Commercial catering equipment technician
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Reference Number: ST0791
Details of standard
Occupation summary
This occupation is found in the engineering sector working in the catering industry, in a variety of sites that prepare food in kitchens using commercial catering equipment. Sites include restaurants, public houses, hotels, cafes, schools, hospitals, prisons, care homes, Ministry of Defence sites and many more. They work for catering equipment distributors, catering equipment maintenance specialists, catering equipment manufacturers or importers.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to install, commission, maintain and repair commercial catering equipment, such as combination ovens, fryers, grills and griddles, cooking ranges, dishwashers, microwave ovens etc. Equipment may be gas or electrical and may involve plumbing and electronic controls. Technicians’ work on commercial refrigeration equipment will be limited to mechanical and electrical work and will not include any work relating to refrigerant circuit. Some technicians specialise in certain types of equipment, the majority will work across a wide spectrum. Depending on the work required, they may spend the day at one site or working across a number of venues, working to deadlines. They will travel to sites and might need to work shifts or unsociable hours.
Installations involve unpacking and in some cases assembling equipment, connecting in accordance with the equipment manufacturer’s instructions to suitable services (gas, electricity, water and drainage) and commissioning. Where an installation involves the removal of equipment, they disconnect the redundant item, remove it to a safe area for disposal and make safe any services no longer required. On maintenance visits, they visually inspect the equipment, check the services for any problems, carry out maintenance tasks as specified by the manufacturer, and test the equipment is functioning as designed. On repair visits, they establish the problem from the customer, check the faulty item to confirm the problem, diagnose the fault, adjust or repair or replace faulty components, and test the equipment after repair to ensure that it is working correctly.
In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with venue personnel, such as chefs, catering managers, facilities managers, managers/owners and kitchen staff. Personnel from equipment manufacturers technical support services, and equipment and spares suppliers’ sales and technical staff. They may also liaise with Environmental Health Officers and other trades personnel, such as builders, electricians etc. Internally, they will interact with company management, office staff and other technicians.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for planning their schedule and logistics to meet customers’ requirements and location. Reporting to the correct person in the customer’s premises and agreeing the purpose of their visit and managing customer expectations. At all times, presenting a professional image of the company. Technicians usually work on their own and unsupervised – self-managing, however occasionally on maintenance visits to larger kitchens, they may work alongside other technicians or a supervisor. They must ensure the quality and accuracy of work carried out, ensuring the health, safety and welfare of self and others – working in line with legislation. They have the authority to determine action, including the disconnection or isolation of equipment. They are responsible for ensuring that their tools and equipment are fit for purpose and that their vehicle is roadworthy. They may be responsible for maintaining a stock of spares to an agreed level.
They need to be qualified and registered with Gas Safe for the types of appliances they are working on and retain their currency. They will typically need a driving license for private/light goods vehicles. In addition, it is likely that they will need a disclosure and baring service (DBS) certification.
Typical job titles
Typical job titles include Commercial Catering Equipment Engineer
Commercial Catering Equipment Technician
Commercial Catering Equipment Service Engineer
Commercial Catering Equipment Service Technician
Commercial Catering Equipment Maintenance Engineer
Commercial Catering Equipment Maintenance Technician
Commercial Catering Equipment Service and Maintenance Engineer
Commercial Catering Equipment Service and Maintenance Technician.
