Kitchen Safety Guidance

Company Name :

Location :

Tel No :

Date :Signed by :

Introduction

Much of the equipment and working environment used in preparing, cooking and serving food in catering establishments, is so familiar, it is easy to forget the potential hazards that can be present during use, cleaning and maintenance.

Many accidents occur when employees use equipment without proper training. It is illegal for employees to use equipment without suitable training and, when necessary, supervision. The catering industry has many employees who change jobs frequently; it also uses a high proportion of seasonal and casual labour. This makes training even more important.

Employees should be present when equipment installers commission and demonstrate how to use new equipment. User handbooks which detail use, working practices and cleaning routines should be retained for training purposes.

Ill health prevention priorities for catering are:

  • Chronic ill health effects from manual handling
  • Dermatitis
  • Work Related Upper Limb Disorders (e.g. RSI)

The main causes of accident in catering areas and the priorities for accident prevention are:

  • Slips and trips - from slippery floors and from leakage and spillage of contamination onto the floor (including carrying vessels without a secure cover), from wet cleaning methods, not drying the floor after cleaning and trips due to objects (buckets etc) left in walkways and uneven floor surfaces.
  • Handling - lifting heavy objects such as pans, trays, packs, tables. From handling sharp objects such as exposed blades during cleaning and from awkward lifts from low ovens or from high positions.
  • Burns - splashes and hot objects.
  • Struck by moving articles – horseplay, falling goods in storage and unloading and falling and toppling equipment.
  • Walking into objects
  • Machinery
  • Falls
  • Fire and explosion
  • Electric shock

Controlling Kitchen Safety

All catering employees will co-operate in maintaining healthy and safe working environments by complying with The Company Kitchen Safety Policy and procedures relevant to their work activities by using the following staged approach:

Stage 1 / Hazards to kitchen safety which might be present are identified.
Stage 2 / Controls will be put in place to deal with the hazards.
Stage 3 / Training
Stage 4 / Monitor the plan and the arrangements
Stage 5 / Audit the plan and the arrangements
Stage 6 / Review the plan and the arrangements

Stage 1 – Hazard Identification

Identify all hazards and decide which relate to kitchen safety, the process should be systematic and take into account:

  • all potential hazards
  • actual working procedures and conditions
  • manufacturer’s guidance

Stage 2 – Controls

Controls must be effective and should either completely eliminate the hazard or reduce it to a safe, acceptable level. The Company will employ the following:

  • Slips - measures to avoid spillage and leakage onto floor - measures to clear up spillages and dry floor immediately - cleaning when catering is not in progress - drying wet floors after wet cleaning
  • Trips - no obstacles in walkways - no uneven floors
  • Handling - exposed edges of blades securely covered during cleaning - avoiding lifting items which are too heavy (e.g. pans, trays, packages, furniture) - avoidance of lifts which involve reaching too high or too low
  • Hot Equipment and Foods - good maintenance of steam equipment - avoidance of carrying hot liquids and materials if there is a risk of spillage/splash - safe procedures and training and supervision for opening steam oven doors - safe systems of work, training and supervision in the use and storage of cleaning substances - safe procedures for cleaning and draining fat fryers - avoiding horseplay
  • Equipment - safe selection, training and supervision in the use of hand knives - secure accessible storage for materials - appropriate methods of handling goods and unloading vehicles etc - securing equipment to prevent toppling - training and awareness in placing articles so they do not topple when placed on work surfaces - avoiding horseplay
  • Atmosphere – measures to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning from incomplete combustion of fuels
  • Crowding - Avoid crowded work conditions
  • Machinery – ensure machinery is properly guarded, especially food slicers, planetary mixers, vegetable cutting machines and catering attachments
  • Fire and explosion - ensure gas-fired equipment is fitted with flame failure devices so far as reasonably practicable - institute safe systems of work, training and supervision over lighting procedures - clean fat deposits off vents and ductwork etc, ensuring ventilation systems are maintained and inspected.
  • Atmosphere – measures to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning from incomplete combustion of fuels
  • Electric Shock - examine particularly electric heated trolleys - ensure equipment does not have to be plugged/unplugged with wet hands and that sockets will not get wet - maintain, examine and test electrical apparatus and try to identify deterioration in insulation

Stage 3 - Training

Each employee shall receive training to enable them to carry out work activities and correctly use the tools and equipment provided allowing safe systems of work to be used at all times.

New and existing employees will be made aware of hazards and control mechanisms.

Stage 4 – Monitoring

The Company shall monitor the performance of employees who are involved in the implementation of this policy and ensure that safe systems of work are used in accordance with their training and instruction at all times.

Visual monitoring will be on a continuing basis.

Stage 5 – Audit

The Company shall audit to ensure that processes and documents relating to this policy are properly implemented.

Stage 6 - Review

The Company should review this policy as required by the outcome of monitoring, audit and/or changes in legislation or guidance.

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