For when a report has been made regarding an allergy or food intolerance. This article explains how to log the report using the 'Allergy/Intolerance' form in the Helpline Module.
- In the left vertical navigation menu, click 'Helpline'.
- Click the 'Add Case' tab.
- Click the 'Allergy/Intolerance' option located in the 'Food' section.
Logging the case
Location: This is automatically populated for users who have access to a single location. For users with access to multiple locations, either type the location name or click 'Show List' and choose the location from the list.
Department: Which area of the business the case relates to, for example, Private Dining Suite, Terrace Café. This is an optional field.
Your internal reference: Use for any internal reference system. This is an optional field.
Describe what happened: Log a brief description of the incident being reported. Once the case is saved, more specific information should be recorded in the specific fields provided.
Date and Time food was eaten: Click the calendar icon to choose a date from the calendar or click the date field to type the date the suspect meal /food was consumed. Add the time using the up and down arrows on the hours (HH) and minutes (MM) fields.
How were you notified of the incident? How was the complaint received into the business? (drop-down option)
- Click 'Save Case' to save the Allergy/Intolerance case under the 'My Cases' tab.
Updating a case
Once a case has been raised, further information should be added as the matter is investigated through to conclusion. The case is now available via the 'My Cases' tab.
The case can be identified using the:- 'Location' column to identify which location the case was logged at.
- 'Date' column to identify the date the case was raised.
- The 'Type' column to identify the type of case raised, ie, 'Near Miss' or 'Allergy/Intolerance'.
- Once the correct case is identified, click the relevant Reference number to open the record.
- Click the 'Edit' buttons to expand the sections.
- Specific details can now be recorded in the relevant fields.
- When all updates have been made, click the 'Save Changes' button for that section.
- Click the 'View' button to view the information in any section.
- The fields relating to each section are listed below.
Incident Details
Name of Complainant: Person making complaint.
Name of Person Affected: Person suffering symptoms (may not be the person making the complaint).
Age: Select the appropriate age range of the sufferer (choose 'unknown' where complainant or affected person refuse to provide details).
Phone Number: Contact number - Shield Safety do not phone customers on your behalf, but you may wish to log a number for follow up calls.
Address: Shield Safety do not write to guests on your behalf unless you directly request our assistance.
Please enter the date and time that the customer visited your premises: This may differ from the time the complainant consumed the suspect food.
Date of Onset of Symptoms: When did the guest report they first started experiencing symptoms?
Time of Onset of Symptoms: When did the guest note the first symptoms suspected to be related to this incident.
Symptoms: What symptoms has the guest reported experiencing? (select all that apply). If 'Other' is selected, a new text field is opened to record the details.
Is the customer aware of any food allergies/intolerances they have?: Does the customer have specific knowledge of their own allergies and/or intolerances? If 'Yes' a new text field is opened to record the details.
Detail the food item/meals the customer ate on your premises (name, use by date, batch number, number sold that day): Provide as much detail about the guest's meal as possible. The source of the allergen may not be immediately obvious.
Supplementary Information
If any of these questions are answered “Yes”, a new text field is opened to record the details.
Did the customer receive treatment from the First Aider?: Did the affected person receive first aid on your premises.
Was an ambulance called and were they taken to hospital?: If an ambulance was called and then cancelled, remember to log the reason why it was cancelled. If the ambulance arrived but did not take the affected person to hospital, note down the ambulance staff's reason for their decision.
Has the EHO been informed?: Record details here if an EHO is involved or if the affected person (or complainant) indicates they plan to report it to the EHO.
If available, does the original packaging label have allergens listed? : List all allergen information in full.
Internal Investigation
With the exception of the final question, if any of these questions are answered “Yes”, a text field is opened to record the details.
Is there information available for staff about allergens?: If 'Yes' record the format, type and location of the information. Save any digital records to the case in the 'Photos and attachments' section.
Did any staff provide the customer with advice on allergen content of menu items?: If 'Yes', record the name of the staff and as much detail as possible about the allergen advice provided, including the source of the information (ie, allergen matrix).
Did the customer enquire about allergens in the food prior to purchasing the food?: If 'Yes' record the nature of their enquiries as accurately as possible.
Are the allergen details readily available to your customers?: Readily available means the information is easily accessible or can be obtained without any difficulty or delay.
What did you do about this incident
What did you do to investigate this incident?: Conduct an internal investigation as soon as possible. Speak to those involved in preparing the meal to establish information about the food and its preparation. For example, was there anything done differently to normal? Are the staff preparing the meal properly trained? Are the waiters aware of the latest allergen information?
What is your conclusion from this investigation?: Shield Safety will review your responses as part of the investigation. It is important to be factually accurate. Did the order go through marked as “allergen case”? Was any food substituted from the normal specification? Were allergens properly checked with the guest when they enquired? This is not an exhaustive list of questions.
Did you make any changes?
Use this section to log any follow up activities which have taken place as a result of your own internal investigation.
If any of these questions are answered “Yes”, a text field is opened to record the details.
If you have answered “No” to all of these questions, you are confirming that all processes were applied correctly, and your procedures and processes are robust.
Customer communication
This section is used mainly to recorded any customer interactions relating to this case.
To assure your guests that complaints are taken seriously you should keep open channels of communication with them throughout the investigation. Investigations may take several weeks or longer to complete and the guest needs to be assured that they are not being ignored.
Action plan
From your investigation, you can create an action plan, e.g. retrain part-time waiting staff. You can enter as many action points as are needed to prevent repeat incidents. To add a new Action, click the "+ Add Action" button.
The Shield Safety team can also create action plans for you which will appear in this section.
Reports can be extracted by Admin users to see where action plans have exceeded their deadlines.
Notes
Shield Safety use the Notes section to communicate with you about the case. They may ask for documents, photographs, extra information or clarifications, Please respond to these as quickly as possible by “Adding a Note”.
If you are asked to add a photo etc, please put a note here to say “picture added” or something similar.
Users may receive RiskProof alerts to inform them that Shield Safety have added a note to the case. This is subject to User Role Alert settings.
You can also add your own notes to Shield Safety via this method.
Photos and attachments
If you are requested to provide documents etc either via the Notes or Action Plan section, this is where you upload them
Simply click the link and select the relevant file. It is important that file names clearly identify the subject of the image e.g. “Counter Notice re allergens”