Clean food premises
Overview
This standard is part of the competence area related to providing cleaning services, including the use of equipment. It is about cleaning food premises. It is for cleaning operatives who conduct routine cleaning of food related premises that include kitchens, food service and manufacturing, food production and retailing. Food manufacturing, production, service and retail premises represent a high health risk if not cleaned properly. High standards of personal hygiene should be observed and maintained throughout the cleaning process. It is important to follow the operator's cleaning specification in the food safety management procedures. This standard also covers the cleaning of in-place equipment and safe isolation of food production equipment. It is important that the relevant precautions are taken regarding handling protective equipment and its safe disposal.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
Preparation and protection
1. carry out health checks and follow organisational procedures for safe working practice
2. follow dynamic risk assessment requirements of your organisation within the workplace
3. take the relevant actions depending on the outcome of risk assessments carried out
4. ensure all required products and protective equipment are available
5. wear the relevant protective equipment while carrying out cleaning
6. follow organisational procedures for reusing or disposing of protective equipment
7. ensure the safe systems of work and requirements are followed
8. select the appropriate colour-coded equipment
9. ensure any relevant safety and warning signs are displayed clearly
Controlling the risk of infection
10. follow your organisation's requirements for mitigation of risk of infection in the workplace
11. follow the cleaning procedures depending on environment and identified risks
12. examine areas for cleaning and identify any high contact touch points
13. carry out cleaning in accordance with work schedule and required frequency depending on the outcomes of risk assessment
14. use cleaning products including specialist cleaning solutions, antibacterial and antiviral chemicals
15. use disposable cleaning equipment to reduce viral loading in the areas being cleaned
16. follow the enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures for suspected or confirmed virus contamination
17. dispose of used cleaning and protective equipment in accordance with specified safety procedures
18. clean and disinfect reusable cleaning equipment
19. wash and dry your hands thoroughly and safely in accordance with organisational requirements
20. ensure the hand washing facilities are maintained with an adequate supply of washing solution, disinfection gels and a hygienic means of hand drying
Clean food areas in accordance with operator's food safety management procedures
21. obtain the operator's up-to-date cleaning specification about food safety management procedures
22. remove all your personal items and store them in a designated area and put on protective equipment
23. ensure your level of personal hygiene meets operator's standard of food safety management procedures
24. report to the relevant member of staff any health conditions or problems
25. move and protect items, including food, in the cleaning area in accordance with the operator's relevant cleaning procedures
26. use the cleaning equipment that is suitable for the specific cleaning task and check that it is safe before using it
27. separate and clearly label faulty or damaged cleaning equipment and notify the food operator about this
28. prepare food production plant, equipment and materials for cleaning in accordance with the relevant cleaning specification
29. isolate food equipment power supplies whenever necessary
30. carry out the cleaning without damaging food production plant, equipment and materials
31. follow the manufacturer's instructions and safe working practices when dis-assembling, cleaning and re-assembling food production equipment
32. ensure that you put all parts in the designated area when dis-assembling food production equipment and identify equipment parts for re-assembly
33. after re-assembling the equipment, check it is in correct working condition
34. record and report to the relevant member of staff any faults e.g. where the cleaning specification cannot be met, missing or damaged food equipment
35. ensure that there is enough ventilation and that there are no other chemicals on the surfaces before starting to de-scale food production equipment
36. de-scale and clean equipment parts methodically in accordance with manufacturer's instructions to avoid contamination
Complete cleaning of food areas
37. assess the progress of your cleaning work in accordance with the operator's food safety management procedures
38. identify instances of pest infestation, report these to the relevant member of staff and follow operator's safety procedures in dealing with infestation
39. ensure the area is cleaned thoroughly and as frequently as required until the pest infestation has been eradicated
40. check that individual parts of food production equipment are clean before re-assembly
41. leave food production equipment in safe working condition when you have finished, reporting any problems encountered during cleaning or re-assembly
