FOOD

Design, Construction and Fit Out Guide

PREMISES
Dedicated to a better Brisbane

CONTENTS
About this guide Food laws How to use this guide Plans and design approval Other issues to consider Design and layout Water supply Sewage and waste water disposal Storage of rubbish and recycling materials Lighting Ventilation Hand washing facilities Floors, walls and ceilings Floors Walls and ceilings Fixtures, fittings and equipment Equipment for cleaning and sanitising Equipment for food preparation and storage Fixtures and fittings Storage Toilet facilities Food transport Mobile food vehicles B&Bs and homestays Operating your business Fees Additional information Key definitions Australian Standards Regional business centres Customer service centres Appendix 1: Example of a floor plan Appendix 2: Example of a sectional elevation 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 9 10 11 11 15 17 17 20 22 22 24 27 28 29 29 30 31 32 32 32 33 34 35 35 36 37

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

This guide is for businesses that design, construct and fit out food premises and mobile food vehicles. It provides information for: food business operators architects designers builders equipment manufacturers charities and not-for-profit organisations.

HOW IT CAN HELP YOU

This guide will help you by providing solutions for designing or constructing a food premises. Council has written this guide based on: 1. The Food Safety Standard 3.2.3 Food Premises and Equipment 2. Relevant Australian Standards (refer to page 34 for a list of standards).

WHO NEEDS TO READ THIS GUIDE

You need to read this guide if you have an existing, new, mobile, or domestic food premises and vehicles used for commercial purposes. This guide will be useful if you are designing a caf, restaurant, takeaway outlet or mobile food van. It also provides advice if you are a caterer operating a food business from home, or operating a charity or not-for-profit organisation to sell food.

Handy hint: Charities and not for profit organisations need to comply with the requirements of this guide and hold a licence to sell food.
Following the information in this guide when you begin the design process will help ensure the food premises: is easy to clean has enough space and the correct facilities and equipment to produce safe food has potable water, effective sewage disposal and enough light and ventilation for food handling provides facilities for staff to maintain high standards of personal hygiene provides facilities to keep equipment clean and protect food from contamination is designed to deter pests.

FOOD LAWS
The set up and operation of a food premises should comply with Food Safety Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) Food Safety Standards and relevant Australian Standards. Knowledge and understanding of the standards is necessary to design and build a food premises. These standards are as follows: Food Safety Practices and General Requirements Food Premises and Equipment. This guide is based on these standards.

WHERE CAN I GET COPIES OF THE STANDARDS?

Copies of these standards are available from FSANZ. Contact FSANZ by phoning 1300 652 166 to purchase a copy or visit www.foodstandards.gov.au. All Queensland legislation mentioned in this guide can be downloaded from www.legislation.qld.gov.au or purchased from Goprint on 1800 679 778 or by visiting their website at www.goprint.qld.gov.au. Australian Standards referred to in this guide can be purchased from Standards Australia on 1300 654 646 or by visiting their website at www.standards.com.au. A list of relevant Australian standards can be found on page 34. The Building Code of Australia, Volume One and Two, 1996 edition contains building requirements for all Class 2 to 9 buildings and access requirements for people with disabilities. The Building Code is federal legislation. Information on the Building Code can be found by visiting their website at www.bcaonline.abcd.gov.au.

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

This guide is based on three solutions for compliance. Food safety outcomes These outcomes must be met. Acceptable solutions These solutions show you how to meet the food safety outcomes. Additional performance solutions These solutions are optional and exceed the minimum requirements.

FOOD SAFETY OUTCOMES

Food safety outcomes meet the Australian Food Safety Standard 3.2.3. These are identified in the solid blue shaded boxes. Compare your design against these food safety outcomes to ensure they meet the requirements.

