Manchester City Council

Health and Safety

  1. Standards information

    1. You are responsible for the health and safety of yourself and anyone working in or visiting your business. You must ensure that: 
      1. you meet all relevant health and safety standards associated with your business 
      2. you, your staff, and agents should not come into work impaired by alcohol or drugs or bring alcohol or other substances onto the market 
      3. anything you do at the market is safe and not cause any risk or harm 
      4. there is no trip or slip hazard and you immediately attend to all spillages 
      5. your goods and equipment are secure and not at risk of falling; they are not placed on or attached to the roof and supports of your allocated space 
      6. in compliance with any legislative and safety requirements, your fixtures fittings and equipment are: 
        • safe and clean 
        • regularly checked and tested 
        • stored safely 
        • used in a safe way by an appropriately trained person 
      7. your products are: 
        • legal 
        • safe and meet any minimum safety requirements 
        • provided with any instructions for safe use 
      8. ingredients and allergens are provided with all food products or immediately upon request. 
      9. any services you provide are completed safely and legally 
      10. you record details of any accidents to staff under your control or that occur within your allocated spaces, and report these to us using our online incident report form.  
    2. If you fail to comply with the market health and safety requirements, we will issue you with an Infringement Notice, which will detail the contravention and remedial action required. You will be charged an administration fee of £55 +VAT for each Infringement Notice issued. This fee must be paid in accordance with the invoice terms and conditions. 
    3. Your authority to occupy space in the market may be at risk if you fail to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act and Infringement Notice actions. 
    4. We may require emergency access to your allocated space when you are not present. Where access has not been provided, in emergencies we may need to force entry. 
    5. Use our online incident report form to report to us: 
      1. any accident, incident or near miss occurring on the market 
      2. anything you see at the market which you think is suspicious, unsafe, or harmful. 
    6. Always remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity or threats to national security - such as terrorism and espionage - to MI5 (also known as the Security Service). To report an imminent threat call 999 or ring the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321. 
    7. Consider the safety of others while moving goods, equipment and refuse around the market. Wherever possible restrict such movements to outside the market trading times.  
    8. Do not cause any obstruction at the market. You must not: 
      1. build out beyond the permitted boundary of your trading or storage space, including any goods, equipment, and fixings. 
      2. store or leave items temporarily unattended in the back of house corridors or adjacent to storage areas. Items left in these areas will be designated as waste and disposed of in an appropriate manner. You will be recharged for any disposal costs incurred. 
      3. leave any items in areas which could potentially cause an accident or impede escape in the event of an emergency. Keep designated emergency escape routes and emergency vehicle access routes clear. 
      4. place goods outside of your allocated space for longer than is necessary when loading or unloading. 
    9. You must complete all relevant fire, vehicle, service specific and general risk assessments. These must be available for inspection whenever requested by a Council officer or any other authorised officer or agent of the Council or any statutory bodies. 
    10. Unless required in an emergency, do not move, interfere with, or impede the safety equipment provided at the market. Only use emergency aids, such as the Emergency Lock-in Alarm, for their designed purpose. 
    11. Comply with all safety instructions, requirements, and procedures, including for safety checks and tests. 
    12. Display all emergency evacuation plans, fire action notices, maps of fire assembly points and fire exit signs at your allocated spaces. Make anyone attending your space aware of these. Market evacuation plans are available from the market management team. 
    13. Secure the doors to any restricted areas or emergency exits when not in use and do not leave open for unauthorised access. 
    14. Wear appropriate protective clothing, including high vis, when driving FLTs (forklift trucks) and before accessing any controlled area at the market. 
    15. We determine the power loads available for use at the market. Only use the specified power facilities and outlets and do not exceed the maximum power load. Do not use multi-way socket adaptors on our markets. You must have our permission before using multi-way lead and extension leads and reels. Where permitted, extension leads should be no longer than five metres and not be linked in series. Extension reels can overheat and cause fire when only partially unwound. The total amps of all items plugged into the extension lead must not add up to more than 13 amps. 
    16. Asbestos is present in certain areas of New Smithfield Market. Contact the market management team for a copy of the asbestos report for your units. Asbestos is made of naturally occurring fibres and is used in building materials. When materials that contain asbestos are disturbed or damaged, fibres are released into the air. If inhaled these can cause serious diseases. If you discover any damaged asbestos or disturb asbestos, you must: 
      1. Immediately stop working. 
      2. Not handle or remove the disturbed / damaged asbestos. 
      3. Warn others in the vicinity and tell them to leave the affected area. This includes the immediate work area and any additional area required to isolate the work area from the rest of the building using a physical barrier, e.g., wall, door, window. 
      4. Turn off and isolate any equipment in your work area. 
      5. Close all windows and doors to isolate the affected area and prevent further spread of asbestos. 
      6. Leave all tools and equipment in the affected area. 
      7. Leave the affected area. 
      8. To prevent access, where possible leave a person outside each entrance to the affected area to act as a sentry. 
      9. Report the incident: 
    17. Legionella and Legionnaires’ disease are caused by bacterium found in water sources and systems. If conditions are favourable bacteria may grow increasing the risk of Legionnaires’ disease. A risk is presented when water supplies are not being flushed out of unused areas. To comply with legislation, we must ensure that no stagnant water remains within the hot and cold-water systems. Therefore: 
      1. at least once a week, every rarely used outlet should be opened to flush water through.
        • Cold water outlets should be flushed until minimum temperature is reached. 
        • Hot water outlets should be flushed until maximum temperature is reached. 
      2. shower heads must be taken off and cleaned every three months.
    18. Drive safely around the market considering the safety of others. The speed limit on our markets is restricted to 5mph, except for New Smithfield Wholesale Market which is 15mph. 
    19. Unattended goods are left at the owner's risk.

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