Food Hygiene & Kitchen Signs

Food Hygiene & Kitchen Signs provide clear visual reminders of important food safety, hygiene and workplace procedures in commercial kitchens and food preparation areas.

From hand washing and cross-contamination controls to food storage, cleaning, allergens and safe use of kitchen equipment, well-positioned signs can reinforce procedures where staff need to follow them.

Our range is suitable for restaurants, cafés, takeaways, pubs, hotels, schools, care homes, hospitals, canteens, food production facilities and other catering businesses.

Food Hygiene Signs

Good food hygiene depends on people consistently following the correct procedures.

Food hygiene signs can reinforce everyday requirements involving:

• Hand washing
• Cleaning
• Food storage
• Raw and cooked food separation
• Cross-contamination
• Waste disposal
• Protective clothing
• Food preparation
• Temperature control
• Allergen awareness

Signs should support your food safety procedures and staff training rather than replace them.

Kitchen Safety Signs

Commercial kitchens combine food hygiene risks with more conventional workplace hazards.

Staff can encounter:

• Hot surfaces
• Hot liquids
• Ovens
• Fryers
• Knives
• Slicing machines
• Food preparation machinery
• Cleaning chemicals
• Wet floors
• Manual handling

Kitchen safety signage can help communicate appropriate warnings, instructions and procedures at the point where they're relevant.

Catering Safety Signs

Catering businesses range from small cafés and takeaways to large restaurants, hotels, schools, hospitals and industrial kitchens.

The signage required will therefore vary considerably.

A small café may need a relatively simple selection of hand washing, food preparation and cleaning signs, while a large institutional kitchen may require more extensive signage covering food zones, storage, machinery, PPE, allergens and operational procedures.

Choose signs according to the actual processes and risks within your kitchen rather than using a generic checklist.

Hand Washing Signs

Hand hygiene is fundamental in food preparation environments.

Signs can provide a clear reminder to wash hands at appropriate times and can also identify sinks intended specifically for hand washing.

Position hand washing signs where the instruction needs to be followed, such as:

• Hand wash basins
• Food preparation areas
• Kitchen entrances
• Staff changing areas
• Welfare facilities

Where different sinks have different purposes, clearly identifying them can help reduce mistakes.

Food Preparation Area Signs

Commercial kitchens frequently divide food preparation into specific areas.

Signs can identify areas or equipment intended for:

• Raw food
• Cooked food
• Meat
• Fish
• Vegetables
• Salad
• Dairy products
• Food washing
• Utensil washing

Clear identification can support established kitchen procedures and help staff use the correct areas and equipment.

Preventing Cross-Contamination

Cross-contamination is an important food safety consideration.

Signs can reinforce procedures involving the separation of raw and ready-to-eat foods, correct use of utensils, hand washing, cleaning and designated preparation areas.

Examples include:

• Prevent Cross Contamination
• Raw Food Only
• Cooked Meats Only
• Do Not Store Raw & Cooked Food Together
• Wash Hands After Handling Raw Meat
• Separate preparation-area notices

Signs should support the procedures established by the food business rather than being treated as a substitute for effective food safety controls.

Food Allergen Signs

Food businesses have important responsibilities concerning allergen information and allergen management.

Signs and notices can help remind staff about allergen procedures and can direct customers to ask for allergen information where appropriate.

However, an allergen sign by itself doesn't fulfil all of a food business's allergen responsibilities.

Businesses need appropriate systems for identifying ingredients, providing required allergen information and managing the risk of allergen cross-contact.

Food Storage Signs

Clear food storage identification can help staff follow established procedures consistently.

Our range includes signs and labels relating to:

• Raw food
• Cooked food
• Chilled food
• Frozen food
• Food covering
• Food dating
• Refrigeration
• Freezers
• Specific food categories

Position signs where they're easy to see when food is being stored, retrieved or prepared.

Food Temperature Signs

Temperature control can form an important part of a food business's food safety procedures.

Signs can remind staff to check refrigeration, freezer or food temperatures according to the procedures established for the premises.

A sign doesn't replace appropriate monitoring, recording or equipment; it provides a visible reminder of the procedure.

Cleaning & Hygiene Signs

Cleaning is another area where visual reminders can be particularly useful.

Kitchen signage can reinforce instructions such as:

• Clean As You Go
• Clean Equipment After Use
• Clean Up Spillages
• Keep Work Areas Clean
• Use Dishwasher
• Keep Refuse Bins Closed

Position these notices close to the activity or equipment to which they relate rather than grouping every hygiene instruction on one noticeboard.

Sink Identification Signs

Using the wrong sink can undermine carefully designed kitchen procedures.

Sink signs can clearly identify facilities intended for:

• Hand washing
• Food washing
• Pot washing
• Utensil washing
• Food equipment

Position the identification directly beside or above the relevant sink so staff can understand its purpose immediately.

Protective Clothing & Kitchen PPE Signs

Some food preparation and catering environments require employees to wear specific protective clothing or equipment.

Depending on the work being carried out, this could include:

• Protective clothing
• Gloves
• Hair protection
• Hand protection
• Protective footwear

Use mandatory signage where it accurately reflects a requirement established for that area.

