1. FUNCTION
1.1 To ensure that in the event of a kitchen failure eg: fire or flood, Catering Managers/Support Services Managers and others are empowered to muster resources as required and as available at that specific time, in order to provide continuity of service.
2. LOCATION
2.1 All food production and finishing kitchens within NHS Fife.
3. RESPONSIBILITY
3.1 The Catering Manager/Support Services Manager will be responsible for assessing the situation and initiating action as required.
3.2 The Catering Manager/Support Services Manager will have a designated “whom failing” deputy to act in their absence. This will normally be the most senior department supervisor.
3.3 The Catering Manager/Support Services Manager will ensure that their staff are familiar with local contingency procedures, eg. Estates call-out procedures, availability of keys, etc.
3.4 The local Facilities Manager will be responsible for communication between clinical departments, service users, public, Environmental Health Officers, Communications Department and Executive Directors as appropriate.
3.5 The local Facilities Manager will, if deemed necessary, establish a local control group for the duration of the emergency, consisting of:
Catering Manager/Support Services Manager.
Duty Site Manager/Hospital Coordinator.
Other Estates, Facilities and Capital Services Directorate Managers as required.
Local Estates Manager.
3.6 The local Facilities Manager will be responsible for obtaining and coordinating resources from other departments and localities.
3.7 The local Facilities Manager may call upon other Estates & Facilities Directorate staff to provide assistance as required. All Estates & Facilities Directorate Managers will be responsible for responding to urgent requests for assistance.
3.8 Individual staff may be required to temporarily move base, change working practices, etc. to meet the needs of the service. Any such changes would be managed under existing HR policies.
4. OPERATIONAL SYSTEM
4.1 Where there is the possibility of a kitchen failure the action required will depend on factors amongst others:
- The anticipated length of failure.
- The occupancy of the site at the time.
- The specific kitchen involved.
4.2 Potential difficulties may result from various failures of equipment, utilities, weather related problems, loss of vehicles, staffing difficulties, etc.
4.2.1 For utility/systems failures the Catering Department, like other departments, will rely on the contingencies put in place by the Estates Service, eg.
- Electricity failure – reliance on local generator.
- Water failure – liaison with Estates and Scottish Water to supply and source bottled water.
- IT system failure – use of alternatives eg fax/telephone.
4.2.2 For equipment, adverse weather, staffing difficulties and loss of vehicles, the local Catering/Support Services Manager will consider a variety of responses.
- In conjunction with the relevant clinical staff consider a locally produced restricted menu.
- Utilise contingency stored provisions.
- Rely on pre-prepared foods ordered in.
- Arrange alternative production venue, eg nearest NHS/Council kitchen.
- Liaise with the Transport Manager to arrange food transportation.
- Cease all non essential work, eg hospitality, functions, staff meals.
- Temporary transfer of equipment between sites.
4.3 These responses may also be appropriate as part of the response to deal with utility problems.
4.4 In anticipation of small scale difficulties there are local built-in contingency measures, eg.
- At receiving kitchens there are supplies of frozen foods.
- There are local arrangements for coping with minor failures, eg. arrangements for freezer failures.
- Locally held storage of long-life provisions, etc.
- At sites using Delivered meal systems there are spare regeneration trolleys available.
- Spare delivery trolleys are available at various sites.
5. RISK MANAGEMENT
5.1 Implementation of this procedure goes some way to managing the potential risks for a kitchen failure.
6. RELATED DOCUMENTS
None
7. REFERENCES
None