High foot traffic, large groups of daily visitors and exceeding demands for employees. Pubs are a unique environment and require unique solutions when it comes to health and safety. Considerations need to be made for everyone from the pub owner through to bar staff, catering staff and the customers who visit you every single day. Once you have conducted a risk assessment to identify where the most significant hazards are, you can move on to establishing a set-up that works in your favour. As experts within the safety sign industry, we can help you to do just this here at Lasting Impressions. This guide will cover all of the pub and bar safety signs you may need to consider to keep everyone safe.
Food and Drink Hygiene
Here in the UK, the Food Standards Agency is an independent department that works to protect health and consumers concerning food. They provide guidance and regulations surrounding food safety to minimise the risk of contamination, spoiling and the resulting illness. If your pub or bar serves food, one of the first safety areas you’ll need to consider is the catering environment.
Providing regular training to your employees and ensuring they are up-to-date with any changes in regulations is one way to support this. However, it’s not uncommon to find high staff turnover in these environments. Keeping the most important information and advice within people’s view allows you to reduce the chance of people getting ill or hurt.
Let’s take a look at some of the signs you may need:
Food Preparation
Cross-contamination and poor storage can both lead to serious health complications in catering settings. Preventing these should be at the height of importance within any kitchen. There are a selection of signs available to help you do just this. Consider options such as the Do Not Store Raw And Cooked Food Sign, Cooked Meats Only and The Food In This Freezer Sign.
You should also take into account potential allergies and the cross-contamination that can occur here. Keeping items stored separately and prepared separately is a catering 1-0-1 and there are signs available to help regulate this. Options such as Dairy Products Only, Food Preparation Area Veg & Salad Only and Fish Only allow you to easily delegate storage areas as a preventative measure.
For employee safety, you’ll also want to implement handwashing and hygiene procedures. Using signs near common contamination points, next to all toilets and in designated spots throughout your kitchen will reinforce these measures for all employees. Choose signs such as Wash Hands Handling Raw Meat and In The Interests Of Food Hygiene Sign.
Machine Safety
Staying within the kitchen, you also need to work to prevent injury due to dangerous machinery. Ovens, stoves and mincing equipment have the potential to cause serious harm to employees, especially if they are improperly trained or unaware of certain procedures. Safety signs affixed to the machine itself or within close proximity acts as a reminder to take care and use proper precautions at all times. You’ll want to consider signs such as the Mincing/Mixing Machine Sign, Caution Hot Surface Sign or the Use Knives Safely Sign.
Cleaning Chemicals
As part of your general upkeep and housekeeping systems, you’re likely to require several chemicals and cleaning solutions. These will need to be stored and used appropriately. Excessive exposure to certain chemicals can cause skin burns or irritation. Others may present a slipping hazard if spilt and not swiftly dealt with. The signs required here apply to a number of different businesses too and should be prioritised as part of your health & safety internal regulations.
PPE
Particularly important for your cleaning staff or those exposed to chemicals on a daily basis, implement PPE requirements. Setting out the standard for protection that you require employees to follow is a protective measure for the business. It also minimises the risk of serious injury and ensures you stay in line with current regulations. You’ll want to consider signs such as Wear Gloves or Eye Protection Must Be Worn.
You also need to consider the flammability of different chemicals. If there is a chance of combustion, you need to highlight this to employees and potential guests. The Flammable Liquid sign is an ideal choice for this environment. In this type of setting, preventing people from smoking is also vital to minimise the risk of accidents. A simple No Smoking sign provides a clear deterrent to prevent employees from increasing the risk.
Slipping Risk
You also need to consider the possibility of slips and trips due to wet flooring during cleaning. It is unlikely that these are any more than temporary issues which arise during certain cleaning rotas. Caution Wet Floor Stands are lightweight and can be positioned in the soiled area. When no longer needed, they can be folded away and stored easily, without the risk of damage or deterioration over time.
Pub/Bar Specific Safety Signs
As we mentioned above, the information required in pubs and bars is unique from other settings. And, therefore, there are a number of signs which you should consider based on your individual situation. Some of these are:
- Please Do Not Hang Around Bar Sign.
- Smoke-Free Bars, Clubs, Hotels and Restaurants.
- Children Not Allowed In This Bar.
- Notice To Customers Pub Sign.
- Please Leave Quietly.
If you have a car park on-site, a Car Park Disclaimer Sign will inform visitors of the responsibility for damage, accidents or loss. It’s also advisable to use CCTV signs to advise drivers that they are being monitored for security purposes.
You may also wish to install Toilets Signs, Disabled Toilet Signs or Ladies/Gents Toilet Signs to help improve navigation. Staff Only Signs will identify prohibited areas, as will Private Signs in a similar design. The best way to identify exactly what signs you need within your pub or bar is to perform a risk assessment and specific where the most significant hazards are.
The team here at Lasting Impressions have the experience and knowledge to help you identify the right safety signs for your needs. If you have any questions or would like to speak to a member of our staff, feel free to get in contact today.
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