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Substandard kitchen design and maintenance is the top re-occurring safety issue in hotels, putting thousands of guests at risk of contamination and food poisoning, according to independent health and safety experts, Check Safety First.
Drawing on over a decade of experience, Check Safety First warns hotel managers of the top health and safety risks they are failing to address in their establishments. Based on its work with over 1,500 international hotels, the company has compiled a list of the top ten health and safety issues that are commonly found within hotels:
1. Substandard kitchen design and maintenance
2. Equipment in poor condition
3. Poor ventilation
4. Poor cleanliness of the food areas and staff hygiene facilities
5. No supplier auditing system in place
6. Frozen food not stored at a sufficiently low temperature (-18°C)
7. Poor facilities for washing and disinfecting food and equipment
8. Food stored on the floor
9. Damaged / worn food contact surfaces on equipment
10. Food being served at unsafe temperatures
Jason Burnett, technical director at Check Safety First comments: “What really concerns me is that hotels which fail in any one of these areas are putting their guests health at serious risk. This list highlights how many kitchens are still using old, broken equipment and damaged surfaces, which will be harder to clean and can become a breeding ground for germs. Hotel managers wouldn’t let their kitchens at home to be in this state, so it is unacceptable to allow their hotel kitchens to get like this.”
Check Safety First works with UK hotels, advising on health and safety best practice and helping ensure that the highest standards are established and maintained. Once a hotel has successfully demonstrated and maintained a high standard of health and safety using Check Safety First’s E-Cristal system it will be listed on the consumer website checksafetyfirst.com.
Tatiana is the news co-ordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes to monitor the hundrends of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skim the most important according to our strategy. She holds a Bachelor degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
