H&C News meets with suppliers regularly to keep up to date with the latest product and service innovations, aiming to get the inside track on what companies offer to the market and how it is delivered.
This week, we met with Richard Hannay, Managing Director of HSQC at their London offices in Chiswick to gain a better understanding of the business.
HSQC is a leading international safety and quality management consultancy. The team provide technical advice and laboratory and scientific support to businesses in the hospitality, food, leisure, tourism, and catering industries. In addition the company’s pest management division HSQC SAFERPEST provide a full integrated pest management service.
H&C News –Today you are an international business with your head office in London, but where did it all begin?
Richard Hannay – As a local authority EHO ( Environmental Health Officer ) in Bristol several years ago I used to spend most of my time being quite critical of catering operations and sometimes in extreme cases taking enforcement action when things were clearly not right. I really felt there was a need for an organisation to provide advice and technical support on a professional basis, so Health, Safety and Quality Control International (HSQC) was born. I left local government and our first major contract was with a company called Berni Inns.
HSQC developed rapidly and we very soon established our food laboratory and pest control business to support our clients. Since the early 90’s we have provided services to prestigious clients in the hospitality industry in many if not most parts of the world. We took the decision to move the business head office to London to be closer to our client base both here in the UK and abroad.
H&C News –Pest management is something that all businesses serving food need to be fully in control of, how does HSQC help?
Richard Hannay – As an EHO I know that one of the most fundamental requirements for any food business is to operate in a clean and pest free environment. Of course pests are naturally drawn to catering and food production areas. I find caterers often don’t understand the dynamics of pest infestations and how easily it is for their premises to become infested. Sometimes when it happens they panic or tend to ignore the issues. That’s where HSQC SAFERPEST comes in we aim to eradicate the problem and then back it up with advice on proofing and housekeeping. We also monitor the premises very regularly as part of the contract, so we spot the early signs of infestation and can take pre-emptive action. Our service is operational 24/7 365 days of the year throughout London.
At HSQC we take a very scientific approach to pest control this ensures the best result for the customer so as to minimise pest problems whilst ensuring the most efficient cost for the service.
EHO’s are now taking pest infestations very seriously and will have no hesitation in closing down a business if they feel it has infestation levels likely to be a risk to public health. You can imagine the damage this does to the business in terms of lost business, fines and loss of reputation.
H&C News –Safety for employees and guests is of paramount importance to all hospitality and catering venues, what sort of services are you able to provide and how are they implemented?
Richard Hannay – HSQC is a company which has a foundation and a philosophy grounded in public health and safety. We know the best way for a business to meet safety and hygiene criteria is for them to put into place regular monitoring and inspection procedures. This gives the company the tools to implement improvements and correct non-conformances.
This is what HSQC do best by carrying out regular third party audits and inspections we can provide managers and directors with the key information they need to manage the business.
We can even design a complete bespoke Food Safety or Safety and Welfare Management System for a company. At HSQC we aim to encourage our clients to continuously improve their standards and aim for excellence.
H&C News –We know that a wide range of training is available from HSQC, what types of training are currently in demand and why?
Richard Hannay – One of the most import services we offer is Training. The team at HSQC can provide a range of health and safety and food hygiene courses such as Level 1 and Level 2 Food Safety Certification which are very popular at the moment. These can be conducted either on a client’s site or at our Chiswick offices. We work closely with the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH) to deliver accredited courses or bespoke training to suit a company’s individual requirements. In addition we provide popular courses on fire safety and first aid. This year new laws on labelling and allergen awareness are being implemented. So we are helping many clients to better understand this complex area with a range of seminars and workshops.
H&C News –Food safety and HACCP is another area we know you specialise in, on a practical level the requirements of different hospitality and catering businesses vary enormously, so how do you work with your customers in this area?
Richard Hannay – HACCP is a very useful risk management tool that has developed significantly over the last decade. Originally designed as a food safety tool for the US Space Programme it has proved so useful that most governments in the world have written it into their food safety legislation. Every food business is now expected to have a HACCP system and the law in the UK demands it. Unfortunately some clients find it difficult to understand how HACCP needs to be installed and of course that is an area where the team at HSQC can help. We can interpret the technical requirements and put them into practice. Every food business has different needs and at HSQC we have seen them all.
Employing the services of HSQC is rather like having your own internal quality control and health department but at the fraction of the cost and a lot more personal
H & C News comment
HSQC are a very interesting company in as much as they can proactively work with hospitality and catering business to plan and manage the issues we discussed with Richard, and deal with the consequences for those that haven’t. With more and more legislation on the way not least the allergen legislation coming in from 13 December 2014.
And on that note we are re visiting Richard soon for an update specifically on how HSQC can help prepare and plan to meet the forthcoming allergen legislation, watch this space.
For more information on HSQC please contact our friendly team.
HSQC Turnham Green, Terrace Mews Chiswick, London W4 1QU
Tel: 0208 747 8701
E-mail: admin@hsqc.com
Website: www.hsqc.com
Twitter: twitter.com/hsqc
Facebook: Facebook/HSQC