driving down obesity - centsa · 2019-04-30 · centsa aims to support these authorities in...

Supporting Businesses in the Midlands

CEnTSA, Central England Trading Standards Authorities, is a partnership of the 14 local authority Trading Standards services within the Midlands. CEnTSA aims to support these authorities in providing consistent, quality services to local businesses and consumers.

in tHiS iSSue: underage sales l waste not, want not l driving down obesity l health and safety

to this edition of Trading Standards News, which is compiled by 14 Trading Standards authorities in the Midlands. This issue focuses on a variety of topics, including avoiding making underage sales and reducing waste – especially for food-related businesses. We take a look at a local initiative to improve the health of lorry drivers on the road by providing more suitable food options at truck

stops. There’s also plenty of advice on how to reduce your fi re risk and carry out fi re-related risk assessments.

trAding StAndArdS BuSineSS AdViCe line:

0845 330 3313

Help ComBAt underAge SAleS

Trading Standards departments in the CEnTSA region are committed to helping traders combat the sales

of age-restricted goods, including alcohol and tobacco. This work has been given a high priority, as the impact of children having access to alcohol not only has the potential to cause serious future health problems, but is a key source of anti-social behaviour and crime within the region.

In order to tackle this problem, Trading Standards has built strong working relationships with a number of partners, including local traders, schools and local health boards.

There is a vast array of information available across the CEnTSA authorities, including posters, advice leafl ets, refusal registers and application forms for Proof of

Age cards. By following the advice in such information packs, the chances of making an illegal sale will be reduced. All traders are advised to ask for proof of age when selling age-restricted products.

Proxy selling, where an adult buys alcohol for a child, is also a huge problem. Adults can be fi ned up to £5,000 for buying alcohol on behalf of children. It is often diffi cult for traders to assess whether an adult is a legitimate customer or if they are buying alcohol for a minor. Again, there is help available from Trading Standards departments, which can provide advice and guidance, and supply posters and fl yers to assist local businesses. l For more information on age-restricted or proxy sales, please call the Business Advice Line on 0845 330 3313.

Plenty of advice available for traders selling alcohol and tobacco

Welcome...

Found a syringe or needle? Don’t ignore it – report it! Discarded needles and syringes can sometimes be found in shop doorways, or at the rear of shop premises. If not handled appropriately, they may cause serious health hazards, including the spread of blood-borne viruses such as HIV or hepatitis.

If you fi nd a needle or syringe, do not touch it or attempt to remove it.

Don’t put others at risk; report it to your local council. Most councils have specifi c teams and procedures in place to deal with such incidents.If you are injured by a needle or syringe:l Do not suck the wound;l If the skin is broken try to ensure the wound continues to bleed;l Wash the area with soap and water; andl Seek medical advice as soon as possible.NB: This article appeared in an earlier edition of the Newsletter in 2010, but remains up to date.

iSSue 2011/12

needles represent a health risk – so leave

well alone

TScentsa win11 pp01-08.indd 1 21/12/11 17:10:05

If you run a business, you are legally responsible for making sure that your waste is handled and disposed of properly. You have a

duty of care to ensure commercial or business waste is stored, transported, disposed of and recorded correctly.

The duty of care makes it your responsibility to ensure that your waste is stored securely. It must be held in secure containers that protect it from being blown away or disturbed by animals.

Waste must be transported to and disposed of at a licensed commercial waste site. You can deliver it yourself or have it collected by the local council, or by a licensed waste collection company.

If you pass your waste on to someone else, check that they are authorised to take it. All companies licensed to carry or accept waste are listed on the Environment Agency’s website.

When you hand over your waste to a third party, you must complete a waste transfer note describing whether the waste is loose or contained and what it consists of. This protects the people that handle your waste and allows them to ensure that it is disposed of safely. You must keep records of these notes for at least two years.

Hazardous business wasteHazardous waste contains dangerous properties that could make it harmful to

human health or the environment. These include being:l Highly flammable; l Toxic; l Corrosive; l Irritant; and l Cancer-causing.

You cannot dispose of hazardous waste with non-hazardous waste.

For information on how to dispose of hazardous waste, please contact 0845 330 3313.

