1. Kitchen Safety 101
Culinary Arts

2. Kitchen Hazards
Burns
Cuts
Strains
Sprains
Slips
Trips
Falls
Fires

3. Slips
Trips
and Falls

4. Preventing Slips Slippery surfaces are one of
the main causes of accidents
in the kitchen.
To reduce the risk of slips
wear shoes with nonslip
soles
clean up spills immediately
watch where you step

5. Preventing Trips To reduce the risk of trips: watch where you step
keep all walkways clear
keep all cabinets and drawers
closed when not in use
make sure you can see
over loads you carry

6. Preventing Falls To reduce the risk of falls:
Do not climb on counters. Use a
sturdy step stool or ladder
Use a ladder with slip resistant feet
Do not use chairs, boxes, or tables
in place of a ladder
Face the ladder when standing or
climbing
Keep the center of your
body between side rails
Do not stand on the top step

7. Cuts

8. Cuts, Lacerations and Punctures
Result mainly during food preparation
using knives, peelers, and
graters
You can also cut yourself on broken
dishes, cups, glasses, glass bottles,
and sharp lids
Being distracted or careless
can result in injuries

9. Cuts, Lacerations and Punctures
Preventing
Cuts, Lacerations and Punctures
Unplug all small appliances before cleaning.
Never put your fingers near moving parts or blades
Discard broken or chipped dishes and
glassware, use a broom & dustpan to clean
up broken glassware or dishes. Follow-up by wiping area with a damp paper towel to remove very small pieces of glass.

10. Cuts, Lacerations and Punctures
Preventing
Cuts, Lacerations and Punctures
Garbage bags can contain sharp
items like can lids and broken
glass. Do not compress garbage
bags with your hands or body.
Use proper knife safety procedures
Cut on a cutting board
Carefully-wash and dry knives separately
Store properly-away from other
utensils
Use only for intended purpose

11. Strains and Sprains Recognize Strain & Sprain Hazards
• Repetitive motions
• Reaching
• Lifting
• Awkward postures

12. Strains & Sprains Repetitive movements may lead to strain & sprains
Prolonged standing, reaching, lifting, &
chopping while preparing food or cooking &
turning food on a hot grill or stove surface.
Static postures - continuously stand in one
position while chopping, cooking, or
preparing food, causing muscle fatigue &
pooling of blood in lower extremities.
Awkward neck postures can lead to
Neck strains & muscle stiffness if cooks are
constantly tilting their heads downward to
chop and dice large quantities.

13. Strains & Sprains
Reaching and lifting: Frequent elevated extended reaches for supplies can cause back & shoulder injury resulting in muscle strain.
Kitchen worker using
elevated reach

14. Strains & Sprains Repetitive motions: Performing hand-intensive
tasks (such as chopping, stirring, scooping) with a bent wrist
• creates considerable stress on tendons of wrist
• can lead to irritation, swelling & potential musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
Use ergonomically designed tools

15. Strains & Sprains Reaching & Lifting Solutions
Lift with your knees, not
your back.
Lighten heavy load that
needs to be lifted or get help
when lifting.
Always make sure load is
balanced and even when lifting.

16. Safe Storage Practices
Stack heavier items on lower shelves
Store lighter goods on top shelves
Stack items used most frequently at convenient waist level.
Get help lifting heavy items
Use a step stool or ladder to
access items on shelves.
Lighten load to be lifted
by purchasing smaller and
lighter cartons of stock.

17. Safe Storage Practices
Labeling: All food and cleaning items removed from their original packaging must be labeled.
You can store all refrigerated ready to eat foods that are prepared in house for a maximum of seven days.
Rotation: you should rotate so that the oldest inventory is used first. Use the first in, first out method also known as FIFO
Discard all foods once they reach their manufactures “use by” or “expiration dates”
Never use empty food containers to store chemicals. Never put food into empty chemical containers.
Store chemicals away from food.