ACCEPTABLE SOLUTIONS

These acceptable solutions are determined from a range of standards, knowledge and experience including: Australian Standards (listed on page 34 of this guide) Brisbane City Council guidelines experience in assessment of the design, construction and fit out of food premises. Acceptable solutions are guidelines Council identifies as the minimum required to meet the food safety outcomes. Your premises may need to use some or all of the acceptable solutions depending on your type of food business. You can use an alternative solution that is not recommended in this guide, but you must be able to demonstrate that it meets the Food Safety Outcomes. If you choose to use a solution not recommended by Council, your design approval may take more time to approve to allow for investigation or alternative proposals. If you need advice on solution options, please contact a Development Officer - Environmental Health on 3403 8888. It is the applicants responsibility to demonstrate to Councils satisfaction that the alternative design proposal meets the Food Safety Outcomes. Failure to demonstrate this could result in a design being rejected. Note: Where direct reference is made to other legislation or Australian Standards, these solutions are not optional. A round bullet point will identify acceptable solutions

ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCE SOLUTIONS

If you want to operate at industry best practice level, then consider additional design solutions. These design solutions will benefit your business through reducing costs of maintenance, cleaning time and by giving you the confidence that you are operating at a high standard. A few of these optional solutions are listed in this guide and can be identified by a diamond shape. For more information on solutions that exceed the minimum requirements contact Council or an industry association. A diamond bullet point will identify additional design solutions.

PLANS AND DESIGN APPROVAL

Plans are the first step that need to be completed when you want to design, build or fit-out a new or existing food premise. The plans allow Council to assess the proposed food premises before building starts. This saves architects, developers, and food businesses time and money. Assessment of the plans is called design approval. Before building or renovation starts, two copies of all plans drawn to scale must be lodged at a Council Regional Business Centre and approved. Locations of the business centres are included in the back of this guide on page 35. When you lodge your plans the appropriate fee must be paid. Your application for design approval will then be processed.

TYPES OF PLANS REQUIRED

You must submit two copies of the following types of plans for your premises. Your architect, draftsperson, or shopfitter should be able to assist you with providing these. Site plan - not needed for mobile premises (Scale 1:100) Including car parking, the refuse area, adjacent land uses, sanitary facilities. Floor plan (Scale of 1:50). Sectional elevations (Scale of 1:50). Hydraulic plans (Scale of 1:50). Mechanical exhaust ventilation plans (Scale of 1:50). Examples of a floor plan and sectional elevation can be found on pages 36 and 37.

DETAIL REQUIRED ON PLANS

You need to ensure the following details are included on the plans for your premises. Finishes to floors, walls and ceilings. Layout of all equipment, benches, fittings and fixtures, mechanical ventilation. Door and window openings. Where seating is provided for diners, the number of square metres of floor space available for dining and the number of persons to be catered for in this area. Customer and staff toilet details (if detached, provide the distance to the facilities and the number available for use). Mechanical exhaust ventilation (refer to Figure 2 on page 14). Process flow for product receiving through to end-product delivery (refer to Figure 1 on page 7).

GENERAL INFORMATION REQUIRED

You will need to provide the following information when you submit your plans. Name, address and contact details of architect, draftsperson, or shopfitter. Drawing scale and date plans drafted. Name of food business occupier. Real property description/address of the premises. Proposed name of premises and intended nature of the food operation. If you would like more information on requirements for plans, please contact Council on 3403 8888 to speak to a Development Officer - Environmental Health.

OTHER ISSUES TO CONSIDER

When building your new food premises, it is essential that certain approvals be gained before others. By obtaining all the required approvals before starting the design and construction, you can reduce the possibility of expensive mistakes. The following checklist can be used as a reference when making an application for a new food premises. This will assist you with providing Council all the relevant and correct information so your application can be quickly approved.

DESIGN APPROVAL CHECKLIST

The following approvals should be considered before starting construction of your food business.

Development Assessment check that a food business can operate from the site you are considering under the City Plan. Building building approval is needed from a private certifier. Plumbing plumbing approval is needed from Councils Plumbing Services. Trade Waste obtain approvals for grease traps from a Trade Waste Officer. Advertising Signs. Footpath Dining Permit. Standing Vehicle Permit (required for mobile food vans).

For further information on any of the above approvals or information, contact Council on 3403 8888 or refer to Councils website at www.brisbane.qld.gov.au.