Health & safety for GBs

We are committed to excellent health and safety practices so it’s important that everyone involved understands safety planning. As one of our  volunteers, your health and safety is really important to us.

Following these safe food handling tips will help you eliminate and minimise health and safety risks related to your baking.

You don’t need a registered kitchen or a food safety plan like a business does, but even home bakers have some legal obligations when making treats to share. We definitely encourage you to add some love to your baking, but please make sure that you’re not also adding germs or other contaminants. 

keeping safe in the kitchen

Keep your baking space clean

  • Wash your hands with soap and dry them thoroughly before you start. Wash them again if you leave the kitchen, blow your nose or touch something like a pet, a cigarette or the rubbish bin.
  • Give your bench a good wipe before and during baking.
  • Make sure all your equipment is clean.
  • If you’re using a chopping board, make sure it hasn’t been used with raw poultry. 
  • If you’re tasting your batter, use a clean spoon each time.
  • Keep floors clear and clean and mop up spills as they happen
  • Keep your cake boxes somewhere clean — not where the cat can walk over them! 

Keep yourself safe while baking

  • Make sure you have smoke/fire alarms installed and they all have working batteries.
  • Keeping a small fire extinguisher nearby is a good idea.
  • Curl your fingers and cut away from your body when cutting anything.
  • Store knives securely in racks or drawers.
  • Use a cutting board or flat surface.
  • Keep knives out of the sink before washing — consider putting them in a container.
  • Open lids away from you.
  • Use oven mitts or dry cloths when handling hot objects.
  • Keep pot handles turned away from the floor.

If you’re baking with children, please take extra care, especially with knives and hot things. Don’t leave young children in the kitchen unsupervised. 

If you are using oil and it catches alight:

  • Cover it with a lid, safety blanket or damp cloth
  • Turn off the gas or power
  • NEVER use water
  • NEVER try to carry the burning pan

keep others safe while enjoying your baking

  • Perishable ingredients like butter and milk need to be kept in the fridge, which should be set at colder than 5°C. 
  • Raw food and cooked food needs to be kept separately.
  • Your baking may not be eaten for a day or two, or the recipients may not have fridge space to store it, so please don’t use perishable ingredients like whipped cream. 
  • Spread kindness, not germs! If you have a tummy bug or flu-like symptoms, it’s critical that you don’t bake. Give the Bitch in Charge a call — their number will always be at the top of your weekly briefing. It’s their job to find a replacement for you so you can rest up and get better. 

Allergens

  • It’s crucial that you include an ingredients list on the GBB flyer that comes with our cake boxes so our recipients can make an informed choice about whether they eat the baking — they might have allergies, be pregnant, have low immunity or need to avoid certain foods. 
  • You might like to avoid common allergens such as cereals, eggs, fish, nuts, milk, sesame seeds, peanuts, soybeans, sulphites and bee products. 
  • You can also help avoid allergic reactions by taking care not to cross-contaminate if you’re doing other cooking at the same time as Good Bitches Baking. 
  • Helpful hint- it’s much easier to list allergens when you bake from scratch, rather than using premade items. (Remember, our kaupapa is home-baked treats.)

keeping safe while delivering baking

  • Wear your seatbelt at all times in a moving vehicle.
  • Ensure all boxes are strapped in safely and securely in the back seat of your car.
  • Follow all road rules.
  • Drive to the weather conditions.
  • Avoid following other vehicles too closely.
  • Don’t drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
  • Check your footing for hazards such as potholes, curbs, gratings or oily/wet patches.
  • Take extra care when going from wet conditions outside to dry smooth floors inside.

keeping our recipients — and yourself — safe while delivering treats

We also have to support and respect the health and safety guidelines of the organisations we deliver to and look after ourselves while on their premises.

  • Only deliver baking to a staff member at a designated drop off place.
  • If no one is in attendance, leave the baking in the staff area or on their doorstep. 
  • Do not go onto a residential premises without the knowledge of a staff member.
  • Follow all specific health and safety processes provided to you by a recipient organisation (eg signing in to a register).
  • Do not discuss anything or share information with anyone about what or who you may have seen at a drop off place.
  • Email hq@gbb.org.nz as soon as possible if you experience anything dangerous or concerning during delivery. We will support you as needed and give feedback to the organisation.

help us improve

You may have valuable knowledge and experience that you could contribute to our health and safety guidelines. If so, please email hq@gbb.org.nz with your suggestions.