18. Watch Out For Burn Hazards
Hot surfaces
Flames
Fat, Oil, Grease
Hot water
Steam
Cooking foods
Flammable items

19. Burns and Scalds Don’t be a burn statistic! Result primarily from:
Spilling & splashing of hot fats, oils, and food products.
Hot beverages
Contact with hot surfaces
such as stove tops, ovens,
grills, pots, pans, & trays
Steam
Burns and scalds can be avoided with good
kitchen safety
practices
Don’t be a burn
statistic!

20. Take Precautions To Prevent Burns
Use dry potholders
Check steaming containers
carefully – lift lids so steam flows away from you.
Be careful around grills, ranges, and ovens.
Avoid splashes when frying- use a spatter screen.
Handle hot food and liquids cautiously
Use caution carrying hot food containers

21. Take Precautions To Prevent Burns
Do not stand above or lean over steaming items or equipment. Steam can burn!

22. Burn Prevention
Place foods in boiling water carefully to avoid splashing.
Assume that pots, pot handles, & utensils in
pots are hot & use oven mitts when handling
them. Use long gloves for deep ovens.
Adjust burner flames to cover only bottom
of pan. Avoid overcrowding on range tops. Use the correct size burner.
Wear sturdy footwear that is slip resistant
to protect feet in case hot liquids are spilled
on shoes (no canvas or open toes.)

23. Burn Prevention Keep pot handles away from hot burners.
Avoid overfilling pots & pans.
Do not wear loose fitting clothes or dangling
jewelry.
Do not allow pot handles or cooking utensils
to stick out from counters or stove
fronts while cooking. Turn them to
the center of the stove.

24. How to prevent cooking fires
and related injuries

25. Major Causes of Kitchen Fires
Cooking fires are the #1 cause of home fires and home
fire injuries. Two-thirds (66%) of home cooking fire started
with the ignition of food or other cooking materials.
FACTS & FIGURES
Cooking equipment fires are the leading cause of home
structure fires (40%) and associated civilian injuries (36%).
Clothing was the item first ignited in less than 1% of these
fires, but these incidents accounted 15% of the cooking
fire deaths.
Ranges accounted for the largest share (59%) of home
cooking fire incidents. Ovens accounted for 16%.

26. FACTS & FIGURES Continued
Three of every five (59%) reported non-fatal home
cooking fire injuries occurred when the victims tried to
fight the fire themselves.
Frying poses the greatest risk of fire.
Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires

27. Grease Fires
Occurs when oil or grease is heated too quickly. Always heat oil and grease slowly!
Let’s watch a video

28. Grease Fire Review Pot on the Stove Fire
* Never leave oil or grease unattended (frying, grilling and broiling)
* Never put water on a grease or oil fire
* PUT A LID ON IT - Wear oven mitts*
* TURN OFF THE HEAT
* DO NOT MOVE THE PAN OR REMOVE THE LID
UNTIL COMPLETELY COOLED
* Never move a burning pot to the sink or outside
If in doubt…JUST GET OUT!

29. Keep a fire extinguisher handy.

30. Other Fire Hazards Flammable items left near stove.
Never leave towels, oven mitts, paper or
cardboard, or pressurized cans on or near a
hot stove.
Dish towel used as oven mitt. Always use a
proper fitting oven mitt to remove hot items
from oven.
Loose clothing can catch fire. Roll up sleeves,
tuck in shirts.
Long hair can catch fire. Tie back long hair.

31. Review Questions: 1. Never put __________ on a grease fire.
2. When cooking you should never leave __________ or ________________unattended.
3. Clean up spills _____________.
4. Keep all cabinets and drawers ________ when not in use.
5. You are more likely to cut yourself when you are _____________or careless.
water
oil
grease
immediately
closed
distracted

32. Review Questions
6.Why should you be careful when carrying garbage bags?
______________________________________________________
7.You should lift with your ________not your back.
8.You must discard refrigerated ready to eat foods after ________ days.
9.To prevent burns you should use _____________pot holders.
10 To avoid burns you should lift lids to that the steam
flows_________ from you.
So that you do not cut yourself on sharp object in the bag. Do not compress the bag against your body.
knees 7
dry
away