Leading international food safety and assurance company NSF-CMi, which handles calls on behalf of clients from all over the country on food-related issues, has announced its call centre has been an “outstanding success”.

NSF-CMi reports last year nearly 50,000 calls were taken from restaurant, pub and retail clients on issues ranging from complaints and accident reporting through to technical advice and management of alleged food poisoning incidents.

NSF-CMi manager Jude Mason said: “A key service in the last year has been Accident Reporting. This can be a headache for companies as Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) makes it a legal requirement to report accidents and injuries to HSE. It can tie up resources and it is easy to fall foul of the law, but with our service, one call from the client and we log the incident, report it and if necessary investigate the circumstances further. Last year 2,283 RIDDORS incidents were reported to the centre - that’s over 190 per month, with 641 related to slipping incidents.”

The service uses advanced technology to cut costs and provide flexible cover to suit the client’s needs. It is supported by a ‘virtual’ call centre which is run by technically skilled and trained workers, some of whom are home-based.

“Our service is personal - phones are manned 5am-11pm, six days a week, with additional cover on Sundays, providing a service that would be difficult to match using internal staff,” Mason concluded.