Maintenance

Regular maintenance is essential to ensure the premises, fixtures, fittings and equipment are maintained in a good state of repair and working order, so as not to compromise food safety and suitability.

Why is maintenance important to food safety?

Food premises, fixtures, fittings and equipment and those parts of vehicles that are used to transport food need to be properly maintained to:

• prevent contamination of food from flaking plaster, paint, timber, broken glass, leaking pipes, etc.
• enable effective cleaning and, if necessary, sanitising
• ensure pests do not gain access to the building or vehicle from holes in ceilings, walls, etc.
• ensure the equipment works as intended
• ensure any chipped, broken or cracked eating or drinking utensils are not used.

Signs of poor maintenance

Signs of poor maintenance for premises include:

• damage to doors and screens
• loose or cracked tiles on the floors and walls
• peeling paint and plaster on walls
• leaking pipes or broken plumbing
• damaged electrical outlets, lights or fans
• holes in the ceiling, walls or doors

Signs of poor maintenance for fixtures, fittings and equipment include:

• damaged benches, shelves, cupboards
• broken taps in sinks and handwash basins
• damaged or broken fridges or cool rooms and their seals
• damaged ovens, microwaves, grills, fryers, rotisseries, bain-marie units etc
• broken cooking utensils, food processing equipment or food containers
• damaged knives, chopping boards, tongs, serving utensils
• broken shopping trolleys or baskets
• damaged parts of vehicles used to transport food

Maintaining premises and equipment

To improve food safety, consider the following actions:

• inspect your food premise to see what you need to repair or replace
• use signage and inform staff of any items that are unsafe to use or could cause food safety issues
• regularly service and calibrate equipment such as:
  • fridges and cold rooms
  • dishwashers
  • thermometers
  • exhaust canopies
• regularly conduct a professional clean and service for equipment such as:
  • exhaust canopies
  • industry deep fryers
  • fridges and freezers
  • grease traps
• undertake regular pest management
• plan service or maintenance activities at a time that will not interfere with food preparation
• create a maintenance schedule and checklist to regularly inspect your premise.