Safety documents for commercial kitchens and hospitality in Queensland
Cooking, food preparation, cellar work and cleaning are not construction work, so a safe work method statement (SWMS) is only legally required for high risk construction work (ss 291 and 299 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld)), such as a kitchen fit-out carried out on or near pressurised gas piping or chemical lines. Day to day, a written SWMS or safe work procedure is still a good way to control hot oil, knives, slicers and mixers, and to train new kitchen staff the same way every time.
Rules that come up in kitchens and bars
Gas work: gas work on a type B gas device needs a gas work authorisation (s 727 of the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004 (Qld)). Check whether your appliance is a type B gas device. If it is, installing or repairing it is a job for an authorised person, and our gas appliance SWMS is there for that person to adapt.Cleaning chemicals: keep a register of the hazardous chemicals at the workplace with the current safety data sheet for each one (s 346 of the WHS Regulation).Guarding: where guarding controls plant risks such as slicer and mincer blades, it must generally be a permanently fixed barrier, or an interlocked barrier if access is needed during operation or cleaning (s 208).
Popular hospitality and kitchen templates
Commercial Kitchen Knife and Food Preparation SWMSDeep Fryer and Hot Oil SWMSCommercial Food Slicer, Mixer and Mincer SWMSMeat Band Saw SWMSKeg Handling and Beer Gas Cellar SWMSKitchen Slips, Trips and Burns Toolbox Talk
The Hospitality and Commercial Kitchen SWMS Bundle covers the main kitchen jobs in one pack. Read our guides to preventing slips, trips and falls. Every template is an editable Word or Excel file you can brand with your logo, and you download it straight after checkout. Once filled in for your job, the documents help you meet your duties. This is general information, not legal advice.