AROMA Training Academy

Our next Level 2 Emergency First Aid at Work (minor Injuries) course (£85) is running on the 29th August, and our next Level 3 Award in First Aid at Work (Major injuries) course is running on the 29th, 30th & 31st Aug.(£230)

Spaces are very limited on both courses, prices are fully inclusive and include your refreshments and lunch.
Both courses are being run at our training facility on Stafford Park 4, Telford.
To book your place tel: 01952 371 743

It's time to deliver Level 2 Award in Fire Safety (Fire Warden) course to the staff at Warmflow Engineering Ltd.

www.aroma-training.co.uk

I am extremely pleased to announce that one of my clients “The Huntsman of Little Wenlock” has been duly notified to-day that after their recent Environmental Health Officer visit last week they have duly retained their 5 Stars award under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.

Aroma Consultancy (UK) has been engaged to assist the Huntsman in all aspects of their Food Safety and Health and Safety Management. We have created and installed their Food Safety Management Systems, as well as providing regular internal kitchen inspections and audits.
It’s sister business, Aroma Training Academy has provided the Huntsman’s staff with the necessary and more formal Food Safety training qualifications, together they have both ensured that the Huntsman of Little Wenlock is and remains fully compliant with industry good practice and all current Food Safety legislation.

This visit being the 3rd the Health and Environmental Officers have made since the Huntsman opened in 2006, and on each occasion the Huntsman has been awarded the top accolade of 5 Stars.

I would just like to congratulate the whole team at the Huntsman of Little Wenlock; from the directors to the cleaners, they have all had an important role to play in ensuring such an excellent result. So well done!

If any food business is struggling to get the top 5 stars, then please do get in touch for a FREE no obligation consultation of how we can help you to achieve the top 5 Stars.
T: 01952 371 743
E: [email protected]
W: www.aroma-consultancy.co.uk

aroma-training.co.uk A National Training Provider of First Aid; Food Safety; Health & Safety and Fire Safety.

www.aroma-training.co.uk

WHOPPER PAYOUT FOR IPSWICH BURGER KING FRANCHISEE AFTER WORKER INJURED DUE TO HEALTH AND SAFETY BREACHES

In an extraordinary case, a Burger King franchisee has received fines totalling £166,600 for two identical breaches, with one fine totalling £153,360 and the other totalling £13,300.

Due to the introduction of the new sentencing penalties, the two fines are so different in value because one breach relates to an offence on, or after, March 12 2015 and carries an unlimited fine, and the second breach relates to before March 12 2015 and carries a maximum fine of £20,000.

Fines for breaches of Health & Safety, and Food Safety legislation are certainly getting a lot biggerdue to the new sencencing guidelines that came in on the 1st Feb.
The prosecution argued that the case involves a high culpability case with a risk of serious harm. If the court had accepted that this was the case, the starting point for a fine would have been £950,000. However, the defence argues that the company's culpability lies within the medium range with a lower risk of harm. In this case the starting point for a fine would be £50,000.

We can help all businesses with their operational risk management, either by undertaking and delivering training through www.Aroma-Training.co.uk or by consultancy through our sister consultancy business - Aroma Consultancy (UK).

aroma-training.co.uk A National Training Provider of First Aid; Food Safety; Health & Safety and Fire Safety.

FOOD SAFETY AND HYGIENE REGULATIONS ARE CHANGING.

The changes are coming into force on the 15th October 2016, if you run a food business and want to know how these changes will affect your business, then please do get in touch with us at Aroma Training Academy on T: 01952 371 743

THIS YEAR WE HAVE SEEN THE FIRST SENTENCES TAKING PLACE UNDER THE NEW SENTENCING GUIDELINES.

The new sentencing guidelines for Health and Safety, Corporate Manslaughter and Food Safety offences which came into force on 1st Feb 16 and apply to any case sentenced in courts in England and Wales after that date, have seen some very large fines and custodial sentences imposed on companies and directors.

Security firm G4S Cash Solutions was fined £1.8 million after one of its employees contracted legionellosis, despite the fact that environmental health officers were unable to prove the worker had contracted the disease from the site. Officers did, however, uncover a serious lack of compliance in maintaining water systems at the workplace.

