Agenda item

The Committee considered a report containing the combined draft Food Safety and Health and Safety Service Plan for 2022/23.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) required all local authorities to have a Food Safety Service Plan which set out how national priorities and standards in respect of food safety would be addressed and delivered at a local level. Under the same guise, the Council was also required  to ‘make arrangements for enforcement’ of health and safety at work legislation under section 18 of Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 SWA and the National Local Authority Enforcement Code . 

It was reported that there were 706 food businesses in Surrey Heath which were subject to inspection by the Council’s food safety service.  Over the course of 2021/22, the Council’s Food and Safety Team had carried out 526 on-site food safety interventions, investigated 60 complaints about food and investigated 15 complaints specifically in respect of poor hygiene in food premises.

During 21/22 from the 435 routine inspections which took place in the borough, 98% of food businesses received a food hygiene rating of at least 3 (Satisfactory), 4 (Good) or 5 (Very Good) with 78% having achieved the highest rating of 5. 

It was noted that from 19 July 2021 most of the specific Covid-19 business restrictions were removed. However, employers continued to be required under the Health and Safety at Work Act to control risk by review of  workplace risk assessments, particularly with regard to adequate ventilation, sufficient cleaning and good hand hygiene in accordance with the Government guidance on ‘Working Safely During Coronavirus’.

Emanating from the end of the pandemic, the Environmental Health Team had also worked with 81 different public events to ensure adequate health and safety provision and with various multi-agency Safety Advisory Groups (SAG).

The Committee commended the work of the officers to deliver such a comprehensive service over the course of a particularly difficult year.

RESOLVED that the Food Safety and Health and Safety Service Plan 2022/23, attached as Annex A to the report, be approved.