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The provision of adequate ventilation either externally or internally is indirectly the concern of
this Department and problems sometimes arise, viz:
(i) with external ventilation, that of noise, vibration, smell, soiling of walls, obstruction of
natural light, and fire risk; and
(ii) with internal ventilation that of noise, greasy conditions, overheating and working
conditions adversely affecting the staff.
Some of these may occur from the general inefficiency of the ventilation system. Sometimes
they arise from it being deliberately switched off because of:—
(a) a genuine but misguided effort to avoid causing trouble to people in other premises if
a complaint has been made regarding noise and smell, and
(b) noise, where it interferes with the ordering system, especially if catering is undertaken on
more than one floor.
It is customary where new premises are under consideration, or where old ones are undergoing
major adaptations, to ask for a comprehensive system of ventilation including:—
(i) exhaust ducting leading from oversailing hoods above the cooking equipment and
terminating at a position in the external air where the fumes will not cause annoyance to
neighbouring occupiers;
(ii) the provision of silencers, sleeves and resilient mountings to prevent nuisance from noise
and vibration;
(iii) a suitable number of air changes having regard to the type and extent of cooking involved;
(iv) accessibility of motor(s) for cleaning; and
(v) the installation of rheostat control to meet varying climatic and other conditions.
Schemes which do not incorporate these factors are not always objected to by the Department
but it is made clear that, should they prove ineffectual in practice, improvements must be undertaken
without delay.
In some instances where requirements of the Department are carefully outlined to a prospective
caterer, nothing further is heard until it is realised many months later that the premises are being
altered or are in operation by an entirely different person who may commence business with light
sandwich service and progress to more extensive catering without the benefit of the additional
facilities necessary. These premises are most likely to give rise to nuisance.
The practice has recently been adopted whereby, if there are any doubts as to the efficiency
of the ventilation system proposed by a caterer, the owner is notified to that effect and asked to
take such steps as may be necessary in co-operation with his catering tenant or otherwise, to
ensure that no nuisance will arise. It is not known how far this may affect lettings but many proposals
do not get beyond the consultation stage.
There are no statutory requirements for the size of kitchens and the quantity and disposition of
the equipment. The Ministry's booklet advises a minimum height of 8 feet in a kitchen and most
catering manuals of industrial caterers' suppliers have layout figures of one sort or another, although
their primary concern is to sell equipment. With increasing costs of both rent and rates, cooking
and preparation areas are often sacrificed to enlarge the public areas with resultant restricted
working space detrimental to efficient cleaning. In the case of enclosed food preparation rooms or
restaurants the working rooms standards of the Offices, Shops & Railway Premises Act, 1963, are
helpful, but they are difficult to apply to call-order kitchens open to the public area, and in the case
of kitchens associated with some clubs, the legislative requirements of that Act do not apply.
Allowance for equipment, particularly ventilating ducting, is also a problem to assess.
The staffing position in catering establishments shows no improvement on recent years and is
in no way helped by the seasonal desertion of staff to coastal resorts. Kitchen porters carry no
status and essential routine cleaning is frequently left to drifters and social misfits employed on a
casual basis. With no time, and often no inclination, to instruct staff properly in hygiene, some
managements become apathetic. For high level structural cleaning, contract work may produce
better results, but usually only the larger restaurants and canteens arrange for this to be done.