1. Kitchen Safety Safety Awareness For Everyone from Cove Risk Services
Association Members Workers’ Compensation Trust
Safety Awareness For Everyone from Cove Risk Services

2. This overview will… Identify the most common injuries in kitchens
Identify the hazards most likely to cause injuries
Provide ideas for reducing the hazards and preventing injuries
Provide additional resources so that you can obtain more information

3. Affected employees The major occupations in kitchens are:
Cooks, kitchen workers, other food prep workers
Waiters, waitresses, and their assistants
Managers, supervisors, owners
Other occupations are
Food and beverage workers
Dish washers, janitors and cleaners
Cashiers and bartenders

4. Classifications of Kitchen Hazards
Kitchen accidents lead to injuries that could be prevented by not taking shortcuts.
Kitchen hazards are conditions that lead to accidental injuries.

5. Kitchen Hazards Cuts and lacerations Slips, Trips and Falls Burns
Some of the most common types of injuries are:
Cuts and lacerations
Slips, Trips and Falls
Burns
Material Handling – Lifting
Chemicals (cleaning supplies)
Electrical 5

6. Cuts: Guidelines for Prevention
Keeps knives sharp. Sharp knives make clear, safe cuts. A person is less likely to cut themselves with a sharp knife.
Stabilize food to be cut using proper technique.
Use the correct knife for the job. For example: Carving knives for large jobs, boning knifes to remove meat from the bone and paring knives for slicing small jobs.
Wash knives separately.
Do not dispose of broken glass or anything else sharp in a trash receptacle, as it could puncture the trash bag, possibly cutting the handler. Dispose into a separate container.

7. Cuts: Guidelines for Prevention
(continued)
Never cut toward yourself. Use safe cutting techniques
Wear cut resistant gloves (PPE) (However, remember they are cut resistant, not cut proof - injuries can still occur)
If the knife falls, step back and let it drop
Never use a knife to open cans or pry lids
Never put knives under things or in sinks, where they cannot be seen

8. Meat Slicer Safety
Make sure your employees understand and follow the following safety procedures when handling meat slicers:
Always use the push guard for pushing food toward the blade
Make sure blocks of meat or cheese are not too large for the push guard to hold.
If necessary, cut the meat or cheese into smaller pieces so they can be safely used on the slicer
Return the blade setting to “zero” when finished using the slicer
If anyone interrupts you when using the slicer, stop slicing and respond to the person. Return to slicing only when your full attention is focused on the task at hand

9. Meat Slicer Safety Practice Safe Slicer Cleaning Procedures
Prepare your cleaning and sanitizing solution bucket.
Turn the blade to zero.
Turn off and unplug the slicer. Use Lock Out/Tag Out procedures, if necessary, to ensure no one will plug in the unit while you are sanitizing it.
Put on cut-resistant gloves.
Wipe away larger pieces of meat and cheese from the top and bottom of the slicer.
Unscrew the blade cover and wipe the plate down all the way to the blade.
Move the rag in a circular motion to completely clean the blade.
Wipe down the grips and handles.
When you clean and break down the slicer for the night, remove the slide and blade cover while wearing cut-resistant gloves. Wash the blade, slide, and blade cover in the sink or dishwasher.
Do not leave the cutting blade soaking in the sink where another employee might inadvertently strike an arm or hand against the blade.

10. Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention
Slippery surfaces are a major cause of accidents
in restaurants and kitchens. To reduce the risk of
this type of accident:
Use non-slip footwear
Keep floors free from water or grease
Clean floors regularly
Clean up spills immediately
Put up warning signs around spills or wet floors
Consider installing non-slip tiling or other non-slip floor products

11. Slip, Trip, and Fall Prevention
(continued)
Use rubber mats in areas where the floors are constantly wet
Use slip-resistant waxes on floors
Keep floors and stairs free of debris and obstructions
Make sure mats and carpet are free of holes and bumps
Report poor lighting and replace burned out bulbs as soon as possible
Do not leave oven, dishwasher, or cupboard doors open
Report or fix hazards immediately
Explain all hazards to all affected employees

12. Slip Resistant Footwear Policy
To prevent slips and falls use shoes with:
Slip-resistant soles and a good tread
Tightly tied laces
No leather or smooth soles
No strapless sandals
No open-toes
No platform or high heels
No porous fabric such as canvas