Signs should support appropriate PPE provision, training and supervision rather than replace them.

Kitchen Machinery Safety Signs

Commercial kitchens can contain potentially hazardous machinery including slicers, mixers, mincers and waste disposal equipment.

Where appropriate, signage can reinforce operating procedures or warn people about hazards associated with particular equipment.

Machine safety should primarily be addressed through suitable equipment, guarding, maintenance, training and safe working procedures.

A warning or instruction sign doesn't make unsafe machinery safe.

Hot Surface & Hot Water Signs

Ovens, fryers, steam equipment and hot water can create burn and scalding hazards.

Warning signs can be positioned where people need to recognise these hazards before coming into contact with them.

Again, signage should form part of wider risk controls rather than being relied upon by itself.

Food Hygiene Signs & UK Food Safety

UK food businesses have legal responsibilities for producing and serving safe food and maintaining appropriate food hygiene procedures.

However, there isn't one universal list of food hygiene signs that every restaurant, café or commercial kitchen must display.

The appropriate signage depends on factors including:

• Food being prepared
• Kitchen processes
• Equipment
• Layout
• Staff procedures
• Allergens
• Cleaning arrangements
• Identified hazards
• Food safety management systems

Choose signage to reinforce the procedures actually used within your premises.

HACCP & Food Hygiene Signs

Food businesses commonly use food safety management procedures based on HACCP principles.

Signs can support those procedures by providing visual reminders at critical points such as hand wash stations, preparation areas, refrigeration equipment and cleaning zones.

However, displaying a sign doesn't in itself demonstrate HACCP compliance.

Your procedures need to identify and control the relevant food safety hazards.

Food Hygiene Signs & the Food Standards Agency

The Food Standards Agency provides guidance to help food businesses manage food hygiene, allergens and food safety.

Safety signs and notices can reinforce appropriate procedures, but avoid assuming that an individual commercial sign is specifically “FSA approved” unless that claim can be demonstrated.

Use signage as part of your wider food safety management arrangements.

Where Should Food Hygiene Signs Be Positioned?

Position each sign where the relevant decision or action takes place.

For example:

Hand washing signs – beside designated hand wash basins.

Raw food signs – at raw food preparation or storage areas.

Cleaning notices – where cleaning procedures are carried out.

Sink identification signs – directly beside the appropriate sink.

Temperature reminders – close to relevant refrigeration or monitoring points.

Machinery signs – where operators can see them before using equipment.

A relevant sign in the right place is usually more useful than a wall covered with generic notices.

Choosing the Right Sign Material

Commercial kitchens can be demanding environments.

Signs may be exposed to:

• Moisture
• Steam
• Grease
• Frequent cleaning
• Temperature changes
• Cleaning products

Choose a material appropriate for the location and expected cleaning regime.

Smooth, durable surfaces can be particularly useful where signs need to be wiped regularly.

Choosing the Right Sign Size

Kitchen signs are often viewed at relatively short distances, but size still matters.

Consider:

• Viewing distance
• Mounting position
• Lighting
• Kitchen layout
• Visual clutter
• Amount of information on the sign

A simple sink identification label may only need to be viewed at close range, while a safety instruction at the entrance to a larger food production area may need to be visible from further away.

Don't Overload the Kitchen With Signs

Too much signage can reduce the impact of important messages.

Rather than covering every available wall, concentrate on the points where staff need to make a decision or follow a procedure.

Ask:

• What action needs to happen here?
• What mistake are we trying to prevent?
• Is the instruction already obvious?
• Would a sign genuinely help?
• Is this the best position for it?

This produces a more purposeful signage system.

Review Kitchen Signs Regularly

Food preparation areas change over time.

Equipment moves, menus change, processes are revised and staff procedures develop.

Periodically check whether your signs are:

• Correct
• Legible
• Clean
• Securely fixed
• Properly positioned
• Still relevant
• Consistent with current procedures

Remove outdated instructions and replace signs that can no longer be cleaned effectively or read easily.

Choosing Food Hygiene & Kitchen Signs

Before ordering, consider:

1. What food is prepared on the premises?
2. Where are the hand wash facilities?
3. Are raw and ready-to-eat foods handled separately?
4. Are preparation areas clearly identified?
5. Do different sinks have specific purposes?
6. What allergen procedures are in place?
7. Which cleaning instructions need reinforcing?
8. Are temperature-control reminders useful?
9. Is protective clothing required?
10. What machinery or hot equipment is used?
11. Where should each instruction be seen?
12. Which sign material suits the cleaning environment?

A simple walk through the kitchen while considering each process can reveal where clear signage would be genuinely useful.

Made in Britain Food Hygiene & Kitchen Signs

Safety Sheep Food Hygiene & Kitchen Signs are Made in Britain for restaurants, cafés, takeaways, commercial kitchens, schools, care homes and other UK food businesses.

Choose from hand washing, food preparation, cross-contamination, cleaning, allergen, sink identification, food storage, protective clothing and kitchen safety signs in a range of sizes and materials.

Think Safety. Think Sheep.