The world of food has always been one that has required detailed and strong regulations surrounding health and safety. The equipment in kitchens is powerful and potentially dangerous. Not to mention the risks associated with bad food. Sickness, diseases, and physical injury.
And as our understanding of biology and food science improves, so too do our rules and regulations surrounding health and safety in the food sector. To this end, a few of the biggest states in the USA are changing their regulations, making them stricter. All of this is set to take effect from the start of 2021.
Handling Pests
The first new move is in relation to the pest control sector. It follows on from the new announcement that Pest Control is now an essential service with the USA. Due to this change, pest control firms like http://www.positivepest.net/ are able to operate on longer hours and with increased efficiency.
This change meant the regulations around the pest control schemes within the foodservice industry could change. Starting from 2021, all restaurants and foodservice establishments have to get regular anti-pest checks and fit specialized anti-pest security measures.
This change was lead by New York and backed up by Washington and Connecticut. These three states have seen a sharp increase in pest numbers due to climate change and increased population. But it is predicted that every state will follow on with this regulation change in due course.
COOSH Changes
COOSH is the certification all food service establishments must follow in terms of chemical storage and usage. Industrial cleaning chemicals are dangerous and need to be handled with extreme care for both the sake of those using it and the customers. It is only the owners of a restaurant that need to go and get their COOSH qualification, but it up to them to train their staff, install proper storage and signage, and provide adequate PPE.
Starting in 2021, some states are introducing a refresher course that must be taken every 6 months. It will be the responsibility of the owner to make sure they go to these courses. They also have to bring along two members of their staff along to make sure they are also well versed in the usage of the different chemicals.
As an addendum, every restaurant also has to undergo a COOSH inspection every two years. This inspection is separate from the random health and safety checks and is simply to make sure their COOSH storage and usage is up to scratch.
Medical Training
It is required that every restaurant has a member of staff on-site that is trained in First Aide. Which is fantastic. But a few states are looking to change it up. The idea is that all restaurants will need to make sure more than half their staff are trained in First Aide, and more than half of the staff on a particular shift also need to be trained in it.
To support this, a lot of states are putting more funding into various First Aide programs, improving the quality of the education provided and the qualification. This will mean restaurants do not need to go for a top-up as often, saving them money in the long run and improving the quality of the First Aide they can provide.
The USA takes safety very seriously, and these changes are just further proof of that. These regulations, while they can be annoying to deal with and tiresome, improve the safety for everyone. Both customers and staff alike.