42. leave equipment and the working area free of deposits, cleaning residue and unrelated objects
43. check that ventilation systems and surfaces are clean and dry when you have finished
44. dispose of waste and slurry in accordance with the operator's food safety management procedures
45. ensure that the cleaning equipment and machinery are cleaned and securely stored in line with cleaning specifications when you have finished cleaning
46. dispose the used protective equipment in accordance with safety procedures
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
Preparation and protection
1. the health checks and relevant procedures for safe working practice
2. your organisation's principles of dynamic risk assessment within the workplace
3. the relevant actions depending on the outcome of risk assessments carried out
4. the products and protective equipment for carrying out cleaning and infection control
5. how to reuse the protective equipment or dispose of it in line with your organisation's safety procedures
6. the organisational requirements for safe systems of work
7. how and where to display the relevant safety and infection control signage for cleaning areas
8. your organisation's requirements for minimising risk of infection while working on premises
9. why it is important to choose the correct colour coded equipment and how to use it
Controlling the risk of infection
10. your organisation's procedures for mitigating the risk of infection
11. the frequency of routine cleaning in communal areas, facilities and high-contact areas
12. the enhanced cleaning and disinfection procedures for suspected or confirmed virus contamination
13. the areas for cleaning and how to identify high contact touch points
14. the range of specialist cleaning products and how to use them safely and effectively
15. the cleaning procedures to follow, depending on the environment and risks identified
16. your organisation's procedures for cleaning and disinfection of reusable equipment
17. your organisation's procedures for disposing of used cleaning equipment and protective equipment
18. the duration of hand washing procedures after the protective equipment is removed
Clean food areas in accordance with operator's food safety management procedures
19. why it is important to have operator's up-to-date cleaning specification and from whom it can be obtained
20. the standards of personal hygiene required for the food area in which you are working, how to maintain that level
21. why health conditions or problems must be reported to the relevant member of staff
22. why food items must either be moved or protected during cleaning operations, the correct methods of doing so and the consequences of not following the relevant procedures
23. the range of cleaning equipment available and how to check that it is safe to use
24. the suitable agents and solutions for the surfaces you are cleaning and the consequence of using the wrong materials
25. how to identify and label faulty or damaged food production equipment and why this should be reported
26. how to prepare food production plant, equipment and materials for cleaning in accordance with the relevant cleaning specification
27. how to isolate powered food production equipment safely and why you must do this before cleaning
28. why it is important to refer to manufacturer's instructions for dis-assembling, re-assembling and cleaning food production equipment and where this information can be obtained
29. the relevant workplace procedures for dis-assembling and re-assembling food production equipment including the designated holding area for parts
30. the reporting procedures for any faults where the cleaning specification cannot be met, the food equipment is missing or damaged
31. how to ventilate the food production area and why this is important
32. the relevant methods for de-scaling and cleaning production equipment and how to apply them safely
33. the relevant procedures for completing the cleaning and leaving the workplace
Complete cleaning of food areas
34. how to monitor the progress of your cleaning and why it is important to adhere to the operator's food safety management standards and procedures
35. the main types of pest infestations common to food production areas, how to identify them and the action to take to deal with them
36. why it is important to report pest infestations and the relevant procedures you must take to deal with any incidence of infestation
37. the relevant procedures for dis-assembly and re-assembly of food production equipment and why it is important to check that all parts are clean before re-assembly
38. how to identify problems with food production equipment and the relevant procedures for reporting them
39. why it is important to leave the food area free of deposits, chemical residue and unrelated objects and the consequences of not doing so
40. the designated place for all food or equipment moved during the cleaning activity and why it is important to put items back where they came from
41. why surfaces and vents should be left dry on completion of cleaning
42. the relevant procedures for disposing of waste and slurry
43. how to clean the equipment and machinery and store them securely when you have finished cleaning
44. how to dispose the used protective equipment in accordance with safety procedures