What is an audit pack?
An audit pack is a bundle of the records that prove your checks are happening: temperature logs, cleaning schedules, delivery checks, fire alarm tests and so on, for a set period. It is not a new legal document. It is a way of presenting the records you should already keep, so an inspector can find what they need quickly.
Food law says businesses must keep records that suit their size and nature and give the authorities evidence that their procedures work. Fire and health and safety guidance says the same in its own way. An audit pack is simply that evidence, organised.
Who asks for one
- Environmental health officers checking food hygiene. How you manage food safety is one of the three things that decide your food hygiene rating.
- Fire safety officers from your local fire and rescue authority, who may ask for your fire risk assessment and records of alarm, emergency lighting and drill checks.
- Health and safety inspectors, for example on legionella, where HSE says monitoring results should be kept for at least five years.
- Insurers, at renewal or after a claim, who may ask to see maintenance and safety records.
- Head office, franchise or brand auditors, checking sites against company standards.
- Landlords and managing agents, for shared buildings and water systems.
Audit pack checklist
Pick the parts that apply to your business. Whether on paper or digital, each record should show the date, the result, who did it and what was done if something was wrong.
- A cover sheet: business name, address, the period covered and a contents list.
- Your food safety management system, such as Safer Food, Better Business, plus the daily diary and 4-weekly reviews.
- Fridge and freezer temperatures and cooking and hot holding temperatures.
- Goods-in delivery checks and supplier records.
- Opening and closing checks and your cleaning schedule.
- An up-to-date allergen matrix.
- Fire risk assessment, weekly fire alarm tests, emergency lighting tests and fire drill records.
- Legionella water temperature checks and flushing records, if you have a water system.
- Staff training records.
- A log of problems and the corrective action taken.
- Contractor certificates and service reports.
Gaps tell a story
Inspectors notice missing days, identical readings and problems with no action recorded. Do not tidy these away. A pack that shows a problem being spotted and fixed is more convincing than one where every entry is perfect.
Building one on paper
Gather the logs for the period into one folder, in the same order every time. Add a contents sheet and check each log for missing days before you hand it over. It works, but it usually means an evening of sorting, and records can go missing in between.
Building one in LogBooks Hub
- Pick the logbooks you need from 90+ logbook types.
- Staff complete checks on the iOS or Android app or in any browser. Each entry is timestamped and named, and photo evidence can be added.
- Reminders prompt the team when a check is due, so fewer days go missing.
- When someone asks, choose the date range and export the audit pack as a PDF in one click.
Have a look at the sample audit pack to see the layout before you start. Pricing is from £30/month.