Karen Meadows
BSc (Hons) CMIOSH MCIEH
Overview
I specialise in helping SME's, particularly caterers and the food industry ensure they have good management systems in place. If you are a new business I want to ensure you get Safety RIGHT from the start and then beyond. For example, growing businesses need to reassess their compliance with Health and Safety due to increasing employees or to meet the demands placed on them by contracts with the public sector or audits from private sectors buyers. After many years as an enforcement officer for food hygiene and health and safety I understand what needs to be done to ensure legal compliance and satisfy the enforcing authorities without going over the top.
My experience includes:
- New Business advice
- Event caterer, hotel, restaurant, deli, retail, conference centre, vegetable pack house, meat cutting plant, festival, bakery, butcher, takeaway, catering college
- Funeral director, hospice, stone mason, offices, warehousing and work with charities.
My remit includes: Compliance Audits / Site Inspection and hazard spotting. Retained service (advice via email or phone) is perfect if you need reassurance, advice or someone to answer any questions you have. I can act as your competent person (which every business must have) and provide advice and help with production of health and safety policies, risk assessments and safe methods of working. I also carry out kitchen inspections and advise on/produce food safety management systems including HACCP for food businesses.
Please call me to discuss any of the above. I primarily work within Worcestershire and the surrounding counties: Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire.
Specialisms
Industry | Years Experience |
---|---|
Catering and hospitality | 15 |
Cleaning | 15 |
Entertainment and leisure | 15 |
Food and drink manufacture | 15 |
Hairdressing | 15 |
Motor vehicle repair | 10 |
Retail | 15 |
Stonemasonry | 5 |
Warehousing | 15 |
Local government | 15 |
Public services | 3 |
Topic | Years Experience |
---|---|
Asthma | 15 |
Equipment at work | 15 |
Falls from height | 15 |
Infections at work | 15 |
Managing for health and safety | 15 |
Offices | 15 |
Risk management | 15 |
Slips and trips | 15 |
Temperature | 15 |
Transport (workplace) | 15 |
Expectant mothers | 15 |
Workplace health advice | 3 |
Services
Fees
2 hour new business consultation: £150.
Food Safety
Auditing and advising on health and safety and food safety in catering and food environments.
Coaching
Coaching new and established businesses on the best way to manage health and safety and food safety in the workplace.
Work History
Role | From - To | Job Title / Description |
---|---|---|
Director of Safety In Action Ltd | 09.2011 - 05.2021 | Director of Safety consultancy: Health and Safety and Food Hygiene for SME's enforced by Local Authority or HSE. Liasion with enforcement officers. I have many years experience of food hygiene and health and safety in the food and hospitality industries including Pub, Hotel, Cafe, Restaurant, Bakery, Carehome Deli, Meat cutting plant, Butcher, Retail, Takeaway, Food and drink manufacturer, Catering college |
Environmental Health Officer | 07.2001 - 07.2010 | Enforcing and advising in commercial premises. Training. Accident investigation. Prosecution. Food businesses: Hotel, Restaurant, Pub, Cafe, Deli, Bakery, Butcher, Takeaway, Food and Drink manufacturer, Catering college |
Experimental officer (Oil Industry) | 08.1993 - 09.1999 | Managing and conducting research programs for innovative automotive oil additive packages. Technical support, laboratory quality assurance co-ordinator, |
QA/QC technician (Food Industry) | 09.1989 - 05.1992 | Microbiological and chemical tests on raw and finished product. Quality checks on cleaning fluids, packaging and finished product. Fruit juice manufacture. |
Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer (Microbiology) | 08.1988 - 08.1989 | Chemical and microbiological testing and identification of bacteria – patient specimens, food and water samples |
Property auditor and Landlord/Investor | 03.2020 - 02.2022 | INspection of property pre purchase and during occupation to review health and safety hazards (HHSRS). I have also produced a presention for the hazards likely to be encountered when visiting a hoarded house. |
Membership of Professional Bodies
Professional Body | Membership | Member since | OSHCR Eligible Since |
---|---|---|---|
IOSH | Chartered Member (CMIOSH) | 04.2004 | 04.2011 |
Qualifications
Accrediting Institute | Type | Qualification | Date passed |
---|---|---|---|
BSC | Degree or Above | BSc Hons Environmental Health | 07.2002 |
NEBOSH | Diploma | Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety | 08.2005 |
Other | Other | QMS Auditor / Lead Auditor ISO 9000:2000 | 09.2003 |
CITB | Certificate | Construction Site Managers Safety Certificate SMSTS | 06.2011 |