Of 101 Health and Safety fines issued, 38% affected those in the construction sector, according to insurance and risk firm BLM.

The three highest fines alone totaled £5.6m, all of which involved fatalities of either staff or customers. Directors of two construction companies were also given custodial sentences; one given six years after being found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter and the other being sentenced to six months after one of his employees was killed on site.

The legal costs were substantial too, with the biggest three fines resulting in almost £185,000 in prosecution costs for the companies involved.

This week Alton Towers. owners Merlin was fined £5m and £69,955 costs after admitting Health and Safety breaches that led to the Smiler rollercoaster crash.

As the courts become more versed in imposing the sentences, we are yet to see how big they will go - and, more importantly, if these sentences will act as a true deterrent, with the desired effect of lowering workplace risk.

Please don't wait to find out how big these fines can be, get in touch, we can help any company either by delivering a range of compliance based training to it's staff, and or we can offer Health and Safety advice and guidance to the company management team. Contact us now on T: 01952 371 743 for a no obligation quotation.

Scores on the Doors

HOW CAN YOU TELL THE RESTAURANT YOU'RE EATING IS CLEAN?

A BBC investigation found bacteria with traces of faeces on the ice served in a branch of a well-known fast food chain. Since most UK restaurants don't have to display their hygiene rating, how can you tell you're not at risk of food poisoning, go to the toilets

How clean is your local eatery?
The Food Standards Agency provides ratings for restaurants throughout the UK at its website or check out on the website below.
https://www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk

Catriona Stewart, head of the FSA's Food Hygiene Ratings Scheme, says the FSA wants the rest of the UK to follow suit, and it's currently assembling the evidence that it hopes will persuade the government to introduce legislation to that effect.

"We need to be able to show that it doesn't have an additional burden on food businesses, and we'll be putting that case to the government," she says.

In the meantime, how can diners eating on the hoof somewhere that doesn't display its hygiene rating get a sense of how clean it is?

John Thornhill, who owns a tapas restaurant rated five in central London, says fresh flowers are usually a good sign - if owners care enough to put them out "there's still some love there".

Also, he suggests: "I would ask your server what their favourite dish is. If you get a response that talks about the latest seasonal changes and how they tried this as a group last week, chances are you're in a good situation. If you get the impression that they never eat there, you probably shouldn't either. "

Food safety and hygiene expert Dr Lisa Ackerley recommends the time-honoured route of checking the loos.

"GO TO THE TOILETS, see what it looks like in there, if they can't get that right, I'm sure they won't have got the kitchen right," she says.

scoresonthedoors.org.uk Food hygiene inspection results, National Food Hygiene, scores on the doors

When Health and Safety fails for any business it can be very costly indeed, especially as fines are now unlimited.

Fined: £2,000,000.00
Costs: £114,812.76
Total: £2,114,812.76

Travis Perkins, a builders’ retailer, has been fined £2 million after the death of a customer in Milton Keynes.

Mark John Pointer was crushed by a company vehicle at Travis Perkins Trading Company Limited in Old Wolverton in November 2012.
Mr Pointer, 44, was loading planks of wood onto the roof rack of his Land Rover when he fell backwards onto the yard surface.

It appears that one of the cargo straps he was using snapped. He was then run over by the wheels of a company vehicle operating in the yard. Mr Pointer died from crushing injuries.

Travis Perkins pleaded guilty to two offences under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

The company initially denied the causal link between the offences and the death but subsequently conceded that point.
Travis Perkins appeared at Amersham Crown Court last week, and was fined £2 million and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £114,812.76.

Martin Brown, Environmental Health Team Leader with Milton Keynes Council, said: “We are pleased with the result and fine imposed as it reiterates the importance of treating health and safety seriously.

“Individuals falling whilst loading and unloading vehicles is a common risk. The company had failed to ensure loading and unloading activities were undertaken in a safe manner in a safe area.”

In sentencing the company, Judge Justin Cole said he took the view that this “was an accident waiting to happen”.

If any businees needs help in their Health and Safety please do get in touch, there is no charge for advice and guidance.

FEE FOR INTERVENTION
If you are breaking Health & Safety laws, HSE may recover its costs from you by charging a fee for the time and effort it spends on helping you to put the matter right, investigation and taking enforcement action.

