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In the week that new statistics showed that Londoners are eating more takeaways than ever before, allergy sufferers are urging restaurants and takeaway outlets to do more to show if any allergens are present in their food.

Top chefs have signed up to a new app which shows allergy sufferers where they can eat safely, thought up when the creator’s husband suffered a severe allergic reaction in a Greek restaurant to sesame seeds. The app, Kafoodle Kitchen, information shares between restaurants and the customer with ingredients being uploaded to the cloud based app.

Since new allergen labelling legislation was introduced in December 2014, restaurants, takeaways and other food preparation outlets are required to clearly display ingredients and whether any allergens are present in their food.

Last month it was reported that two-thirds of UK takeaways weren’t up to regulation when it came to displaying information on the top 14 allergens present in food. And with the takeaway industry booming – the UK spends £12 million a week on Domino’s pizza alone – information on allergens is of paramount importance.

While we do have a new range of standard catering signs to help communicate food information simply and clearly, if you are worried about how complying with the law will spoil the ambiance of your establishment, talk to us about bespoke labelling and signage products, we can help you create signage solutions that will ensure you are compliant, will help to build your brand but most of all will help customers to make informed and safe decisions on their food choices.

To talk to one of our Sales Team please call Tel 01737 764764 or email us at sales@stocksigns.co.uk.

With effect from 13th December 2014, The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in conjunction with DEFRA  introduced new allergen labelling laws, these are the Food Information Regulations EU1169/2011 (FIR Regs). These regulations affect all food service organisations, no matter what their size.

The new food law states that all food service providers serving unpackaged  food or even food that is packaged on site for immediate consumption ( e.g. sandwiches) will have to provide details of any menu items that contain any of the top 14 allergens. Your local Environmental Health Officers will enforce the new regulations and non-compliance will result in very large fines.The new law states:

• You can no longer state that you don’t know if an allergen is present
• You can no longer state that all foods ‘could’ contain allergens (I.e. no more this  product ‘may’ contain nuts)
• Oral statements have to be backed up in writing if requested

Have you done enough? Top Tips For The Food Information Regulations

The FSA has made clear the importance of the new Food Information Regulations and they have now become law but are you really doing enough to help your customers? In recent research carried out in only 8% of food establishments surveyed had the information obviously displayed to the customer. Generally there was little or no instructional guidance as to what the customer should do if concerned about allergens. In a truly customer  centered organisation you should be ensuring their safety and well being and total experience of your service not just paying lip service to this justifiably important law. With 6–8 % of children having a proven food allergy in the UK (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, 2011), this is not an issue that is likely to go away.

Here are our top tips to make sure you are doing enough for the Food Information Allergen Labelling

• Make sure your staff are all fully trained and confident about their knowledge
• Make sure you are compliant, read and re-read the regulations
• Talk to your suppliers, how can they help you, ask for written assurances on their products
• By all means have the information available on your website but make it accessible in store too
• Don’t just add to the small print at the bottom of your menus. Make sure it is clear what action your customers should take.

While we do have a new range of standard catering signs to help communicate food information simply and clearly, if you are worried about how complying with the law will spoil the ambiance of your establishment, talk to us about bespoke labelling and signage products, we can help you create signage solutions that will ensure you are compliant, will help to build your brand but most of all will help customers to make informed and safe decisions on their food choices.

To talk to one of our Sales Team please call Tel 01737 77 40 72 or email us at sales@stocksigns.co.uk

Great value and quality with rapid supply and if you don’t see what you need we can design a sign to your own requirements.

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Merry Christmas from the Stocksigns Group!

The new CLP Legislation is the EU’s adoption of the latest chemical classification system devised by the United Nations.The new European Regulation on Classification, Labeling and packaging of Substances and Mixtures (EC1272/2008), known as CLP Regulation, came into force in January 2009. The first stage of the transition processes covered substances which meant the relabelling of all individual substances by 1st December 2010. The 2nd stage is the inclusion of mixtures which are to be relabelled by 1st June 2015. (However some stocks of products already in the supply chain may be onward supplied without needing to be relabelled for a further 2 years after the deadline)

Why Has the new CLP Legislation been introduced?

Increased international movement of goods has led to a greater focus on the need for standardised labelling. Anomalies existed where, a chemical may have been labelled as toxic in one country but not so in another. In extreme cases some countries didn’t have any labeling classification system at all.

To standardise chemical labeling the United Nations created the Globally Harmonised System (GHS). This worldwide system has been design to protect people and the environment but also to promote international trade.

Individual countries or trading blocks give the GHS legal status. The EU has used the GHS to create CLP, the classification, Labelling and packaging of substances. THis replaces the CHIP Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for Supply)- Regulation. The old orange square CHIP hazard symbols are being replaced  with new pictograms of a red diamond with a white background. These are already being used for single substances and companies have until the 1st June 2015 to comply to the new rules and the labelling of mixtures.

The Nine CLP Pictograms

For the transportation of hazardous goods by road, rail air and sea there are separate legal requirements. For example road transportation through Europe is covered  by ADR, these and the other transport classification systems RID, IMDG, IATA and ICAO have yet to have been adopted into the Globally Harmonised System, so it still may be necessary to use both systems in tandem. It is also unclear at this stage whether ‘Storage Area Marking’ is covered by CLP or still covered by the existing CHIP regulations. We will keep you updated as more details become announced.

Privacy screens are particularly useful in changing areas, medical rooms and on security or dividing screens. Even when privacy isn’t an issue, they can provide decorative features, which can enhance a building’s overall interior design.

