Restaurant Risk Assessment Template

Typical hazards & measures

• Electrical safety in wet areas — Protect portable kitchen equipment with RCDs and regular inspection/testing; remove damaged leads or plugs immediately. Keep sockets and extensions away from wet zones, avoid daisy-chains, and hard-wire high-load appliances. Train safe isolation and never handle plugs with wet hands or gloves.
• Evacuation and crowd safety — Keep exits unlocked and illuminated, aisles clear to ≥1.2 m where possible, and capacity posted and enforced. Publish a simple emergency plan with sweep areas and assembly points; brief all starters. Test alarms and run drills; maintain signage, door furniture and emergency lighting.
• Delivery bay and vehicle movements — Designate reversing areas with wheel-stops and high-visibility markings; use banksmen and exclude pedestrians during manoeuvres. Schedule deliveries off-peak, keep routes lit and level, and require tail-lift and cage training. Provide secure storage to avoid kerbside sorting or lifting.
• Allergen management — Keep an accurate ingredient/allergen matrix for all dishes; brief front- and back-of-house on the 14 allergens and scripted questioning. Use segregated storage, utensils and prep areas for ‘free-from’ orders, clean down between tasks, label substitutes, and document allergen requests and hand-offs.
• Cash handling and financial security — Limit on-site cash, use drop-safes, and restrict access to tills. Train staff on discreet handling, counting in secure areas, and recognising counterfeit notes. Provide CCTV coverage, well-lit cashing-up zones, and ensure banking procedures are staggered and secure. Record incidents for review.