SO WHAT IS FEE INTERVENTION?
HSE's inspectors inspect work activities and investigate incidents and complaints. If, when visiting your business, they see material breaches of the law, you will have to pay a fee. The fee is based on the amount of time that the inspector has had to spend identying the breach, helping you to put it right, investigating and taking enforcement action.

SO HOW MUCH IS THIS FEE?
It is currently £129 per hour, if you are lucky and it just takes an 8 hour day to investigate the breach, then you can expect a £1,032 bill. Serious breaches can and very often do take weeks (£5,160 per Wk) or even months (£20,640 per month) to investigate and therefore can be very costly indeed.

The HSE says " The many business that comply with their legal obligations will continue to pay nothing"

At Aroma Training Academy and Aroma Consultancy (UK) we have the necessary resources to help your business comply with Health and Safety law,from taining to consultancy all at a fraction of the cost of any FFI.

As a special Spring offer, we are offering all Telford & Shropshire Businesses a FREE 2 hour Health and Safety audit and detailed report, to book your FREE audit and report, just contact us on 01952 371 743 or email [email protected].

Unfortunately, sometimes accidents in the workplace just happen. You have to be absolutely sure you’ve done everything you can to prevent them.

Otherwise the cost could be significant.

We have the resources that will ensure you’ve covered all bases.
Aroma Training Academy - Supplier of Compliance Training
Aroma Consultancy (UK) - Ensuring Industry Compliance

www.aroma-training.co.uk

FIRE WARDENS - How do you comply with your legal fire precautions requirements?

You are required by law to ensure that "employees are provided with adequate safety training" (RR(FS) O) 2005 - Schedule 4.

To help meet your legal requirements here at Aroma Training Academy we offer our 1 day accredited Level 2 Award in Fire Safety course which ensure that participants achieve a thorough awareness and understanding of the threat posed by fire in workplace. www.aroma-training.co.uk

aroma-training.co.uk A National Training Provider of First Aid; Food Safety; Health & Safety and Fire Safety.

IT TIME FOR ALL BUSINESSES TO BE VERY WORRIED IF THEY COMMIT ANY HEALTH & SAFETY OR FOOD SAFETY
OFFENCES.

Large fines on the horizon for health and safety offences.

The highly anticipated Health and Safety offences, corporate manslaughter and food safety and hygiene offences definitive guideline (the Guideline) was published on 3 November 2015 and comes into force on 1 February 2016. The Guideline applies to all organisations sentenced on or after 1 February 2016 irrespective of the date of the offence. It sends a clear message about the importance of health and safety sentencing, highlighted by the high starting point of £4m for fines relating to the most serious offences committed by large companies.

Please don't let this happen to you, remember you can't get insurance to cover these fines.

Get in touch with us if you are at all worried about this, we are offering a FREE initial assessment for all Shropshire Businesses.

THIS HAS GOT TO BE THE BIGEST FINES FOR A FOOD BUSINESS THIS YEAR.

DOCTOR AND EX-WIFE HIT WITH £93,000
BILL OVER RAT INFESTED CURRY HOUSE IN CROYDON

The owners of a central Croydon restaurant that had a catalogue of food hygiene and health and safety failures, have been hit with fines and costs totalling almost £93,000.

On Monday, Dr Mardan Mahmood and his now ex-wife, Hend Hamude, returned to Camberwell Green Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on a total of 36 charges relating to Babylon Inn, formerly at the junction of North End and Tamworth Road.

Mahmood, the director of the company that owned Babylon Inn, was fined a total of £35,000; Hamude, who had earlier denied being the food business operator, in charge of the day-to-day running of the restaurant, was fined £11,800; and the company, Babylon Inn Ltd, was fined £30,000.

In addition, the company and Mahmood were each ordered to pay £4,977 in costs, with Hamude ordered to pay £5,777.33; each defendant was also ordered to pay a £120 victim surcharge. With a total of all financial penalties amounting to £92,887.33.

A Hygiene Prohibition Order was made against Mahmood, banning him from participating in the management of any food business until such time as the order is rescinded by the courts.

