NAMB members keep health and safety helpline busy
As Safer Food Scores move into their fourth month of providing telephone advice to NAMB members, Managing Director, Melissa Thompson reports on how the service has been received.
‘Our environmental health consultants have been hand since November 2011 to answer food hygiene and health and safety queries on behalf of the NAMB. We are receiving an increasing amount of calls each month which vary considerably and a few which are really testing our knowledge!’
‘The majority have come as the result of an inspection. The Health and Safety Executive seem to be out in force focussing on occupational asthma and dermatitis and in particular the health surveillance aspects surrounding this area. We’ve had machine guarding enquiries and advised on RIDDOR reporting when it seemed that the customer was not telling the whole truth…’
‘The majority of queries so far, however, relate to food labelling and food safety. EHOs seem to have fallen out of love with the Food Standards Agency’s Safer Food Better Business Pack and are expecting bakers to produce a HACCP system much more robust and tailor-made to their operation. With more and more councils taking on the National Food Hygiene Rating Scheme, gaining a top score is proving an incentive to members wanting to improve their food hygiene standards and their relationship with their EHO.’
NAMB Regional Food Safety Seminars coming soon… Members will be pleased to hear that the NAMB are holding regional food safety seminars which will cover the latest food safety developments and how they could affect your business. The seminars start in Derby on Wednesday 25th April 2012 and will run from 10.00 am to 3.30 pm. They are suitable for wholesale and retail bakery owners, managers and supervisors. NAMB members wishing to book should contact Karen@masterbakers.co.uk
Any guidance given in our articles is not official and Safer Food Scores can take no responsibility if the information is used to form part of any legal or regulatory compliance for your business. However, please do get in touch if you are interested in our support services and would like to benefit from official guidance relating to your particular circumstances, email [javascript protected email address]