Inside this issue...

-    You must provide separate dining facilities under these 4
     circumstances

-    Ask yourself these 4 questions… answer “yes” and ensure your
     dining room complies

Dear reader,

I once watched an awful programme on a US reality show about disgruntled employees in restaurants. One of these hacked-off workers (for no apparent reason) was systematically plucking out body hair, and putting it in all the food he prepared for customers! I was put off visiting burger joints for several months.

In Legal Brief last week, a report appeared about a non-compliant restaurant and deli in Brooklyn Mall in Pretoria. The Department of Labour had shut it down after conducting an inspection, and finding that it contravened health and safety regulations.

We generally focus more on the “large” health and safety problems, such as ensuring injuring or death doesn’t occur in your workplace. And this is, of course, vitally important. Nevertheless, you’d be amazed at how easy it is to contract all manner of illness and disease because you haven’t followed proper health and safety rules in other areas.

You must provide separate dining facilities under these 4 circumstances

You must provide separate dining rooms when there is:

1. Exposure to hazardous chemical substances and hazardous biological agents;
2. Physical contact, where skin contact with any known poisonous substance is likely;
3. Exposure of employees to dirt and harmful substances; and
4. Handling of untanned hides, skins, unwashed mohair or wool.

Remember: Your dining room must also be able to accommodate all your employees at one time (SABS 0400 part C).

You must also provide enough tables and chairs. Each employee must have a chair to sit on, and a table to eat his meal at.

Ask yourself these 4 questions… answer “yes” and ensure your dining room complies

1. Have we informed all employees of the eating, drinking and smoking prohibitions in certain areas?
2. How adequate are the dining room and food storage facilities for my employees and contractors?
3. Have we made provision for separate change room and sanitation facilities?
4. Have we made provision for safe-keeping of personal items of our employees? 

In the name of safety,

Christel Fouché
Editor-In-Chief: Health and Safety Advisor