Catering wasteCatering waste is all waste food (including used cooking oils) originating in restaurants, catering facilities and kitchens, including domestic kitchens. The disposal of catering waste is only controlled if you are sending it: l For animal consumption (for animals other than those farmed for food); or l For use in a biogas plant or for composting.

All other catering waste can continue to be disposed of to landfill in the normal way.

Animal by-product waste must

be transported and disposed of by licensed carriers. Information on approved premises to transport and dispose of animal by-product waste can be provided by your local Trading Standards Service, or by the Department of Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs.

NB: This article appeared in an earlier edition of the Newsletter back in 2010 but remains up to date.PA

2 waste not, want not

Takeaway tipsGet your hands on a toolkit designed specifically to help fast food businesses offer healthier options

A new ‘one-stop shop’ toolkit, providing a range of helpful documents designed for local authority officers and businesses, is now available on the CEnTSA website, at www.centsa.org.uk A ‘three-step’, two-minute video opens the website link, which sees John Vincent, founder of the Leon food chain, presenting his top tips:l You need a basic knowledge of nutrition;l Changing procedures or adding healthy dishes; andl Not ramming ‘health’ down people’s throats!

Research has shown that restaurants and takeaway outlets would provide additional healthier menu options if their customers wanted them.

It also found that by providing additional ‘healthier’ options and altering certain ingredients in food offered on their menus, businesses could increase their customer base and improve their profit margins.

Find out how you should be dealing with waste from your business

Hazardous waste contains dangerous properties

driving down oBesity

Two thirds of the UK population are obese or overweight, and this number is increasing steadily.

Due to their sedentary lifestyle, lorry drivers are particularly at risk of being overweight or obese, and of suffering the associated health risks, such as reduced life expectancy, diabetes, cancer and heart disease.

In order to help reverse this trend, 11 caterers operating from lay-bys and truck stops in Worcestershire have taken part in the Truckers’ Tucker project, which aims to make healthier food an easier choice for lorry drivers.

The project, run in partnership with Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS), and funded by Worcester NHS Public Health team, helped caterers make simple but effective changes to the food on offer, without impacting the business’s bottom line.

Participation for the businesses was low-risk as they were supported in making the changes using tried and tested methods, only committing to those they felt comfortable with and initially only for a four-week period.

Top tips for healthier options were

drawn up in conjunction with a qualified nutritionist and included:l Controlling portion size;l Improving cooking methods to reduce fat and salt content;l Using lower-fat mayonnaise and spread; l Offering brown or granary bread; l Removing chocolate from front counter displays; andl Providing fruit for sale.

Businesses were also encouraged to offer alternatives to the traditional all day cooked breakfast or bacon butty, such as homemade soup, jacket potatoes and healthy breakfast cereals.

None of the businesses reported a loss in profit and one widened its customer base by attracting office workers from surrounding businesses.

The top tips and other useful material have been compiled into a toolkit, which is now available for regulators from other areas of the country to rollout the Worcestershire Regulatory Services experience.

A new project is aiming to help lorry drivers throughout Worcestershire make healthier food choices while on the road

CASE STUDY: A rolling StoneOf the 11 businesses that took part, Mr Stone from Hillcrest Catering and Events achieved the most success, with an increase in both sales and customers. The business has been trading for 19 years, employs family members and trades from an industrial estate in Droitwich, supplying 60-plus industrial units, plus passing drivers and visitors.

Mr Stone had previously tried introducing healthy items to the menu but these had not been adequately marketed in order to overcome the ‘greasy spoon’ image of mobile catering vans. WRS officers assisted Mr Stone to fully review the food, methods of cooking, equipment, and ingredients to improve the nutritional content of the menu.

Mr Stone also worked with a local printer to produce display boards and leaflets, promoting healthy meal deals. He extended his menu to include a wider range of healthy sandwiches and salads, as well as providing an attractive display of fruit.

He said: ‘The project has enlightened me that healthy food is not only good for my customers but healthy for my business too – it pushed me to promote it further. It has been a pleasure working with regulators, as it has not only served to increase the opportunity for truckers to make healthier choices, but in the current economic climate any opportunity to help small businesses grow can only be beneficial too.’

the healthier option... a step change in the food offered at truck stops resulted in a positive outcome

BuSineSS Crime is not ViCtimleSS Crime!

firms must also play their part in prevention

Businesses also have a key role to play, in partnership with the police and local authorities, in tackling crime and contributing to safer and more sustainable communities. There is much that businesses can do themselves to seek out crime prevention advice, engage with local business crime partnerships and report crime when it happens – up to a third of businesses currently don’t do this.