The offences included breaches of food-hygiene regulations, the Health and Safety at Work Act, and the Public Health Act – the latter being the first prosecution for smoking in the workplace, after officers found ci******es butts in the kitchen, and a chef smoking in the kitchen during a subsequent visit.

At earlier hearings, the court had been told that Babylon Inn had been subject to five food hygiene and safety visits in fewer than four years’ trading. They followed reports of sightings of live cockroaches and mice, rodents’ droppings, unacceptable cleaning standards and poor structural conditions.

The court heard that, while carrying out a routine inspection in July 2013, food safety offers found a number of breaches of hygiene regulations and that standards were very poor.

In addition to the lack of a food safety management system, poor standards of cleaning and bad structural repair were evident in the kitchen, preparation and storage rooms in the basement. There was an ongoing active infestation of rodents, with mouse and rat droppings found throughout the kitchen and food storage areas in the basement, and a live mouse was seen in the small food preparation area in the basement.

With an imminent risk to public health, it was decided the premises should close until that risk was removed.

Returning a week later, officers found that Hamude had carried out only sufficient of the pest-proofing measures to allow the business to reopen, but had failed to carry out a number of other required works.

A further visit, in April 2014, revealed continuous breaches of the food hygiene regulations, and additional health and safety contraventions. Mahmood had given assurances that the structural works had been completed, but the finish to the basement food preparation and storage areas was found to be of poor quality.

The standard of cleaning throughout the kitchen, food preparation and storage areas was very poor and similar to that of the previous July’s visit.

Evidence of German cockroaches was found in a food storage room; the food safety management system was incomplete and had not been practically implemented. Poor food-handling practices were observed, and health and safety hazards were identified, including electrical safety issues.

And, a month later, a customer reported seeing a cockroach in the restaurant’s dining area, as he ate a meal with his daughter.

A further visit on 18 June revealed continuous breaches of food hygiene regulations and health and safety contraventions, including evidence of an active German cockroach infestation throughout the kitchens and food storage areas.

Councillor Mark Watson, cabinet member for communities, safety and justice
“Having previously described the conditions in this restaurant as ‘appalling’, I’m glad to be able to say that the court, through the severe financial penalties it has imposed on all concerned, seems to have agreed with me.

“Additional to the fines imposed, the director of the company has been banned, indefinitely, from running a food business again. That’s a decision that offers the public a safeguard against his opening other food outlets that could pose a threat to the health of customers.

“It’s worth pointing out that this case is very much the exception to the rule. Croydon does much to promote good, safe and healthy food, and 79% of local food businesses are rated 3 or better in the Food Standards Agency scores-on-the-doors scheme. We have plenty of places with good standards, and those not meeting those standards are easily avoided.”

The latest product to be added to a long list of UK food frauds.

The Global Institute of Food Security analysed 78 samples of dried oregano obtained from a range of UK stores as well as online retailers and found that around 25% were adulterated with cheaper ingredients, such as olive leaves and myrtle leaves.

www.aroma-training.co.uk

HEALTH AND SAFETY STATISTICS Have just been released

Key figures for Great Britain (2014/15)

- 1.2 million working people suffering from a work-related illness
- 2,538 mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures (2013)
- 142 workers killed at work
- 76,000 other injuries to employees reported under RIDDOR
- 611,000 injuries occurred at work according to the Labour Force Survey
- 27.3 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
- £14.3 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions (2013/14)

You really don't won't to be a statistic in next years figures.

At Aroma Training Academy, we can help you to prevent this from happening, we can offer 163 accredited training courses, including Health & Safety and Fire Safety subjects, and if things really do go wrong and we really hope that they don't, we can give you the necessary First Aid skills to help anyone who is unfortunate to have an accident at your workplace.

So check out the full course list at www.aroma-training.co.uk before it's too late!

aroma-training.co.uk A National Training Provider of First Aid; Food Safety; Health & Safety and Fire Safety.

HEALTH AND SAFETY LEGISLATION & GUIDANCE

The new sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences published today are set to revolutionise punishment for health and safety offences.

