 & 16 February 2012

Venue: Blake Training Centre, Middlezoy, TA7 0PQ

Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm

Cost: £225 + VAT
(This will include a book, exam fee & certification)

• Payment can be sent by cheque made payable to ‘Blake Training’.
• Card payments can be made or alternatively invoices can be raised. Please let me know the details.
• Payment will secure your place on this course.

Spaces Still Available on ‘Emergency First Aid at Work’ Course

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Spaces still left on this week’s ‘Emergency First Aid at Work’ course.  Course is on Thursday 10th November at Blake Training Centre, Middlezoy @ £60 + VAT.  Please ring for more details on 01823 690042 or check our course page by going to http://www.blaketraining.co.uk/first-aid-courses.

Resuscitation – DRAB

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Danger – make sure it’s safe to help

• Check that it is safe for you to help the casualty. Do not put yourself at risk.
• If possible remove any danger from the casualty, or if not, can you safely move the casualty from the danger.
• Find out what’s happened – make sure you still safe
• Check how many casualties there are, Can you cope ?

Response – are the conscious

• Gently shake the shoulders and ask loudly “are you alright?”.
• If there is no response, shout for help immediately, but do not leave the casualty yet.

Airway – open the airway

Carefully the open the airway by using ‘head tilt’ and ‘chin lift’

• Place your hand on the forehead and gently tilt the head back.
• With your fingertips under the point of the casualty’s chin, lift the chin to open the airway.

Breathing – check for normal breathing

Keeping the airway open, check to see if the breathing is normal. Take no more than 10 seconds to do this:

• Look at the chest and abdomen for movement
• Listen for the sounds of breathing (more than the occasional gasp)
• Feel for breath on your cheek or movement of the chest or abdomen.

If the casualty is breathing normally, carry out a secondary survey and place them in the recovery position.

Spaces still left on this week’s ‘Emergency First Aid at Work’ course.  Course is on Thursday 10th November at Blake Training Centre, Middlezoy @ £60 + VAT.  Please ring for more details on 01823 690042 or check our course page by going to http://www.blaketraining.co.uk/first-aid-courses. 

Tree Climbing Equipment

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All tree climbers must wear helmets with a chinstrap. Eye protection and gloves should be worn when using handsaws. All clothing must be non-stag, gloves can be worn if required and boots must be sturdy and have a good grip.

Tree climbers must carry a first aid kit incorporating at least a large wound dressing, a whistle and a Sharpe retractable knife.

Handsaws are encouraged in order to clear small branches out of the way when climbing.

Harness

Work positioning harness (EN 813, EN 358).

A waist belt with leg loops, possibly connected to a sit strap/hard seat, with front pelvic anchorage point(s).

Full body harness (BS EN 361)

A full body harness is the only type of harness which is acceptable for use in a fall-arrest situation used with an energy absorber (BS EN 355).

All harnesses should carry the relevant CE marking in compliance with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999) and the PPE at work regulations (1992).

Ropes (EN 1891)

Climbing ropes must comply with AFAG 401 guidance. Generally climbing ropes are a minimum of 12mm in diameter, although smaller diameters can be used if appropriate.

Karabiners

Used for connecting the harness to lifelines should be self-locking types with a minimum of three distinct movements to unlock the gate. Twist locks and screw gates should not be used.

Karabiners must be inspected daily before use and during the working day.

Lanyards

In order to comply with work at height regulations (2005) load bearing adjustable supplementary anchor points should be used.

If you would like to learn more about Land Based Course then please take a look at our Land based course section - http://www.blaketraining.co.uk/land-based-courses

Resuscitation

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CPR is an emergency procedure used to treat victims of cardiac and respiratory arrest. CPR can be done in a hospital with drugs and special equipment or as a first-aid technique. In either case it is done with great urgency to avoid the brain damage or death that result from four to six minutes without oxygen.

Here are 4 steps to follow if you need to complete CPR:

  • Give 30 chest compressions, then 2 rescue breaths.
  • Continue giving cycles of 30 compressions to 2 rescue breathes.
  • Only stop to recheck the patient if they start breathing normally, otherwise do not interrupt resuscitation.
  • If there is more than one rescuer, change over every 2 minutes to prevent fatigue.

Look out for more Resuscitation blog posts coming soon with more CPR information.

If you’re in need of brushing up on your First Aid Skills or just need to start learning First Aid then please take a look at the First Aid Courses we offer – http://www.blaketraining.co.uk/first-aid-courses

 

Emergency First Aid – Priorities of Treatment

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When dealing with a casualty who is injured or ill it is important to treat the most serious condition first.

All life needs a constant supply of oxygen to survive. If that oxygen is taken away for any reason, then brain cells will start to die within 3 to 4 minutes.

The priorities  therefore is aimed at firstly getting oxygen into the blood stream, ensuring that the blood is circulating around the body, and then preventing the loss of that blood.

Priority number one then with any patient is to make sure the Airway is open and then to check they are breathing normally.  If the patient is breathing normally, this means that their heart must also be beating, so blood is being circulated around the body.

The next priority is to deal with any major bleeding because you need to maintain enough blood to circulate the oxygen around the body.

After these steps, the next priority is to deal with any broken bones.