Businesses are often reluctant to report incidents of crime against their business because they have no confi dence that the offenders will be prosecuted if caught. This has led to the police forces having a vastly inaccurate picture of the true extent of business crime, and can lead to under resourcing in this area. But you can do something to help – Report Every Crime, Every Time!

We encourage you to report crime to the police in the usual way, in the PA

The Federation of Small Businesses’ (FSB) research has shown that crime, and the fear of crime,

is a major concern for many small businesses. Some 64 per cent of them have been victims of crime in the last year at a cost of £2,900 each; and potentially billions to the wider 4.8 million small businesses in the UK.

Crime against business is not a victimless crime; it is a crime not just against the business but also its staff, customers and the wider community. If

a business is repeatedly victimised and forced to close, this obviously results in the loss of valuable employment and income for an area. Getting the local agenda right means crimes against business should be cited in local policing plans, and be a focus of action for neighbourhood policing teams (NPTs) and community safety partnerships (CSPs).

FSB pilot police surveys demonstrate that one fi fth of all crime (the ‘forgotten fi fth’) is crime targeted against business

and that this is as much as a quarter in some areas, such as the West Midlands. Small businesses make up more than half of UK GDP and employ more than 59 per cent of the private sector workforce – they are at the very heart of the UK economy. It is therefore important that the government takes steps, in order to safeguard the recovery and protect businesses, to reduce crime by engaging with the business community and addressing crime against business.

The Federation of Small Businesses explains that fi rms need to take the initiative to reduce their risks

Businesses are often reluctant to report incidents of crime against their business because they have no confi dence that the offenders will be prosecuted if caught

their part in prevention

first instance. Alternatively, you can complete the online incident report form and/or log book from the FSB’s website: http://www.fsb.org.uk/seyorkshire/campaigns/everycrime. The information you give will be used to inform strategies on tackling crime at a local level, as well as to influence policy at a regional and national level.

The FSB holds the chairmanship of the West Midlands Business Crime Forum and has recently held meetings with senior police officers from all four forces that make up the Greater West Midlands (Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Mercia and West Midlands). The aim is to discuss how we can work more closely with the police and the business community to reduce the instances of business crime, and to assist with detection and clear-up rates. We are pleased to report that the response has been overwhelmingly positive, with all four forces very keen to work in partnership with us and the wider business community to address this all important issue.

Their message is: ‘Open up the lines of communication!’ One of the greatest bars to successful policing on business crime issues is the lack of dialogue between the police and the business community.

Search out your local police teams, and get involvedWe would urge business owners to find out who their local policing teams are, and to meet them to discuss the issues in their area, not only to attend public police/business meetings but to help set the agenda for these meetings and, most importantly, report every crime, every time, to ensure that the figures the police are working with are accurate figures. Only then can we be certain that an accurate picture of the criminal landscape is being taken, which in turn will help to ensure adequate allocation of resources to this all important issue.

The FSB’s website has a host of useful information on business crime prevention and general advice on crime – visit http://www.fsb.org.uk/policy/policyissues then click on crime for useful links.l For more information on the FSB and its work around business crime and other key business issues, contact Karen Woolley, Development Manager, on 01332 517176 or email Karen.woolley@fsb.org.uk

Help online – all the time

Keeping up to date with regulations that affect your business can be a challenge,

whether you are starting a new venture or have been in business for some time. But you can turn to ERWIN for help.

‘ERWIN’ (Everything Regulation Whenever It’s Needed) is a website that has been designed to provide support for your business and reduce regulatory burdens by providing simple, consistent and easily understandable information, tailored to the needs of your business.

Local authorities in England and Wales have joined together to ensure businesses are provided with free, practical information, available whenever you need it, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

ERWIN provides information that is:targeted – with specific information relevant to the business type;Simple – setting out clear, practical advice on how to comply with legal requirements; and

prioritiSed – informs the business of the priority level for each piece of information.

Register your business with ERWIN in order to receive updates automatically when legislation changes or new legislation come into effect.

