Temperatures in places where food is handled

Workroom temperatures in places where food is handled

Food businesses need to ensure that the requirements of food hygiene law are achieved while maintaining a 'reasonable temperature' in the workroom.

There is not a conflict in law. Generally food hygiene law regulates the temperatures of food while health and safety law regulates the air temperature of the workroom. The few exceptions where hygiene law does specify a maximum air temperature can be accommodated by well-known techniques such as localised refrigerated enclosure.

Health and safety requirements

Health and safety temperature requirements in open workrooms can be met by:

• maintaining a 'reasonable' temperature throughout the workroom of at least 16° (or at least 13° if the work involves serious physical effort). This may mean chilling the food locally or minimising its exposure to ambient temperature or, if this is not practical;
• providing warm workstations within a workroom where the overall temperature may be lower or, if this is not practical;
• keeping the individual warm by providing suitable protective clothing, heated rest facilities, task rotation etc..

Health and safety temperature requirements in cold stores can be met by:

• local heating in vehicle cabs where practicable;
• keeping the individual warm by providing suitable protective clothing, heated rest facilities, task rotation etc..

Industry specific guidance

• Food Information Sheet 3 [PDF 45kb]
  Workroom temperatures in places where food is handled

Guidance on achieving reasonable working temperatures and conditions during production of chilled foods
Guideline No.26 Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire GL55 6LD
Tel: 01386 842000