Buying Guide Hygiene Introduction
Good health and hygiene practice is a key area that all food and catering establishments have to address and adhere to, especially since enforceable EU Food Hygiene Regulations came in to force on 1 January 2006. These state that all food businesses, regardless of size or nature of business, need to register with their local authority environmental health service and then ensure a sound food safety management system (including documentation) is in place, adhering to HACCP (Hazard Analysis at Critical Control Points) guidelines for safe production of food. There are numerous pressures in the kitchen and workplace to overcome relating to health and safety and hygiene, from inadequate pest and waste control, to surfaces which trap dirt and encourage cross contamination. If ignored, poor hygiene can seriously jeopardise customer safety through the risk of food poisoning. It is vital to establish good practice and by putting the right equipment and systems in place you can minimise the risks and keep threats at bay to both staff and customers. Well designed kitchens and hygienic washroom facilities will make the job that much easier. We can provide a solution for all health and hygiene requirements and our range includes: a flat-pack, off-the-shelf fabrication service for shelves, tabling and sinks to manage and minimise handling and cross contamination of soiled crockery; canopy extraction systems; shelving systems to help store foods correctly; clearing trolleys and plate stackers to manage waste removal; fly killers to eradicate flying pests; and hand dryers for good personal hygiene. Our new Fabrication Division can also assist with any bespoke stainless steel requirements. ** Tips for buying Hygiene Equipment**
Which is the right equipment for you?
We can provide advice on what equipment will help minimise the risks and prevent cross contamination – a vital part of HACCP. For washroom equipment, a lot of establishments pay outside contractors to supply their services, as traditionally it’s been a specialist domain. However, these products are now very affordable, very reliable and extremely easy to fit and have low lifetime costs. For fly killers, consider the size of room to be protected and ensure the unit can cover the square meters to be covered. Choose from the traditional electric grid ‘zapper’ or a UV trap – often preferred as they look better for front of house use.Reliability and durability
Ensure you choose a leading brand with an established reputation for good quality, durability and reliability. Hand dryers and fly killers are essentially maintenance free, but check the availability of any spare parts, including UV tube longevity on fly killers. Look for efficient after sales service, plus double check the length of warranty available.What operational features should you look for?
For fly killers – look for compact, discreet units with good square metre coverage. Hand dryers can be ‘touch’ or ‘auto’ operated with automatic cut out to save energy. Higher outputs will deliver better drying performance.Existing hygiene contract?
If you have one, look closely at the costs and break down the figures for equipment rental and/or consumables – paper hand towel costs for example mount up and there is the disposal to think of. Savings to business can be made easily without compromising on overall hygiene. |