Posted By Ian Bruce
I hope colleagues can help me out with this one. A manager of a community centre has asked me for some advice regarding application of the COSHH Regs to a domestic standard cooker.

The facts are:

Normal domestic type electric cooker with extractor hood.
Used for a couple of hours each week to produce a roast meal for members of a group involved in community learning.
The group are not employees, but members of a group operated by the Probation Service, using our facilities.

The manager has asked if she, or the course provider, should prepare a COSHH assessment for the combustion products and the fumes generated by the cooking process.

In my opinion a basic risk assessment would suffice in this situation, backed up by a safe system of work, evidence of training for those involved in supervision, by a competent person, and a checklist to record when the filters are changed in the hood (the fumes are extracted to outside). The responsibilities shared between the centre manager and the Probation Service.

I don't believe it's reasonably practicable to test the hood as LEV as defined within COSHH, as it's only used by this group for a couple of hours a week in what is to all intents and purposes, a domestic situation.

What do others think?

If we do a COSHH assessment, does anyone have any experience of this within a catering environment?

Any replies would be gratefully received.

Posted By Paul Leadbetter
Ian

I would hope that cooking 'fumes' are not hazardous to health or we are all in trouble!
If the equipment is only extracting heat, then it is not covered by COSHH. Cooking with gas could, I guess, produce nitrogen oxides but I shouldn't think that the concentrations would be anywhere near the OESs.

Paul

Posted By Lewis T Roberts
Well I quite like the burnt cheesy bits.

This of course does not come under COSHH, however I think that a simple risk assessment be carried out to include the maintenance of the extraction, some method of logging information given in its use and cleaning (where COSHH may apply)and to get some literature on best practice in food hygiene.

Lew

Posted By Jay Joshi
In context of risk from the extract system, the significant ones are from fire and food hygiene--not COSHH. The maintenance & care of the extract system is usually included in the extract hood suppliers instructions. This should suffice.

Posted By Pat Burns MIOSH - SpDipEM - AMIQA
Nice one Neil!

Posted By Dave Wilson
Do these fumes come under 'CHIP'?

'FAT' chance methinks!

Posted By Neil Pearson
Almost anytime that organic material gets burned, you get substances called dioxins and other stuff produced. These adsorb onto burnt bits, like smoke and the charcoal bits on cooked food. The smoke particulates themselves are also bad news.

This is why no-one wants to live near a waste incinerator, and why you shouldn't eat a barbeque or have a bonfire every night. This is why you shouldn't eat toast that's too burnt.

I know how this sounds, and we all need to eat. It's no problem if you have some ventilation and keep the oven clean.

All that said, I like my pizza well done and I still eat barbies (the food, not the dolls).

Posted By Jack
Come on Bill lets not get bogged down with common sense

Posted By Jim Walker
Bill,

If we all adopt your attitude what will happen to our "jobsworthies" reputation.

Posted By Neil Pearson
It looks like I'm on some sort of crusade against cooking! I completely agree with all those above who say that this is no big deal. I still feel it's worth ensuring good ventilation (not just for steam) and that cooking equipment is kept clean, but that basically goes for all workplaces.