HSE tackles kitchen safety

The Health and Safety Executive has produced practical guidance aimed at introducing good manual handling techniques and lifting aids in the catering and hospitality industry, where back pain and manual handling injuries are major occupational health problems.

The guidance has been agreed by the Health and Safety in Hospitality Liaison Committee, on which unions in the industry are represented. It contains information targeted at kitchen staff on significant risk areas such as pot-washing, dishwashing, preparing food, storage and cleaning.

Preventing back pain and other aches and pains to kitchen and food service staff can be downloaded from www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ cais24.pdf