Health and Environmental Services Information Sheet 26

Establishing a New Food Premises

This information is provided as a guide only to prospective purchasers and other interested persons to assist in the establishment, construction and fitout of a food premises.

It should be read in conjuction with the Health (food hygiene) Regulations 1993 and further clarified by the Town of Bassendean's Environmental Health officer.

Links on this page:

Planning
Minimum Standards
Shop Fit Out
Specific Requirements
Appendix 1 - Classification of Food Premises

Planning

Should you decide to operate a food premises, whether it is existing, or you plan to construct or alter a building, you need to be aware that there are certain Regulations and Council requirements to consider.

It is recommended you make an appointment to discuss your proposal with Council's Planning, Building and Health Services to ensure you become familiar with all the facts relating to your application. Depending on the nature of your proposal you may also need to contact various government Departments e.g. Water Corporation for grease trap requirements.

The Environmental Health Officer responsible for the district in which you propose to operate your business can provide you with specific health requirements. A joint site inspection is highly recommended.

Minimum Standards

All food premises must comply with the minimum standards set down in the Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations 1993. This is your legal responsibility and you will not be permitted to operate until you have met this obligation.

Food premises are divided into five classes depending on the type of food handling and the risk associated with the food (see Appendix 1). There is a significant level of variation between finishes for different classes of food premises. Please confirm your requirements with your district Environmental Health Officer.

Shop Fit Out

After gaining required approvals, you will need to consider the Health Services requirements for your shop fit out. To make sure this is a smooth process, please submit two sets of plans and specifications detailing the proposed fixtures, fittings and equipment. The scale should be no less than 1:50. The following details should be included:

Floor, wall and ceiling finishes
Lighting and electrical installations
Construction and location of all fixtures and fittings (four way elevations)
Plumbing and drainage layout, including grease traps
Refrigeration (freezers, chillers, cool rooms etc)
Rubbish storage facilities
Toilets and change rooms
Menu / list of all foods to be prepared / sold from the premises.

Please note, that this serves only as a guide and the Environmental Health Officer assessing your application may request further plans or details if required.

Specific Requirements

Walls

Walls shall be smooth, impervious, durable and finished in a light coloured washable paint.
Junctions at angles between adjoining walls must be coved in Class 1,2 and 3 buildings.
It is recommended that walls are constructed of solid masonry or concrete to prevent cavities being formed that may harbour pests.
If tiles are used the wall is to be tiled to full wall height for class 1 and 2 premises and 600mm above sinks and benches for class 3 premises.
Skirtings, picture rails and architraves are not permitted.
Conduits and service pipes should be either chased into the walls or fixed in brackets at least 16mm clear of adjacent surfaces.
Window sills and ledges must be splayed downwards at an angle to prevent use as a shelf. Window sills and ledges located where splashing is likely to occur must be at least 300 mm above the top of benches or appliances.

Floors and Drainage

Floors in food preparation areas must be durable, impervious, slip resistant and free from cracks and crevices. Recommended materials include commercial sheet vinyl, ceramic tiles, and epoxy coated concrete
Floor-wall junctions must be coved to a minimum radius of 9.5mm to enable easy cleaning.
The floor should be evenly graded and connected to an approved drainage system. A 100mm diameter floor waste is recommended.
All pipes and conduits are to be located at least 75mm above floor level.

Ceilings

The ceilings in food preparation areas are to be smooth, impervious, durable, resistant to corrosion and free of cracks, crevices and other defects. Smooth, flush finished ceilings are recommended for all food premises. Ceilings are to be finished in a light coloured washable paint.

Lighting

Food premises must be provided with adequate natural and /or artificial lighting that complies with Australian Standard AS 1680-1976.
Fluorescent lights are to be provided with protective covers.

Cold Storage

Cool rooms and freezers require:

Coving of 9.5 mm minimum at wall to wall, and wall to floor junctions.
Where appropriate, floors are to be graded and drained to a trapped floor waste.
All racks and shelves are to be constructed of smooth, non-absorbent, easily cleanable, corrosion resistant material.
Condensates are to discharge into a drainage system located outside the cool room or freezer (i.e. tundish). These drainage systems are to be kept at least 75mm clear of the floor.
A thermometer for measuring internal temperature. It shall be accurate to ( 1°Celsius.
All inaccessible cavities between the cool room or freezer walls and the adjacent wall are to be filled with fibreglass wool or other appropriate material and sealed.
It is recommended that all cool room motors and compressors are located outside the food handling area.

Ventilation and Exhaust Equipment

Exhaust hoods that comply with Australian Standard AS 1668.2-1991 are to be installed over all cooking equipment. Detailed plans are required to be submitted to Council's Health Services for approval prior to manufacture and installation.
Application for approval of air handling systems must be made on the form prescribed in the Health (Air Handling and Water Systems) Regulations 1994.

