Any change to this would require a change in the legislation, and so the FSA continues to monitor public opinion as well as that of the businesses concerned. It has recently published research designed to establish how many businesses actually choose to display their score, ahead of a review to take place later this month.

They found that just under half of food outlets in England choose to display their rating, while half of the rated establishments in Ireland display theirs. Unsurprisingly, the higher the score, the more likely a business is to put it on display to inform their customers of their food hygiene standards!

While many businesses have reservations about making the display of scores mandatory, it would seem that consumers and local authorities are generally in favour of a mandatory display scheme. What do you think? Would mandatory display strengthen the scheme and result in better standards, or would it pose a threat to the survival of some food outlets?

Should the display of food hygiene ratings be mandatory ? is a post from: Tutor Care Blog

All of this information can prove invaluable in the event of an accident or illness, as one man’s experience in the Isle of Wight recently demonstrated. The man was driving his children to a sports event when he came across a twelve year old boy who had just been hit by a car.

Luckily, the man had completed a first aid training course only days before, and so was able to check his vital signs and ensure he wasn’t moved while waiting for the emergency services. His training allowed him to evaluate the condition of the both the boy and the driver of the car, who seemed to be suffering from shock. He was also able to provide paramedics with the information they needed to treat the injured party.

Would you know how to react if you came across such an incident? If not, it may be time to brush up on your first aid skills and knowledge!

First Aid training provides vital skills is a post from: Tutor Care Blog

Unfortunately for a roofer from Porthleven, his employer had done little to ensure his safety when he asked him to undertake re-roofing works at an industrial building in Penryn. He died after falling through a fragile asbestos cement roof, falling eight metres to the floor below. He was taken to hospital but succumbed to his injuries later the same day.

Health and Safety inspectors found that the director of the building firm who had employed the self-employed man had failed to plan the work properly and had not provided any safety equipment. He was fined a total of five thousand pounds.

In order for such work to go ahead in a safe manner, it is essential that those involved have received the appropriate health and safety training, and that they are aware of the risks and of the safety measures that can minimise any injuries sustained in the event of a fall. Safety nets and crash deck platforms are commonly used to do just this.

The dangers of working at height is a post from: Tutor Care Blog

Although the law does not currently stipulate yearly testing, companies offering the service sometimes encourage businesses to commit to annual testing that is over the top. The law does require businesses to maintain electrical equipment in a state that is safe to use, although the Health and Safety Executive maintains that often a visual check for wear and tear will suffice.

While this will be welcome news for office-based businesses spending too much on such maintenance services, it also highlights a lack of knowledge of the current legislation covering health and safety in the workplace. In this case, it has resulted in over-cautious and unnecessary checks.

Health and safety training offers an opportunity for businesses to understand exactly what their obligations are with regards to their employees’ safety in the workplace, meaning that provisions are adequate without being excessive or costly.

HSE reviews guidance on portable appliance testing is a post from: Tutor Care Blog

35% of Burnley food outlets scored a full five stars for ‘very good’ standards, while 573 obtained a ‘satisfactory’ score or higher. All results are available on the FSA’s website.

While a large proportion of food outlets have scores that will reassure consumers, a significant number of establishments did rather less well in their inspections:

30 food outlets scored just one star out of five, which indicates that ‘major’ improvements are necessary to bring them up to acceptable hygiene levels. Four establishments failed to obtain any stars, meaning that ‘urgent’ improvements are needed.

One of these zero-rated restaurants was found to have breached a worrying twenty four food hygiene regulations, which suggests that food preparation conditions must have been pretty dire at the time of the inspection.

If you are worried about the new rating scheme and the effects it could have on your business, it is time to take a good look at your hygiene procedures and control measures and make sure you and your staff have the relevant food safety training qualifications.

How Burnley scores in the new Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is a post from: Tutor Care Blog

Emergency services say that Hoffman’s eyewitness information was valuable and helped them during the resuscitation, which took fifteen minutes. The story made me wonder how many of us would know how to react if the same thing was to happen to us?

Most of us spend the majority of our time at work without incident, but heart-attacks can strike anywhere and at any time, and the chances of survival diminish with each minute that passes without treatment.

If one of your employees collapsed at work would you be confident in your abilities to administer emergency first aid? Or, are yo safe in the knowledge that you have adequate first-aiders to ensure that the risks are reduced?

Dustin Hoffman’s jogger has recovered from his heart attack and so the story has a happy ending. Make sure you are prepared for the unexpected, and if you are not confident your skills and knowledge would save the day, book yourself some first aid training today.

Dustin Hoffman helps jogger struck by heart-attack is a post from: Tutor Care Blog

The full extent of the damage is not yet known but the chief fire officer has credited the reactions of his staff with the efficient extinction of the fire; he also commented on the presence of a sprinkler system inside the building.

When fires start, it is essential that procedures for speedy evacuation are in place in order to ensure the safety of those on the premises. Fire safety training can equip staff with the knowledge they need to react quickly and effectively to reduce the risk to fellow members of staff.

As mentioned by the chief fire officer, sprinklers can also offer real benefits in the event of a fire breaking out. They can slow the spread of the fire, offering precious time for safe evacuation as well as limiting damage, and are certainly worth considering when carrying out fire risk assessments.

Canley car parts firm suffers damage from fire is a post from: Tutor Care Blog

Imagine, just for a moment, what would happen if a fire started in your business premises; would it survive?
It’s not just a question of losing objects: desks and computers and equipment can be replaced eventually. But fire can wipe out everything that allows your business to be operational, which means that it will remain paralysed until you can replace what has been lost.

It is essential to protect your data from the threat of loss, too. If you are not backing up your data and storing that data offsite, you are exposing your company to the risk of collapse should anything happen to your servers or PCs.

It hardly bears thinking about, although you have to do just this if you are to manage the risks your business is inevitably exposed too. Fire risk assessments and fire safety training are absolutely essential to the survival of any business. Fire can annihilate everything; you only need to think about the fire at the Falmouth Hotel and Sheffield Ski Village this week to see that. Make you do all you can to protect your business and employees from the same fate.

Would your business survive a fire? is a post from: Tutor Care Blog

Inspectors found dirty pots and pans piled on the floor as well as evidence of insufficient cleaning: cooking utensils (ready to be used) were found sitting in dirty water with food (and even a fly) stuck to them, shelves in a fridge had blood and raw meat stuck to them, food prep surfaces had bits of food dried onto them… In a nutshell, this was not an environment you would like to see your food prepared in.

The pub’s owner was prosecuted successfully for three breaches of food hygiene regulations and was fined five thousand pounds for each breach. Additional prosecution costs came to almost £7,500, making this an expensive mistake to make.

A spokesman for the operating company sought to reassure customers after the judgement by explaining that the problems have long since been rectified, that the management team has been replaced and that all members of staff have received food safety training.

Inadequate cleaning and poor hygiene standards are never good business policy. Establishments’ reputations can suffer irreparable damage, as can the health of consumers.

Huge fine for carvery pub is a post from: Tutor Care Blog

Thankfully for David, Flintoff had received first aid training and knew exactly how to react. He administered emergency first aid and moved Mr Yarnton into the recovery position while waiting for the emergency services to arrive.

Quick thinking is essential in situations like this one, and training allows people to react efficiently and confidently when faced with an unexpected illness or an accident. In this case, David Yarnton was taken to hospital and then flown home once he had received treatment for a heart problem.

Would you know what to do if you found someone unconscious and lying on the ground? If the very idea of being confronted with such a situation makes you panic, then maybe you should consider first aid training for yourself!

Flintoff comes to rescue of unconscious cyclist is a post from: Tutor Care Blog