So whether it’s Trading Standards, Fire Protection, Environmental Health, Housing or Licensing information that you need, you can find all the information you need in one place.l www.everythingregulation.org.uk

Check out the ERWIN website for 24-hour help and advice on the legislative changes that affect your business

Counterfeit alcohol updateKeeping you informed of recent enforcement activity on dangerous drinks

During recent months, Trading Standards Officers across the West Midlands have been removing fake and illicit spirits from sale. Their main concern was various brands of vodka that had probably been made with industrial-grade chemicals.

When these ‘vodkas’ were analysed, they were found to have up to 26 times the legal limit of methanol. This is more commonly used in the manufacture of antifreeze. Methanol is known to affect the optic nerve and it was recently reported that a young man from Bradford had temporarily lost his sight after drinking the spirits. It was only the quick action of his local A&E department that prevented the permanent loss of his sight.

The number of off-licences that have been found in possession of illicit alcohol products has been surprisingly high, at an average of 25 per cent. Despite so many seizures, officers

have reported that compliant premises have given their full support to the action taken, as this type of illegal and illegitimate trading has a significant economic impact on them. Many legitimate businesses reported they are unable to compete fairly against such practices, particularly where the evasion of duty has occurred.

Despite this action, a more worrying development has occurred in recent weeks. A sample of ‘vodka’ was found to contain the chemical chloroform. Chloroform is a toxic, carcinogenic (cancer-causing) chemical banned in food stuffs. More action will therefore be needed to address this major public health concern.

SPONSORED feature

Following reports of a number of tandoori oven explosions in Birmingham, and other incidents

involving the safety of gas cookers in takeaway restaurants in Worcester and Pershore, officers from Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) carried out a series of inspections in conjunction with Gas Safety Week, which ran from 12 to 18 September 2011.

Gas Safety Week is run by the Gas Safe Register (previously CORGI), with the aim of raising awareness of gas safety and the importance of taking care of gas appliances.

WRS identified relevant premises and sent out around 300 letters to Indian and Chinese food establishments, requesting copies of their gas safety certificates and records. At the time of publication, around half of the traders have provided acceptable documentation, but for those companies that have not responded, or where certificates remain outstanding, officers are sending reminder letters and these will be followed up with a visit.

The majority of certificates that were submitted were found to be satisfactory. However, one forged certificate has been detected and 10 gas engineers, who are not competent to carry out works in commercial premises, have been identified.

These issues have been passed onto Gas Safe Register, where further investigations will be carried out. Issues

are you gas safe?Make sure your business is not at risk from bogus engineers

with the manufacturer of the tandoori oven and other gas ranges are still under investigation, in conjunction with the Health and Safety Executive.

Check your engineerBy law, all gas engineers must be entered on the Gas Safe Register, which is an official list of gas engineers legally allowed to work on gas appliances.

To make sure that gas appliances such as boilers, fires, ovens and hobs are fitted, fixed and serviced safely, businesses should check that an engineer employed to carry out work is entered on the Gas Safe Register AND that they are competent to carry out work in commercial premises.

If someone other than a competent Gas Safe-registered engineer undertakes gas work, they are breaking the law and could put lives at risk. l To find or check an engineer, go to www.GasSafeRegister.co.uk or call 0800 408 5500.

if someone other than a competent gas Safe-registered engineer undertakes gas work, they are breaking the law and could put lives at risk

health & safety special

since 1 October 2006, The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 has required the

‘responsible person’ of any non-domestic premises to carry out a fire risk assessment, including measures to reduce or eliminate the risk of fire, and identify persons at risk. Where there are five or more employees, a record must be kept of key issues relating to business fire safety.

To assist in this process, follow this six-point plan:

1Draw a small, single-line plan of your premises, showing any relevant

structural features and the use of marked areas like offices, production area, storage, plant room, etc.

2Keep a copy of the plan available to use when the fire service arrives (to

assist in fire fighting).

3Use the plan to indicate hazards/people at risk, and to identify where

ignition sources and combustibles are in close proximity.

4Use this ‘triangle of combustion’ to assess the potential for fire.

Remove, reduce, eliminate or control one of the three elements (oxygen, heat or fuel) to minimise the risk from fire.