The Sentencing Council’s stated intention is to increase the level of fines for serious offences, particularly for larger companies; whilst reserving prison sentences for very serious offences. In my view, the formulaic approach laid down in the new guidelines will greatly increase fines across the board and most dramatically for very large companies. More worryingly, many more directors, managers and junior employees will be handed custodial sentences due to a significantly lower threshold for imprisonment.

The new sentencing guidelines apply to health and safety offences committed by organisations and individuals, as well as to corporate manslaughter and food safety/hygiene offences. They introduce a structured nine step approach that the Court should follow, so as to calculate sentences. This involves plugging culpability and harm factors into a series of tables to reach recommended starting point fines, as well as ranges of fines above and below the starting points.

The new regime has been carefully calculated and will certainly improve consistency across England and Wales. It was published in draft for consultation in November 2014 and the final version published today is little changed from the draft, with the same figures and tables for fines as in the draft. These will apply to sentences handed down from 1 February 2016, which make the guidelines retrospective in the sense that they apply to offences that have already been committed and have not yet come up for sentencing.

Welsh mandatory hygiene scores drive up standards

October 9, 2015
The Institute of Food Safety Integrity and Protection
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published an update report for the Welsh Assembly on its mandatory Food Hygiene Rating Scheme revealing that 59 percent of businesses have achieved a rating of 5 while 0 ratings have fallen from 0.6 percent to 0.3 percent.

The research has found that as of May 2015 food businesses rates at 3,4 or 5 stood at 94 percent while 59 percent of businesses have a 5 score. This compares with November 2013, just prior to the legislation, when businesses rated 3 or above stood at 87 percent while 5 ratings stood at 45 percent.

The review fulfils an FSA obligation to provide the Welsh Assembly with figures for ratings issued, requests for re-inspection and appeals by August 2015. The report reveals that food businesses made 392 requests for re-inspection between 28 November 2014 and 29 May 2015. This brings the total number up to 1,103 since the scheme was introduced in November 2013.

The report found that in 95 percent of cases improvement had been made resulting in a higher score. Over the six-month period 53 appeals were made bringing the total to 124.

Food Fraud is big business, you just never know what you are eating now days, as this recent prosecution clearly demostrates:

Watford restaurant owner found guilty of food fraud
A restaurant in Watford served steaks made from exotic zebra and wildebeest meat that turned out to be horse and venison. The Steakhouse has been made to pay out almost £4,000 after being investigated by trading standards officers following a complaint by a customer that the meats were not what they appeared.

In April 2014, trading standards officials visited the restaurant and ordered a zebra and a wildebeest steak. The following month, the officials subsequently found out that the steaks turned out to be horse and red deer after finding 22kg of horse meat in the freezer, despite horse not being featured on the restaurant's menu.

When challenged by the officers from Hertfordshire County Council, restaurant owner Kunal Soni claimed he had made a mistake. He denied a charge of food fraud relating to meat that was misdescribed but was convicted following a trial on 14 September 2015. He was ordered to pay £3,860.78 in costs and given a 12 month suspended sentence.

http://bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-34153922

It certainly pays to be compliant with current Health and Safety legislation, now that fines have become unlimited.

Hugo Boss is fined £1.2M for Health & Safety breaches after a four year old boy died, when a changing room mirror fell on him at the Hugo Boss outlet in Bicester Village in 2013.

Health and Safety checks did not take place at a designer store where the boy died after being crushed by a free-standing mirror, a court heard.

Hugo Boss admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations

"All companies have a legal responsibility to staff and customers to ensure relevant Health & Safety requirement is met to the necessary standards. IT IS NOT OPTIONAL, NOR IS IT NEGOTIABLE".

We can help to ensure that this doesn't happen to you or your business, by offering support with our range of training and consultancy packages in all matters regarding Health & Safety, and Fire Safety, simply get in touch on 01952 371 743 for a no obligation quotation.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-34153922

bbc.co

Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance have today announced the news "Level 3 Award in Food Allergen Management for Caterers" qualification, which we already deliver has just been nationally recognised on the Qualifications Framework (QCF). Attending this course will help all catering establishments to comply with the new law "Food Information Regulation" which came into force on the 13th Dec 14. If you require any further information or wish to book on this course then please do contact us.

