2nd April 2010
Too often health and safety plays second fiddle to food safety in food premises. To redress the balance, Eastbourne BC recently provided a bespoke course for Chinese caterers from Eastbourne and surrounding areas on preventing manual handling and slip, trip and fall injuries, two main causes of work-related illness in the catering industry.
EHOs John Demetriou and Nick Howard explain that the guiding objectives of the course were to make it informal, relevant and simple to follow and to compliment the HSEs Fit 3 campaign. John and Nick had noticed how Chinese workers had to move rice bags up to 40kg and large duck pots as well as negotiate wet, greasy, food strewn floors so set out to devise a course to address such issues. The officers worked closely with the local Chinese community association providing them with leaflets to distribute to their many members while officers advertised the event on visits.
Invitations, PowerPoint presentations and handouts were translated into Chinese and a local caterer provided verbal translation in Cantonese and Mandarin on the day. The event, which was attended by fifty-two people, was held in a local primary school used for Chinese association meetings, on a Sunday afternoon. No charge was made, with the association bearing the photocopying costs and the officers and translator not charging for their services.
The main causes of manual handling, slip, trip and fall injuries were explained along with appropriate controls and the importance of training and how to manage work and environmental hazards. Use of accident books and RIDDOR requirements were also covered. A questionnaire was used to assess comprehension after the presentation and a certificate of attendance issued. The presentations were broken up with practical demonstrations.
‘Such relaxed targeted events held in cooperation with local ethnic groups play a key role in changing behaviou in health and safety or food safety,’ commented Mr Demetriou. ‘They reach a larger audience than inspections, improving relations with local caterers.’