5 Types of Catering Safety Signs

If you own a catering business, it’s essential that you keep your kitchen compliant with health and safety regulations, with the use of signs.

To ensure you have all the necessary catering safety signs, we have compiled a detailed list of 5 different types of signs you should consider having in your kitchen.

The 5 types of catering safety signs are:

General health & safety signs
Hygiene safety signs
Chemical storage safety signs
Catering First aid signs
Food waste and recycling signs

1. General health & safety signs

Regardless of the industry, every UK business is required by law to provide general health and safety signs throughout the workplace, to prevent dangers, provide warnings, and point to safe exits. These signs include: prohibition, warning, mandatory and emergency, which all employees and customers must abide by.

Prohibition Signs

This type of warning appears as a red circle with a single diagonal cross line through the sign and prohibits behaviour likely to increase or cause danger. They are typically used for ‘do not’ commands such as ‘no smoking’, ‘no access’, or ‘do not use mobile phone’.

Hazard Signs

Hazard signs are there to make people aware of nearby hazards or dangers such as ‘flammable’, ‘caution chemical store’ or ‘caution hot water’. Warning signs appear as a black band in the shape of an equilateral triangle, with a yellow background and black central image.

Mandatory Signs

These signs command a specific action that must be carried out in order to comply with statutory requirements and appear in a blue circle with the pictogram or text in white. For example, ‘keep door shut’, ‘fire exit keep clear’.

Emergency signs

Emergency signs are used to indicate escape routes, emergency exits and first aid equipment in the workplace, and appear as a green rectangle or square with the imagery or text in white positioned centrally. For example ‘emergency assembly point’, ‘emergency exit’.

2. Hygiene safety signs

To ensure the safety of your employees and customers, it’s vital that you have a strict hygiene policy in place to prevent unhygienic practices in food prep, washing, cooking and storage, and to minimise the risk of cross contamination.

Some examples of hygiene signs you should have in the kitchen are as follows:

Hand washing signs e.g. ‘wash your hands please’ and ‘how to wash your hands’
Food group information signs (fish, veg, meat etc.)
Dangerous machine signs
Oven/microwave safety information
Food prep signs e.g. ‘food preparation area’, ‘veg & salad only’, ‘raw meat only’
Food storage signs e.g. ‘all food must be covered and dated’

3. Chemical storage safety signs

It is likely that your catering business will store chemicals for cleaning, or First Aid, in which case warning signs must be provided. Chemicals are often hazardous if not stored and handled properly, which is why these warning signs help to prevent injury, and communicate important information to staff.

The following chemical storage and safety signs should be used:

4. Catering first aid signs

As detailed on HSE, first aid is an issue businesses cannot afford to ignore and therefore essential for every workplace. For this reason, first aid facilities must be clearly displayed with a sign to give clear visual guidance to your first aid room, equipment and trained first aiders. Having these signs displayed around your business will provide employees, customers and visitors with important information regarding your first aid procedures in the event of an emergency.

First aid signs you should consider having include:

Defibrillator sign
First aid box sign
First aid room sign
First aid manual sign
Nearest first aider sign

5. Food waste and recycling signs

Last but not least, it is important to provide food waste and recycling signs in your workplace, especially if you’re in the catering business with large amounts of food passing through daily. These signs will help guide your staff to separate food waste correctly and should be displayed on or near the food waste bin.

Some examples of these signs include:

Food waste only sign
Mixed paper and card recycling sign
Cooking oil recycling sign
Glass recycling sign

Are Catering Safety Signs Required By Law?

In short – yes, safety signs are a legal requirement in the catering industry and are controlled by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

If your business handles any form of food, you must meet specific legal requirements on the handling of food and how it is prepared and cooked. Legislation on the recording and management of food safety procedures, as well as the design and maintenance of kitchen facilities, also needs to be adhered to.

At Morsafe Supplies, we stock a selection of first aid products with free next day delivery available. If you need more guidance, please contact us on 01686 611 377 or sales@morsafesupplies.com.

Written by Kate for Morsafe Supplies.

5 Types of Catering Safety Signs