16 Sep Food Handling

Food Handling Safety

Food preparation and service can expose employees to slips and falls, cuts, burns, machinery hazards, chemicals, lifting injuries, fires, and other workplace hazards. Kitchens are often fast-paced environments, but speed should never take priority over safe work practices.

Employees should be trained on the equipment and tasks they perform and should immediately report unsafe conditions, damaged equipment, and injuries to their supervisor.

Guide for Discussion

Slips, Trips, and Falls

Water, grease, food debris, cords, boxes, and other materials can quickly create slip and trip hazards.

• Walk—never run—in kitchen and food-preparation areas.
• Clean spills promptly and place warning signs around wet areas until the floor is dry.
• Keep aisles, exits, and walking surfaces free of boxes, equipment, cords, and other obstructions.
• Use slip-resistant mats or flooring where floors routinely become wet or greasy.
• Keep mats flat and in good condition so they do not create trip hazards.
• Wear closed-toe, slip-resistant footwear appropriate for the work.
• Use caution at blind corners and announce yourself when approaching coworkers carrying hot or sharp items.

Knife and Cutting Safety

Knives and other cutting tools should be used only for their intended purpose.

• Select the correct knife for the task.
• Keep knives properly sharpened—a dull knife may require excessive force and can slip unexpectedly.
• Cut on a stable cutting board or approved surface.
• Keep fingers and hands out of the cutting path.
• Cut away from your body whenever practical.
• Never attempt to catch a falling knife.
• Carry knives with the blade pointed downward and away from your body.
• Do not leave knives concealed in sinks, dishwater, or underneath other items.
• Store knives in designated racks, holders, or storage areas.
• Use cut-resistant gloves when required by the task or company procedure.

Food-Processing Equipment

Slicers, mixers, grinders, processors, and similar equipment can cause severe cuts, amputations, or caught-in injuries.

• Operate equipment only when trained and authorized.
• Inspect equipment before use.
• Make sure guards and safety devices are installed and functioning.
• Never bypass or defeat a guard or interlock.
• Keep hands, hair, jewelry, loose clothing, and utensils away from moving parts.
• Use manufacturer-provided pushers, tampers, or feeding devices rather than your hands.
• Turn equipment off and wait for all movement to stop before removing food or clearing minor obstructions.
• Disconnect or otherwise control hazardous energy before cleaning, servicing, clearing serious jams, or performing maintenance when unexpected startup could cause injury.

Burn and Scald Prevention

Ovens, ranges, grills, fryers, steamers, hot liquids, cookware, and heated surfaces can cause serious burns.

• Assume pots, pans, handles, trays, and cooking surfaces are hot.
• Use appropriate dry oven mitts or heat-resistant gloves.
• Never use a wet towel or wet mitt to handle hot cookware.
• Turn pot and pan handles away from aisle traffic and other burners when practical.
• Open ovens and steam equipment cautiously.
• Lift pot and steamer lids away from your face and body to allow steam to escape safely.
• Do not overfill pots or containers with hot liquids.
• Warn coworkers when carrying hot food, liquids, pans, or equipment.
• Allow equipment and cooking surfaces to cool before cleaning whenever possible.

Fryer Safety

Hot cooking oil can cause severe burns and create a significant fire hazard.

• Keep water and ice away from hot oil.
• Do not overfill fryers.
• Lower food slowly into hot oil to minimize splashing.
• Follow manufacturer procedures when filtering, draining, or replacing cooking oil.
• Allow oil to cool to the appropriate temperature before handling or transferring it.
• Never use water on a cooking-oil or grease fire.
• Keep combustible materials away from fryers and other cooking equipment.

Chemical Safety

Cleaning and sanitizing products may cause burns, respiratory irritation, or other injuries if improperly handled.

• Read product labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDSs).
• Follow manufacturer dilution and handling instructions.
• Never mix incompatible cleaning chemicals.
• Wear required gloves, eye protection, or other PPE.
• Keep chemicals in properly labeled containers.
• Store chemicals away from food and food-contact surfaces as required.
• Never place chemicals in food or beverage containers.

Lifting and Ergonomics

Food-service employees frequently lift bags, boxes, containers, pots, and other supplies while also performing repetitive preparation tasks.

• Use carts or other mechanical aids when available.
• Ask for assistance with heavy, bulky, or awkward loads.
• Keep loads close to your body.
• Avoid twisting while lifting or carrying.
• Store frequently used and heavier materials at practical handling heights whenever possible.
• Adjust workstations to reduce excessive bending, reaching, and awkward postures.
• Rotate tasks when practical to reduce repetitive-motion and fatigue exposures.
• Take appropriate rest breaks as permitted by company procedures.

Fire Safety

Employees should know the facility’s fire and emergency procedures.

• Keep exits, extinguishers, and fire-suppression equipment unobstructed.
• Keep grease accumulation under control through proper cleaning.
• Know how to report a fire and evacuate the work area.
• Know the location of fire extinguishers and fixed hood-suppression systems.
• Only employees who have been trained and authorized should attempt to use portable fire extinguishers when company procedures permit.
• Class K extinguishers are designed for fires involving commercial cooking oils and fats.
• Never attempt to fight a fire that is spreading, producing heavy smoke, or otherwise unsafe to approach. Evacuate and summon emergency assistance.

Emergency Preparedness

Employees should know:

• How to summon emergency medical assistance.
• The location of first-aid supplies.
• The procedures for cuts and burns.
• The location and proper use of eyewash facilities when corrosive chemicals are used.
• Emergency evacuation routes and assembly areas.
• Who is trained to provide first aid or CPR, when applicable.

All injuries, including cuts, burns, strains, and chemical exposures, should be reported promptly according to company procedures.

Remember

A busy kitchen does not eliminate the need to work safely. Keep floors clean, use knives and machinery correctly, protect yourself from hot surfaces and chemicals, use proper lifting techniques, and know what to do during an emergency.