When Health & Safety Goes Brew-tal: The Case of the Caution-Hot Coffee Machine

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We’ve all seen it — those bright yellow “CAUTION: HOT” stickers proudly plastered across every coffee machine, kettle, and (if we’re honest) just about anything that gives off the faintest whiff of warmth.

Now, we’re all for keeping people safe. No one’s suggesting we start juggling boiling mugs in the office kitchen. But lately, it feels like some corners of Health & Safety have tipped from sensible to slightly over-steeped.

This report comes because we all know I am caffeine-fuelled - so I have never laughed so much when I make a coffee, and every machine has 3 yellow stickers telling me each part is hot. I literally just wanted to scream at the H & S safety advisor, "No shit, Sherlock.|" So if people can work in Costa and Starbucks without that many stickers and warnings, why is it I need that many to make 1 cuppa?

“Caution: Hot” — You Don’t Say?

There’s a certain irony in being told your coffee is hot. It’s the point of coffee. But somewhere along the way, common sense got lost under a pile of risk assessments.

We recently heard someone joke that, because coffee burns happen every week, maybe these new machines should be reported under RIDDOR (the UK’s Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations). Imagine that report:

Incident: Employee sustained minor finger heat exposure while making a latte. Root cause: Coffee was hot.

Again, a wave of comedy. The law also says within reasonable adjustments. So absolutely not am I going to treat the coffee machine as the same sense of risk assessments as the tarmac guys laying molten tarmac!

Sorry mate, but you are the reason why people don't outsource Health and Safety, because they know you are going to go overboard.

Safety Is Common Sense (Mostly)

Here’s the truth: Health and Safety are vital. It saves lives, prevents accidents, and protects businesses. But it’s meant to be reasonable — and that’s not just our opinion, it’s literally what the law says.

The Health and Safety at Work Act and its supporting regulations all centre around what’s reasonably practicable. In other words: identify the risks, take sensible steps, and don’t drown everyone in paperwork for the sake of ticking boxes.

Sometimes the best safety measure is simply applying a bit of good old-fashioned common sense.

There's also a whole massive section about employee responsibilities. So, unless they are physically holding each other under the scolding taps and physically burning each other and causing serious harm, I do wonder how you have jumped to the conclusion that everything required 3 stickers.

When Audits Turn Into Overkill

Health and Safety shouldn’t be about fear; it should be about empowerment, practicality, and culture. A workforce that understands why safety matters will always perform better than one rolling its eyes at over-the-top rules.

Behaviours of those who have employees who are professional and respectable humans.

There’s a fine line between being thorough and being theatrical — and some Health & Safety audits cross it with gusto.

If your last audit felt more like a forensic investigation into a workplace tragedy rather than a check-up on sensible safety measures, you’re not alone. We've seen it all — from risk assessments for staplers (“potential puncture hazard”) to written procedures for safely making a cup of tea (“wait two minutes before adding milk to prevent splashing”).

At that point, you start to wonder whether anyone is actually safer — or just better at paperwork.

Because here’s the thing: Health and Safety isn’t supposed to terrify people into compliance. It’s meant to create a culture where people feel confident, informed, and responsible. When audits become witch hunts for trivial risks, it doesn’t just waste time — it damages morale. Teams start rolling their eyes, tuning out, and treating safety as a joke when it should be part of everyday good practice.

I repeat again, a strong Health and Safety culture is about empowerment, not enforcement. It’s about helping people understand why safety matters — not just handing them a binder the size of a phone book and telling them to “follow the process.”

When the focus shifts from “What could go wrong?” to “What’s a reasonable way to stop it?”, suddenly safety becomes part of the flow, not a frustrating hurdle.

And that’s the sweet spot every business should aim for — the place where compliance meets common sense, and your people feel protected, not policed.

Bring Back Balance with Bennett Business Partnerships

At Bennett Business Partnerships, we keep things proportionate, practical, and professional. Our experts know when to act — and when to simply trust that your team can handle a cup of coffee without a 12-page risk assessment.

If you’re due another audit or considering outsourcing your Health, Safety and Wellbeing, choose a partner who believes in common sense backed by legislation, not red tape for red tape’s sake.

With flexible packages starting from as little as five hours a week, you get expert guidance, peace of mind, and your time back — all without the drama (or the extra stickers).

The Takeaway

Safety is serious — but it doesn’t have to be silly. Let’s protect people sensibly, not smother them in warning labels. After all, everyone already knows:

Coffee is hot.