Workplace safety for a café: what you must have

Workplace safety for a café: what you must have

A café looks like a low-risk business. In practice it combines hot liquids, steam, wet floors, knives, cleaning chemicals and electrical appliances, and every one of those appears in the records of the Slovak Labour Inspectorate.

What you need from your first employee

• initial OSH training and refresher training at least once every two years (Section 7(1) and (5) of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.),
• a written risk assessment document and a list of personal protective equipment provided free of charge (Section 6(1)(c) and (d) of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.),
• occupational health service in place (Section 21(3) of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.),
• fire protection training on entry and then at least every 24 months (Section 22 of Decree No. 121/2002 Coll.),
• fire protection documentation under Section 9(2) of Act No. 314/2001 Coll.,
• records of occupational accidents under Section 17 of Act No. 124/2006 Coll.

The risks that are specific to a café

Steam wands and hot milk cause most of the burns behind the bar. Wet and greasy floors cause the falls. Add repetitive movements at the coffee machine, standing for a whole shift, noise from the grinder, and the descaling and cleaning chemicals used every evening. All of this belongs in the written risk assessment, not in the manager's memory.

Food hygiene

Serving unpackaged food and drinks is an epidemiologically significant activity. Staff must meet the health and professional competence requirements under Sections 15 and 16 of Act No. 355/2007 Coll. The everyday Slovak term "health card" does not exist in the law; the law refers to a certificate of health fitness issued by a physician. Catering facilities also follow the hygiene requirements of Decree No. 533/2007 Coll., and you need an operating manual and a sanitation plan.

Cleaning chemicals

Descalers, degreasers and disinfectants are chemical substances and mixtures. You need safety data sheets, an assessment of the risk from chemical factors, correct storage and the protective equipment the manufacturer requires. Never decant a concentrate into a drinks bottle.

Fire protection

Most cafés operate in rented premises. Unless the lease says otherwise, the tenant performs the fire protection duties for the rented premises (Section 6(2) of Act No. 314/2001 Coll.). In practice you need portable fire extinguishers in the quantity set by Section 9 of Decree No. 347/2022 Coll. and checked once a year, clear and marked escape routes under Government Regulation No. 387/2006 Coll., and preventive fire inspections within the intervals set by Section 14 of Decree No. 121/2002 Coll.

Electrical appliances

Coffee machines, grinders, kettles, fridges and extension leads are subject to regular inspections and tests. Since 1 May 2025 the applicable standard is STN 33 1630:2025, which replaced STN 33 1600 and STN 33 1610; both may be used in parallel until 1 May 2027. The electrical installation itself is dedicated technical equipment under Decree No. 508/2009 Coll.

What we take off your hands

We prepare the risk assessment, the PPE list, the full fire protection documentation and the operating manual, we run the OSH and fire protection training, we set up the inspection intervals, and we represent you during an inspection. Occupational health service and work categorisation come in the same package.

Ask for a quotation for your café and tell us how many employees you have. We reply within 24 hours.