5Identify – a) Sources of ignition, for example,

flames or sparks from: l Processes; l Ovens or kilns;l Portable heaters; orl Frictional heat.

b) Potential fuel sources /unsafe conditions, for example: l Combustibles – paper, wood, cardboard etc; orl Highly combustibles – thinners, solvents, petrol etc.c) Unsafe conditions and hazards that may assist fire spread; for example, open stairs that would allow rapid fire spread, trapping people and engulfing the building in fire.

6Bad housekeeping is often overlooked and is responsible for

many small fires – something, which can be easily remedied! It also helps to reduce the likelihood of arson through readily available materials. l For further information, please contact your local fire and rescue service.

health & safety myth-bustinGHealth and safety is often seen as an unreasonable barrier to prosperity, but is it?

it often seems as if not a day goes by without a newspaper article or media report ridiculing some silly rule about health and safety, which prevents someone doing something or highlights a person who is acting as a killjoy.

We all roll our eyes over the tales of schoolchildren not being allowed to use adventure playgrounds or take part in conker fights, or of store staff being banned from using ladders. but accidents can happen and the reality is these laws exist to protect us all – at work, at the shops, on holiday, or at school. We just have to use a degree of common sense in applying them safely and sensibly.

Observing health and safety legislation should become second nature to all business owners. let’s face it, the most successful businesses make the most of their resources: no wasted or damaged stock, equipment or premises; no time lost in investigating accidents; and little staff sick leave.

successful businesses are efficient and don’t waste precious staff time on things that don’t make money. efficiency and safety go hand in hand.

take a look at the myths on the hse website at www.hse.gov.uk/myth/index.htm

We all like a laugh, but the message is clear: no safety rule without a good reason. sensible health and safety is good for business.

Reduce your fire riskFollow these simple steps from Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service to ensure that your business is safeguarded against fire

Bad housekeeping is often overlooked and is responsible for many small fires

This newsletter is produced and published for the Trading Standards Services of these 14 local authorities. It is intended for general guidance and is not a substitute for detailed advice relating to specifi c issues and circumstances. If you would like advice on any of the issues covered in this newsletter, or if you need help with any other Trading Standards legislation, call the Business Advice line on 0845 330 3313. Alternatively, visit www.centsa.org.uk and follow the links to your local authority website.

The next issue of Trading Standards News is due out in march 2012. Printed on recycled paper.

TRADING STANDARDS is committed to making it easier for businesses within the Midlands to comply with the law – and Trading Standards News is one of the ways in which we aim to do just that.

The publication always focuses on topics that are relevant for people running businesses in the region.

Recent issues have, for example, featured items covering the motor trade, rural issues and e-commerce. To check out previous editions, see the news section at www.centsa.org.uk. If you would like to make any comments about Trading Standards News, or if you would like to receive a hard copy or be added to the electronic circulation list, then please email nharrison@solihull.gov.uk

Business matters

A wide variety of fi rms, from high street retailers to builders, plus many food and leisure services,

have to consider whether they need a licence or permit and, if so, who to register with.

Information on this is available from your local council; and you may also have to contact a district or county council, which all have different responsibilities. They will all have a website or direct line to guide you, if you are requesting a licence or registration.

Alternatively the Business Link website www.businesslink.gov.uk gives a single point of contact for licences and trade bodies, with easy access to

specifi c licensing information. You can often complete an application, make a payment and fi nd contact details online.

The same website can also help you with registration in other EU countries, or for more information you can visit www.bis.gov.uk/servicesdirective

Specifi c information on licensing – such as for alcohol, caravan sites or street trading – with a checklist and information sheets, is available by searching on www.everythingregulation.org.uk The site provides interpreted, simplifi ed and prioritised information, covering all major Trading Standards, Environmental Health, Licensing and Fire Safety legislation.

under licence

Whatever your business, you will need to be clued up on the relevant licensing and registration requirements

Finally, you may need to complete a renewal, either at fi xed intervals or if the business changes ownership or direction. Also, if you are a member of a trade body or association, have you renewed your membership or let it lapse? Customers could be misled if the benefi ts of the association are not available to them.

Similarly you may lose the support of the association, which may offer technical and legal advice and an arbitration service. Businesses use an association logo on their vehicles, in print and phone directory adverts, on their website, paperwork and premise signage. If your membership lapses or you change association, you must change or remove all these logos to avoid misleading your customers.

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