Occupation duties
Duty |
KSBs |
Duty 1 Conduct servicing of commercial catering equipment ensuring in line with manufacturers’ specifications and/or legislation |
K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K12 K13 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 S1 S2 S4 S6 S9 S10 S11 S12 S15 S19 S20 S23 S24 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B7 B9 |
Duty 2 Undertake fault finding and repairs of commercial catering equipment, for example replacing thermostat or pumps; including use of diagnostic equipment |
K1 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K10 K11 K13 K14 K19 K20 K21 K22 K23 S2 S4 S5 S6 S9 S10 S11 S12 S14 S15 S19 S20 S24 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B7 B8 B9 |
Duty 3 Install and commission a wide range of commercial catering equipment, for example ovens, grills, fryers, dishwashers, water treatment equipment and ancillary equipment e.g. fly killers, water filtration, preparation equipment |
K1 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K12, K14, K21 K22 S2 S4 S5 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12 S13 S23 B1 B3 B4 B5 B7 B8 B9 |
Duty 4 Test and undertake quality assurance checks to verify that the commercial catering equipment is working in accordance with its design specification and current regulations including air quality tests |
K1 K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 K12 S5 S12 S15 S19 S23 B1 B4 B5 B8 B9 |
Duty 5 Decommission and remove redundant catering equipment and leave the overall installation in a safe condition |
K4 K5 K7 K8 K9 K10, K14 S9 S10 S11 S12 S17 S23 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B9 |
Duty 6 Safely isolate and lock-off of services (gas, water, electricity); for example cap off gas supplies to prevent possible escape of gas |
K4 K5 K6 K7 K8 K9 S4 S9 S10 S11 S12 S19 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B9 |
Duty 7 Plan work schedule and logistics to meet customers’ requirements and priorities; time management |
K9 K15 K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 K22 S2 S3 S5 S20 S21 B1 B3 B4 B5 B9 |
Duty 8 Interpret specifications, drawings and technical information, for example manuals |
K3 K11 K12 K13 K19 K20 S2 S5 S20 B5 |
Duty 9 Conduct or agree risk assessments and apply method statements to maintain safe working environment |
K7 K9 K10 K19 S4 S18 S19 S23 B1 B4 B5 B8 |
Duty 10 Provide information and guidance to end-users on the correct operation and maintenance of commercial catering equipment |
K1 K2 K10 K16 K17 K18 K20 S16 S20 S21 S22 S23 B1 B2 B3 B5 B6 B7 B8 |
Duty 11 Complete documentation (written or digital) associated with the specified job for example, time sheets, maintenance records, written acceptance of work completed, commissioning sheets |
K7 K9 K19 K20 K21 K23 S6 S16 S18 S19 S20 S21 B2 B5 B8 |
Duty 12 Maintain tools, equipment and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including ensuring meters (typically Electric Multi Meter, Ohmmeter, Carbon Dioxide/Monoxide Meter, Flue Gas Analyser – this list is not exhaustive) are in calibrated date |
K7 K8 K9 S6 S12 S20 S23 S24 B1 B3 B5 B9 |
Duty 13 Maintain and safely store stock – consumables and spares |
K7 K9 K10 K13 K19 K20 K23 S6 S7 S18 S20 S24 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 |
Duty 14 Communicate with customer, keeping them informed; managing conflict |
K16 K17 K19 K20 K21 K22 S16 S18 S20 S21 S22 S23 B1 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 |
Duty 15 Report on work completed to office/manager |
K17 K18 K19 K20 K21 S16 S18 S20 S21 S22 B4 B5 B7 |
KSBs
Knowledge
K1: Principle of operation of commercial catering equipment, including, combination ovens, fryers, grills, dish/glass washers, microwave ovens, induction units, water boilers.
K2: Requirements of basic preventative maintenance tasks and procedures for commercial catering equipment; maintenance checklists and procedures.
K3: How to identify specific servicing procedures.
K4: Principles of electricity, systems and circuits including earth bonding. Electrical safety testing.
K5: Gas – working safely and the function, set up and adjustment of gas components such as regulators, burners, thermocouples, thermostats etc. Air quality measuring, Safe isolation and capping off redundant gas supplies.
K6: Water and drainage – types of materials and installation processes. Safe isolation and capping off.
K7: Regulations and Legislation: The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, Electricity at Work (1989) Regulations, Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 (WEEE), Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012, The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 relating to temperature and cross contamination, General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000, Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), normative standards and documents; or subsequent editions or modifications.
K8: Use of tools – hand tools, power tools and test meters including Electrical Multimeter, Ohmmeter, Air Quality meter, Flue Gas Analyser, Electronic Gas Leak Detector, Manometer.
K9: Health and safety practice including confined spaces, working at heights, personal protective equipment, Construction Skills Certification Scheme Compliance, vehicle safety, risk assessments including dynamic versions, method statements including dynamic versions, manual handling and permits to work.
K10: Environmental practice considerations including recycling, fats, oils and grease, food waste and redundant parts.
K11: Fault finding and diagnosis procedures including error codes for most common appliances.
K12: How to use manufacturers’ instructions, including commercial catering kitchen design considerations. Manufacturers’ warranty terms,
K13: How to identify parts, descriptions and part numbers; fitting timescales.
K14: Procedures for replacing faulty components, installation, commissioning, and decommissioning and making equipment safe.
K15: Planning techniques including time management skills and journey planning.
K16: Customer training, mentoring and coaching techniques.
K17: Equality and diversity in the workplace considerations.
K18: Professional relationships including etiquette, expectations and responsibilities; internal and external.
K19: Documentation requirements (manual and digital formats) including job sheets, safety inspection sheets, vehicle safety checklist, safety notices/advice and waste transfer documents.