If you have glass partitioned meeting rooms or private offices within a large mostly open plan office area then carefully placed manifestation films on the glass can help create private areas. They can be used to create ‘work zones’, departments or even break-out and meeting areas.

Hospitals and medical facilities with corridors, used for patient transfer, can benefit  from frosted half panels. Manifestations, including frosted and printed vinyls can be used on any glazed panel and can be created to maintain maximum light levels while protecting privacy.

Company logos are often included for branding but advertising material can be included by creating semi

transparent designs. Striking designs can be created by leaving areas uncovered. These designs can also be functional as seen in the cloakroom example (bottom left). For simple glass highlighted glass privacy films, the vinyls used come in a range of transparencies and decorative finishes.

For more information contact us

Glass Manifestation and Building regulations 2000: Part M

It is a health and safety requirement to apply manifestations to glass doors, glass partitions and screens. If you have full height glass in windows, doors or building partitions, they must be marked correctly with glass manifestation to make sure the solid glass is evident.

What is a glass manifestation?

Glass manifestation is designed to help make glass obvious and reduce injuries by preventing people from walking into the glass. Manifestations are usually two rows of 50mm or 75mm white or frosted dots on the glass at heights of 1500mm and 800mm from the floor.

As long as the sizes and height positions of the manifestations are inline with these guidelines any shapes including company logos will satisfy this health and safety requirement. Large panels in etched or printed film with cut out clear spaces can also satisfy these regulations. Which gives a rare opportunity to apply creativity when adhering to your health and safety obligations.

What are the glass manifestation regulations in the UK?

The building Regulations 2000: Part M give guidelines on how glass entrances and screens can satisfy these regulations.

 Provisions

2.24 Glass entrance doors and glazed screens will satisfy Requirement M1 or M2 if: 

a. they are clearly defined with manifestation on the glass at two levels, 850 to1000mm and 1400 to 1600mm above the floor, contrasting visually with thebackground seen through the glass (both from inside and outside) in all lighting conditions;

 b. manifestation takes the form of a logo or sign at least 150mm high (repeated if on a glazed screen), or a decorative feature such as broken lines or continuous bands, at least 50mm high;

any glazed screens alongside a corridor are clearly defined with manifestation the glass at two levels, 850 to 1000mm and 1400 to 1600mm, contrasting visually with the background seen through the glass in all lighting conditions (see 2.24(b) for details of manifestation).

Further considerations for the visually impaired should be included

2.22 People with visual impairment should be in no doubt as to the location of glass entrance doors, especially when they are within a glazed screen. The choice of a different style of manifestation for the door and the glazed screen can help to differentiate between them.

Further guidelines are covered by Regulation 14 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. The Regulation requires that every window or other transparent or translucent surface in a wall, partition, door or gate should, where necessary for reasons of health or safety, be of a safety material or be protected against breakage of the transparent or translucent material; and be appropriately marked or incorporate features to make it apparent.

Regulation 14 also says that glazing in critical locations must be marked, or incorporate appropriate design features, to make its presence apparent – the objective being to avoid breaking the noses of people who might otherwise walk into the glazing, not realising it was there.

The Regulation only expects action ‘where necessary for reasons of health or safety’. So you need to assess every window or other transparent or translucent surface in a wall, partition, or door or gate to establish whether there is a risk of anyone being hurt if people or objects come into contact with it, or if it breaks.

Stocksigns offers a large range of hazard warning signs to help you fulfil your health and safety obligations.

related post “How to apply vinyl graphics”

Door signs and nameplates are often overlooked in a new build or company revamp, often considered a small detail that is left to the last minute to sort out. This post is a reminder of how careful planning early on in the project can help you avoid costly mistakes.

Internal office door signs can be customised with your logo or company fonts. They create a unified design throughout the whole building and help reinforce your company or brand values. Stocksigns can offer you a huge variety of internal door signs in signage materials including engraved wooden or metal signs such as brass, plastics, glass and layered effects, many have matching interior panels, signposts and external signs. contact us to discuss your ideas, and how we can guide you towards the best solution for your building. There are so many off the shelf and custom made door signs designs to choose from by asking yourself some simple questions at the start you can make sure you choose the right scheme for you.

Here are some factors to think about when choosing your customised internal door signs:

• Corporate Values – What sort of image do you want to project?
• Uniformity – Do you want the same look throughout your building?
• Environment – Do your signs need to stand up to a lot of wear and tear?
• Flexibility – Do you need to change the names on yours doors frequently?
• Cost – Stocksigns can help you find the signs to fit your budget and show you how to mix and match with stock signs.
• Accessibility – Do you want to consider any special needs of your customers or staff?

Concerns have been raised about the deadly state of Britain’s building sites as contractors prepare to cash in on the industry’s emergence from recession.

See on www.irishpost.co.uk

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Get Surrey
Parents call for road safety improvements outside school
Get Surrey
“Because they’re not using the main entrance – which is quite safe and secluded – children are bolting out of the back gates and into the road,” he said.

See on www.getsurrey.co.uk

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Play it safe as you enjoy the warm-water season
The Olympian
Swimming is good for you and your health, but any body of water can turn from fun to deadly if you or someone you’re with can’t swim well.

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@randomduck Might be useful for signage, though more wayfinding- than safety- focused: http://t.co/D1FiWeN92q @NBSmithDC @kishanputta

See on nacto.org

See on Scoop.it – Safety Signs

It’s not about speed, but safety at Cornwall’s Bikes and badges
Standard Freeholder
Children learned not just about road rules, such as signage, but also better biking techniques, such as steering.

See on www.standard-freeholder.com