Case 367 - A lady fainted in a shop and the staff could not give her a glass of water because of health and safety
Issue

Whilst in a shop recently a lady fainted and the enquirer immediately went to assist. The enquirer heard the lady ask the very kind staff in the shop who had given her a comfy chair to sit in, for a drink of water. She was told sorry we can’t give you one - health and safety rules. The enquirer was wondering if this is a true ruling by H&S.
Panel opinion

Refusing the lady who had fainted a drink of water after she came round and was sitting up was a bizarre and ridiculous response. The panel is at a loss to understand why anyone could possibly think they could not do this for "health and safety". There is no such rule and it would have been quick and easy to accommodate the request.

Case 366 - A local pub can’t replace fried egg with scrambled as they can’t use a microwave due to health and safety
Issue

On ordering a cooked breakfast in their local pub, the enquirer was told they couldn't replace fried egg with scrambled egg as this would involve using a microwave which can't be done due to Health and safety.
Panel opinion

This is a cracking excuse! Health & safety at work legislation does not prohibit the use of a microwave oven to make scrambled eggs. The company concerned acknowledges that it does not serve scrambled eggs because it has a centrally-determined menu. Instead of explaining this, "health and safety" has been given as the excuse, irritating the customer and leaving the company with egg on its face.

SCREEN RULES NOT BEING FOLLOWED

Research carried out by Specsavers has revealed that less than half of employers fully understand and follow the regulations relating to Display Screen Equipment (DSE)

The Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992 require employers to protect employees from any risks associated with the use of DSE.

A DSE employee is categorised under the regulations as someone who is required to use DSE equipment for continous periods of over an hour, and time the time spent using DSE should form a significant part of thier normal workload.

The Regulations impose a duty on employers to analyse workstations, assess and reduce risks and make sure that control measures are in place.

Employers must also provide eye and eyesight tests on request and special spectacles if needed.
The research asked specifically about the provisions made by employers, and the results found that only 27% of employers met the requirements by wholly funding DSE eye care for their employees.
Around half of employeers merely offered a contribution towards DSE eye care, and 10% of employers expected their employees to fund any eye care threatment themselves.

At www,aroma-training.co.uk we offer a training course in DSE Risk Assessment or our sister buisness Aroma Consultancy can offer you a FREE consultancy regarding DSE legislation, with no obligation, and if required to do so they can create a DSE Risk Assessment for you.

www.aroma-training.co.uk

SAFETY CONCERNS WITH COMPLIANCE

One in three business premises are not fully compliant with the statutory Fire Safety Order, an audit carried out bt the Fire and Rescue Authorities (FRAs) has revealed.

The highest rate of non-compliance was found among licensed premises such as pubs and nightclubs, with 48% of them failing to meet the required standards compared with 30% of offices and 29% of factories and warehouses.

The most common compliance failures found in the audit including poor risk assessments and inadequate guidance and training. Business owners, managers, supervisors and fire marshals should all receive more training according to the FRAs, particularly on issues such as legal requirements for fire safety, implementation of standards and controls, and how to pass fire safety knowledge on to other employees.

The audit covered 3% of business premises in England and Wales, and enforcement action was taken in almost 13,000 premises as the result of non-compliance. Any firm that fails to comply with the Fire Safety Order risks breaking the law, facing fines, invalidating their insurance and endangering the safety of both employees and the public.

For a FREE consulation with no obligation get in touch with us, as our sister business Aroma Consultancy specialises in this area.
www.aroma-training.co.uk

aroma-training.co.uk A National Training Provider of First Aid; Food Safety; Health & Safety and Fire Safety.

The HSE has today announced that "Birth Delivery" is going to be included in the syllabus of "First Aid at Work" from the 1st Oct 2015.

Welcome to the HSE March 2015 First aid eBulletin

This ebulletin informs duty holders on matters that affect workplace first aid under the Health and Safety (First-aid) Regulations 1981

The Importance of Annual Refresher Training of First Aiders

HSE in our guidance strongly recommends employers ensure their first aiders receive annual refresher training. These courses are of very short duration ie less than half a day. The reason for refreshing these skills annually is that it helps maintain their competency until they re-qualify. So as an employer if you wish to minimise this risk and maintain your first aiders competency consider introducing annual refresher training if you haven’t done so already.