Remember nothing in a food business is an orphan

Ok, so this website is all about food safety, and food safety training in particular. But food safety is really only part of the overall picture in a food business.

It is vital that food business owners don’t just focus on staff or food safety, or cleaning, or making money or any other specific issue. They have to always remember that a food business is an extremely complex operation which covers food safety, quality, workplace health & safety, operational, finance, staff, etc etc.

One of the many issues which smaller food business often forget is fire management.

There are seven fire management issues that all food businesses, regardless of their size, must think about;

1. Someone has to be responsible for the day to day and overall picture – making sure that all legal requirements are met; eg; fire equipment is up to date and accessible at all times
2. Know what the legal and business requirements are – there are federal laws and standards and state / territory as well – the business must know which apply to it and what must be done to comply with them.
3. Risk Assessment – the only way to really know the what, where, who and when is to do a full risk assessment of the site and every process. This should also be reviewed regularly and if there are any changes within the business.
4. The right system for the right place – every business is different so what works for your neighbour may not work for you. Make sure that your fire protection suits your business needs and legal requirements.
5. Maintain and audit – make sure that all fire equipment is maintained as required and audit your program regularly to make sure it meets all requirements.
6. Drills and training – there can never be enough staff training and drills when it comes to fire management. Training and regular drills must be a mandatory requirement for the business and it’s staff.
7. Fire protection provider – like all suppliers, make sure that this provider meets legal requirements and the business needs. The Fire Protection Association of Australia has a Providers of Choice list which shows reputable fire protection providers.