Kitchen Safety

1. Kitchen Safety

Due to a lack of safety measurements in hospitality industry accidents and injury has become more serious problem nowadays. Accidents don't usually just happen. They are often a combination of factors that are the cause of the accident. Unsafe working conditions and practices can lead to injury, illness or even death. Therefore it is recommended that everybody related to the kitchen should have an extra care and precaution on kitchen safety matters to prevent any unusual happen.

Every employee and employ should follow the safety measurement but just before that it is good to know how the safety issues arises in the kitchen, what preventive step should follow and what those incidents cost to the both side of organization?

There are many things which can place you at risk of injury or illness in the workplace. Anything that places a person at risk is called a HAZARD.

Usually you can see a hazard but sometimes they are not so obvious, e.g. you can see boxes on the floor or a broken rung on a ladder, but sometimes you can't see electricity or the temperature of very hot water.

People can also be a hazard. Often it is just a careless mistake or a practical joke that can injure someone for life or worse; cost someone’s life. Here are just some of the hazards that can cause serious injury or harm in the workplace.

Obstructions- Spare equipment piled in fire exit doors or in stairwells. This is a serious offence to block the fire exit door and stairwells. Any staff notice any object or individual blocking the exits, should remove at once and report the matter to authority.

Spills- A simple spill of water, food, oil, drinks or any other item on the floor can result in falls, broken bones or head injuries. Please don’t wait till someone is injured clean the spills, talk to supervisor and report. Take an extra care for the oil and grease.

Poor maintenance- Electrical cords, or electric or gas work done by an unqualified person is a hazard. All breakdowns of faulty equipment must be reported and repaired by a qualified person.

No safety guards on machinery or equipment- Safety guards are there for a reason. Use them all the time and please do not remove them.

Poor lighting- Working in badly light areas is also a hazard. If you cannot see what you are doing you may fall, cut or burn yourself which may lead you to a serious injury. If you are in a situation like that please do not continue work anymore report to supervisor and move to a well light area.

Incorrect storage- Always store goods and chemicals properly. Incorrect storage of any item is a hazard. Heavy items should be stored on the bottom, lighter items on top. Chemicals should always be in a separate, well ventilated and cool area which prevents fumes building up and avoids explosions if the chemicals react to heat.

Food must never be stored with chemicals.

Unsafe shelving- Storerooms or any store area should have strong shelves suitable for the goods they are holding, e.g. in cold rooms, the shelves should be rust-free metal, slotted and removable for cleaning. Do not climb up shelves, you may slip and fall and suffer serious injuries. If you can't reach something on a high shelf ask a taller colleague to get it for you or use a ladder.

Incorrect use of equipment- Trolleys are for carrying heavy loads of goods, not people. Milk crates are not stepladders. All electrical or gas equipment is for a certain type of job - instructions on how to use it should be followed.

There are many other things in the workplace that cause accidents and illness. Injuries usually happen suddenly and without warning.

Cost of incidents

Every year in the hospitality industry many workers die and some are in serious injured because of workplace illness and injury. Because of this very serious problem every country has some specific law to prevent that type of injury. As well as the problems or costs for the person who is injured there are also many other problems and costs that occur when people are injured or suffer illness at work.

Human cost - How much is a life worth? Even if it is not fatal, an accident can cause permanent injury that will cause pain, suffering and financial hardship for the rest of someone's life. J

Social cost - The impact of a workplace injury is not only felt by the injured person. An injured worker may not be able to earn the same income and may struggle to support their family, make loan payments, pay school fees, etc.

Economic cost - Medical and rehabilitation costs, the possible need for social security for the injured parties or their family, together with loss of normal wages reduces what injured workers and their families have to spend, causing a change in lifestyle.

Organizational costs - The business also has many costs when a worker is injured and unable to work.

These may include:

medical costs

the increased cost of wages to replace the injured person

the cost of training a new person

increased insurance costs

the workplace does not operate as well without the experienced staff member

loss of time and money attending the injury and its causes

Possible fines from the courts for having the accident happen.

Some common tips about the kitchen safety to remember: .

Wipe up spills immediately. Someone who enters the kitchen may not notice water or grease on the floor before he or she slips.

Avoid using a shaky chair or milk crate to reach a high shelf.

Keep pot holders handy- and use them. Be careful if they get wet; water conducts heat.

Turn the handles on pots and pans inward and away from the edge of the stove where they may be knocked.

Avoid overfilling pots and pans. Hot soup, stew, or pasta can quickly burn if it spills on you.

Be careful with the hot-water tap.

Face away when opening a lid from the boiling pot.

Avoid dropping water into hot oil. The splatters may burn you.

Put a lid on pot or use baking soda for grease fires to control the flame. Please do not use water.

Keep electrical cords away from stove burners.

Handle knives for safety. Store them carefully, perhaps in a knife holder. Avoid leaving them in the dishpan where you can't see them. Use sharp knives; dull knives are harder to use and promote injury. Always cut away from you, using a cutting board.

Watch out for broken glass. Remove it immediately. If glass breaks in the sink, empty the water so you find all the pieces before you cut yourself.