13. Burns and Fires: Hazards
Result primarily from:
Spilling and splashing of hot fats, oils, and food products
Hot beverages
Contact with hot surfaces such as stove tops, ovens, grills, pots, pans, and trays
Steam

14. Burns and Fires: Controls
Turn off stoves when not in use
Assume all pots and metal handles are hot. Touch only when you are sure they are not hot or when wearing proper gloves/mitts
Organize your work area to prevent contact with hot objects and flames
Keep pot handles away from hot burners
Make sure handles of pots and pans do not stick out from counter or stove
Use oven mitts that are provided and long gloves for deep ovens. Avoid using pot holders as they do not provide the proper protection
Use only recommended temperatures 14

15. Burns and Fires: Controls
(continued)
Open hot water and hot liquid faucet slowly to avoid splashes
Open lids away from you to allow steam to escape
Wear long-sleeved cotton shirts and cotton pants
Report any faulty equipment to your supervisor
Do not overfill pots, pans, or fryers
Do not leave metal spoons in pots while cooking
Do not reach over flames or hot surfaces
Do not open cookers and steamers while they are under pressure
Do not lean over pots of boiling liquids
Remember that foods removed from the microwave continue to cook

16. Material Handling Safe Lifting
Manual handling, especially in storage areas, can lead to injuries. Design and organize the workplace to make manual handling easier:
Keep loads off the floor
Heavier objects should be stored between chest and knuckle height
Lighter objects can be stored above chest height
Medium weight objects can be stored below knuckle height
Use anti-fatigue matting
Wear shoes with cushioning

17. Material Handling Safe Lifting
(continued)
Provide dollies and other lifting and handling equipment
Provide training in manual handling skills
Reduce the weight of the load
Share the load between two or more persons
Split the load into two or more smaller boxes
Make more than one trip
Keep the work area free of clutter. Cluttered workspaces can cause awkward postures that make handling tasks more difficult
Remove trip hazards from the area
Eliminate obstacles that workers must reach over

18. Material Handling Safe Lifting
(continued)
Stand close to the object that is being lifted with feet approximately shoulder width apart
Bend down using legs to get in to squat position
Test the items weight prior to the lift (give it a nudge)
Use a firm grip under item to be lifted
Lift using leg and abdominal muscles – NOT BACK MUSCLES

19. Material Handling Safe Lifting – Wait Staff
Make sure trays are clean and dry
Control tray weights
Keep plates flat on the tray surface, balance the load and place heavy items in the middle
When carrying large trays
Use both hands to support and balance the tray
KeeCarry most of load over your shoulder to support it
p wrists in a neutral position by grasping the outside edge of the tray
When carrying small trays
Carry the tray with your shoulder, arm, and hand in neutral positions
Carry the tray as close to your body as possible, balanced on both your arm and hand

20. Chemical Safety Pay attention to the labels: Hazard Flammable
Potentially dangerous.
Flammable
Anything that ignites easily or is capable of burning rapidly.
Use and Care Instructions
Instructions written by manufacturers to inform consumers how to use and care for the product.
Caustic Cleaner
Household cleaner that may burn or corrode the skin on contact.
Poisonous
Capable of harming or killing if ingested.

21. Electrical Issues: Guidelines for Prevention
Prevention of shocks:
Pull out a cord by the plug, not the cord, so it does not break.
Unplug an appliance before washing it.
Never operate an appliance with wet hands or while standing in water. Keep floors dry.
Keep appliances turned off when they are not in use. Do not play with any switches when you are cleaning an appliance, such as a mixer.
Report frayed or otherwise compromised wiring to a manager immediately

22. After a shock Caring for an employee
Do not touch someone who is experiencing an electrical shock.
Remove the source of the shock with a nonconductive material, such as wood or plastic.

23. Summary Accidents don’t just happen Carelessness creates the hazard
Hazards contribute to the injury
Take action – create a safe environment
Report unsafe conditions
Eliminate unsafe acts
What is our safety goal?

24. ?? Any Questions Safety Awareness For Everyone from Cove Risk Services
Association Members Workers’ Compensation Trust
Safety Awareness For Everyone from Cove Risk Services