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Health and Safety in Catering Businesses – The Big 4

As part of the proactive Health and Safety work undertaken by the Health Protection Team, we will be assessing potential Health & Safety hazards during routine Food Hygiene Inspections at relevant food businesses. 

This work will be focusing on the Big 4:

  • gas safety
  • electrical safety
  • cellar safety
  • safety of coffee machines

They are the 4 most common health and safety hazards found in catering establishments.

Coffee machines

Users and owners must ensure coffee machines are operated safely and maintained properly. Machines must be examined regularly before use. 

Find out more about your duties and responsibilities.

Case study

In 2010 a coffee machine exploded, injuring 16 people and hospitalising 5. The machine weighed 73kg, was fixed to the counter and plumbed in. 

On explosion, there was enough force to rip it from the counter and it travelled seven meters across the room. Eyewitnesses believed a bomb had been detonated from the sound and carnage it created.

You must ensure a competent person undertakes a thorough examination of your machine.

CoffeeSafe helps you find a local qualified engineer to test your system.

Gas appliances

In the last four years there have been 426 incidents and 21 deaths relating to gas in the UK.

Under the Gas Safety Regulations 1998 you have to ensure your gas appliances are installed and maintained safely.

All gas appliances must have a CE mark on them. Installation and repair works can only be carried out by Gas Safe Engineers. Ensure only a registered engineer authorised to work on commercial rather than domestic appliances is used.

Ask for their Gas Safe Identity card and contact the Gas Safe Register at gassaferegister.co.uk or phone 0800 408 5500 to confirm their status.

Maintenance and Inspection

Follow manufacturers recommendations for the frequency of inspection, servicing and maintenance. This may vary but a minimum reasonable frequency is annually with repairs when necessary.

Gas appliances use and training

Anybody using a gas appliance must be trained how to use it safely. 

This includes visual checks for any:

  • obvious faults, such as damaged pipework or flame supervision devices
  • loose connections
  • missing restraints 
  • smell of leaking gas

You must never:

  • attempt to fix the fault yourself (except turning off the gas if there is a leak)
  • tamper with safety devices or try to light gas appliances with paper or tapers

Ventilation

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous odourless gas produced from faulty appliances. You must provide suitable ventilation and a CO alarm.

Electrical safety in kitchens

Electrical faults cause many injuries in the catering environment. Faulty or damaged equipment, plugs, switches, sockets and cables can lead to fires, serious injury and even death.

As a food business operator, you have a duty to ensure your electrical installations and equipment are suitable for use, installed by a competent person and maintained.

Failure to do so could put you, your employees and public lives in danger.

Find out about the legislation applying to electrical safety.

Increase your electrical safety and reduce risk

You can:

  • carry out a risk assessment on your electrical hazards
  • leave wiring and maintenance to the professionals
  • keep up to date with your mains installation inspection and
    Portable Appliance Testing (PAT)
  • prevent overloading of sockets and avoid extension leads where possible
  • train your staff to identify and report faults and remedy them
  • maintain all electrical equipment in a good condition
  • keep your premises clean and make sure plug sockets and electrical items are not in areas likely to get wet
  • train your staff so that they know what to do in the event of an electrical fire or incident

Cellar safety

Slips, trips and falls

The stairs, particularly in old buildings, are often steep and worn, creating a hazard. Doors and trap doors should be secured when not in use. 

If someone is working in a cellar, measures should be put in place to prevent other employees and/or the public from falling down the trap door and/or stairs.

Find out more by searching for slips, trips and falls.

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

CO2 is heavier than air, and fatalities from asphyxiation occur when, at high concentrations, it enters confined spaces such as cellars and displaces oxygen. 

If you are storing CO2 bottles in the cellar then a monitor should be used to warn of any leaks. Staff working in cellars should be adequately trained.

Find out more about carbon capture and ventilation.

Radon

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. This harmful gas is a hazard in many homes and workplaces, with levels across West Northamptonshire known to be very high.

Breathing in radon is the second largest cause of lung cancer in the UK, resulting in over 1,000 fatal cancers per year. However, radon hazards are simple to measure and relatively easy to address.

All employers must legally review the potential radon hazard in their premises. If there is a workplace below ground level (such as a cellar) a Radon Risk Assessment is a legal requirement.

Find out more about Radon and radiation.

Last updated 26 March 2025