Fixtures, Fittings And Appliances

All food preparation benches and food contact surfaces shall be smooth, impervious, durable and corrosion resistant.
All appliances with a mass greater than 16kg need to be fitted with castors or wheels, or legs greater than 150mm in height.
All shelving, benches and cupboards are to be located at least 150mm off the floor. Sufficient shelving is to be provided to store all items off the floor.
Cupboards shall not have false backs, bottoms or cavities. Cupboards are to be sealed to the wall.
All plinths should be constructed of masonry or concrete to prevent cavities are to be filled with tightly packed fibreglass wool or polystyrene foam and sealed to adjacent surfaces.

Washing Facilities

Hand basin:

Hand basins are to be provided in food preparation areas and within each toilet facility. They are to be;

Of an adequate size and readily accessible.
Equipped with hot and cold water delivered through a common outlet.
Provided with single use towels and soap dispenser.

In Class 1 and 2 food premises the hand basin must be operated other than by hand.

Food Preparation Sink:

An appropriate number of sinks must be provided for food preparation. The sinks are to be in addition to equipment washing sinks.

Equipment Washing Facilities:

A double bowl sink is to be provided with drainage boards. The sinks must be large enough to contain utensils used on the premises and be supplied with hot and cold water at all times.

Cleaning Sink And Slop Hoppers:

It is recommended that a cleaning sink or slop hopper be provided where floor waste drainage is impracticable.

Sanitary Conveniences

Sanitary conveniences shall be provided in accordance with the Building Code of Australia and Council's local laws. The following table indicates the minimum requirements.
All sanitary conveniences must have hand basins provided with hot and cold running water, soap dispensers and appropriate hand drying facilities.

Maximum Number Served by:

	Toilets			Urinals			Hand Basins
Employees	1	2	Each Extra	1	2	Each Extra	1	2	Each Extra
Male	20	40	20	25	50	50	30	60	30
Female	15	30	15	-	-	-	30	60	30

Change Rooms

Class 1 and 2 food premises require male and female change rooms. They are to be a minimum of 3 square metres each, with an additional 0.75 square metres for each employee in excess of four.
Locker storage facilities are to be provided in each change room.

Grease Traps

The Water Corporation (in case of sewered properties) or Council's Health Services (in the case of on-site disposal systems) should be consulted at an early stage to determine if a grease trap is required.

Rubbish Storage

A bin storage area of an appropriate size shall be provided. It shall include:

A tap connected to an adequate supply of water.
A smooth, impervious floor evenly graded and drained to a 100mm diameter industrial floor waste.
Sufficient access to allow for the storage and removal of all refuse receptacles.

For Further Information or Advice Please Contact

Council's Health Services
Town of Bassendean
48 Old Perth Road
BASSENDEAN WA 6054

Telephone (08) 9377 8000

Appendix 1 - Classification of Food Premises

Class 1 Food Premises

Extensive food preparation is carried out. The foods are subject to spoilage, rapid bacterial growth, or require a high level of protection. Includes;

Restaurant / Café
Pastry Cooking
Pizza Bar
Fast Foods / Takeaway Outlets
Fish and Chips
Lunch bar (extensive cooking)
Commercial Kitchens (caterers)
Hot Bread Shop
Butcher

Class 2 Food Premises

Preparation, reconstitution, special storage or packaging of foods is undertaken. No direct sale to the public is involved. Includes;

Poultry processing
Seafood processing / canning
Fruit juice / carbonated drink manufacturing
Dairy products manufacturing e.g. cheese, ice-cream
Cold Stores
Bakeries

Class 3 Food Premises

Limited food preparation is carried out including heating food for sale. Most of the food used is in a prepared form and requires only refrigerated or dry storage. Includes;

Bakery (bread only)
Lunch bar (sandwich making, heating and serving of food)
Tea Room (coffee / tea / cakes)
Delicatessen / sandwich bar
School canteen
Health Food Shop (wholesale and packing)
Warehouse (cold storage)
Grocery Packaging

Class 4 Food Premises

Food handling is limited to dispensing prepacked or packaged foods without preparation. Includes;

Cake shop (retail only, no cooking)
Delicatessen
Confectionary, Ice-cream, Drinks (sale only)
Supermarket (grocery only)
Health Food Shop (retail only)

Class 5 Food Premises

The food sold is fruit, vegetable or is wholly contained within protective packages, which do not require refrigeration or special storage. Includes;

Greengrocer / fruit and vegetable market
Warehouse (dry foods)
Liquor Store

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