K20: Information Technology including email systems, internet searches, service management systems, connecting equipment to networks, programming control systems, smart technology and emerging technologies.
K21: Company operation insight, including Service Level Agreements, employer/employee responsibilities, limitations, commercial contracts (customer expectations, response times), systems of work, key performance indicators.
K22: Industry insight for example appropriate timing, peak business hours, local geography, parking restrictions, vehicle restrictions, access, industry stakeholders.
K23: Stock management including how to identify requirements, value, handling, safe storage and transportation, ordering and return of parts, equipment and tools.
Skills
S1 Undertake routine servicing of commercial catering equipment.
S2 Interpret, follow and adhere to Service Level Agreements, legal requirements, specifications, and customer needs.
S3 Plan, organise and schedule own/others’ work for example task delegation, work-flow, route planning, time management.
S4 Conduct site survey, including recording and updating risk assessments and method statements.
S5 Interpret job requirements for example job specification, technical drawings, wiring diagrams and Manufacturers’ Instruction manuals.
S6 Determine and source resources for example materials, parts, time and equipment.
S7 Manage stock levels.
S8 Install connecting pipework for gas, water and drainage to mains service.
S9 Conduct electrical connection, disconnection and/or isolation of catering or ancillary equipment.
S10 Conduct gas connection, disconnection and/or isolation of catering or ancillary equipment.
S11 Conduct water and drainage connection, disconnection and/or isolation of catering or ancillary equipment.
S12 Operate and maintain tools and instruments in correct working order, including drills, power tools, spirit levels, specialist tools/instruments.
S13 Commission/re-commision catering and ancillary equipment.
S14 Diagnose faults in catering or ancillary equipment; identify and implement solutions including fitting replacement or repairing parts.
S15 Test catering or ancillary equipment and quality assure to manufacturers’ specification.
S16 Report completion of work carried out to customer and/or management/office.
S17 Categorise decommissioned catering or ancillary equipment for reuse, disposal or recycling.
S18 Complete documentation for example asset management records, work sheets, waste environmental records.
S19 Collect, record and provide data, for example gas, water pressures and air quality readings.
S20 Use IT equipment including computers and smart phones and software for example email, internet browsers, word processing and spreadsheets.
S21 Communicate effectively with stakeholders, internal or external, for example customers, colleagues, managers, general public.
S22 Provide information, guidance or training to stakeholders including demonstrating the correct operation of equipment.
S23 Conduct all duties in adherence with health and safety directives and environmental policy and procedures.
S24 Store and transport materials, parts, equipment and tools.
Behaviour
B1: Prioritises Health & Safety.
B2: Reliable, for example, acts with integrity, punctual, meticulous, trustworthy, honest, determined, perseveres.
B3: Adaptable, for example, responds to unforeseen circumstances, improvises in environment or time challenged conditions, resilient under pressure, works independently.
B4: Takes responsibility for job, for example, a desire to see a job through from start to finish, checks that it has been completed to required standard, self-motivated.
B5: Quality focus for example attention to detail, accuracy, customer orientated, implements quality and lasting repairs.
B6: Professional, for example, represents themselves/employer well, presentable, passion for product, ambassadorial nature, instils confidence.
B7: Team player, for example works with others toward a common goal, with an obvious willingness and positive attitude, has regard for equality and diversity considerations.
B8: Maintains a commitment to continuous professional development in order to ensure growth in ability and standards of work.
B9: Recognises personal and professional limitations and seeks appropriate advice when necessary.
Qualifications
English and Maths qualifications
Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level prior to taking the End-Point Assessment. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement, the apprenticeship’s English and maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. A British Sign Language (BSL) qualification is an alternative to the English qualification for those whose primary language is BSL.
Other qualifications
Mandatory qualification 1: CCCN1, Core Commercial Catering Gas Safety Natural Gas
Mandatory qualification 2: ComCat 1, Commercial Catering Appliances – Group 1 boiler burners, open/solid top ranges, hot plates and bain maries
Mandatory qualification 3: ComCat 3, Commercial Catering Appliances – deep fat and pressure fryers, griddles and grills
Mandatory qualification 4: ComCat 5, Commercial Catering Appliances – forced draught burner appliances
Mandatory qualification 5: CONGLP1 PD, Commercial Catering Appliances – Changeover from natural gas to Liquid Petroleum Gases core domestic gas safety for permanent dwellings
Basis for mandatory qualifications: Regulatory requirement
Additional details
Occupational Level: 3
Duration (months): 30
Review
This standard will be reviewed after three years.
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