When overseeing the kitchen, it is extremely important to be aware that you are not only responsible for your own safety but for the other members of staff around you. You may think this is all common sense, but many safety procedures are easy to forget, especially when you’re busy preparing food and concentrating on getting things done.
The kitchen is full of large and potentially dangerous equipment, especially when used in the wrong ways. Careful and steady behaviour when operating tools in this environment will benefit you and your peers and help everything run smoothly. Check out our guide on how you can make your kitchen a safer working environment.
Knife Safety
When it comes to kitchen knives, there are many basic procedures that must be considered when using these tools. If you or another member of staff is using sharp knives, as head chef it’s one of your top priorities to make sure that this is being done safely and efficiently.
When not in use, knives of all kinds should be stored securely in a wooden knife block, utensil drawer, or knife roll. This allows the blades to be hidden when not in use to prevent any accidental injury. In a more uncommon circumstance, if children were to be in the area, this method keeps the potentially dangerous utensils out of reach. You may think that the likelihood of a child being in a kitchen is rare but when it comes to safety, it is important to consider all the possibilities, so that your workplace can remain a safe place for everyone.
Kitchens have many knives, each for their own purpose, and they should be extremely sharp. When you’re using any knife, slicing away from yourself prevents you accidentally cutting yourself. Another key aspect to consider is how you’re holding the knife. Be sure to curl your fingers inside your hand and hold the food with your fingertips. This makes it less likely for you to cut yourself, and if this were to happen, it wouldn’t be nearly as severe.
Last but not least, the one everyone is probably aware of but still sometimes forget! When walking around with a knife, point the blade to the ground, away from you so if you were to slip or trip on a spillage or a piece of equipment, the knife will be of no harm to you or the people around you.
Pots and Pans
Whether you’re stirring a big pan of soup or frying some vegetables, pans get hot! As obvious as it may seem, when using multiple stoves at once, it’s easy to lose track of what you’re doing.
Let’s say you’ve got multiple pans on the go and you remove one when it’s finished cooking. If you forget to turn off the heat and another handle is positioned over the flame, it’s going to get extremely hot. When in a busy and intense working environment, it’s easy to forget these things, so if you grab the handle you, or even worse; someone else, could severely burn themselves! Depending on the severity, burns can lead to some nasty infections, so it is compulsory that you as the chef in charge are aware that any hobs that aren’t in use are turned off and that the handles of pots and pans are facing away from the stove.
Another advantage of ensuring handles are positioned correctly is that they can’t be knocked into and spilt. It is most likely that the content of the pan is going to be at boiling point, so if somebody bumps into the handle and spills its contents, this could lead to an extremely severe burn for any member of staff. This is one of the most common and severe forms of accidents in the kitchen and can be as serious as being admitted to hospital and can have a huge affect on the legal issues of the establishment, so this is key!
Industrial Equipment
You’ve been in this industry for a while now, so you’re bound to be aware that the kitchen is full of many industrial blenders, mixers and general equipment. As technology becomes more advanced, many of these appliances are being installed with new and reliable safety features, to make them safer than ever. However, this doesn’t mean that they are 100% reliable and precautions still must be taken.
Anyone who is using this kind of equipment should be familiar with the operations manual and how to safely and securely operate the machine, for the benefit of themselves and everybody else in the kitchen. Whilst all the staff should be responsible, as the head chef it is important that you look over these kinds of measures, as well as preparing the food.
Depending on which equipment is in use, some propose more harm than others, when consisting of internal blades and motors. This is where the traditional rule of tying your hair up and not wearing loose clothing comes into play. Following this rule will definitely create a more secure environment for all your staff.
Fire! Fire! Fire!
Understandably, many cooks and chefs in this profession may not have experienced a kitchen fire but it’s important that everyone in the kitchen knows the risks. Ensuring that all electric appliances are switched off when not in use is already a big step to preventing a fire but not the only measure that can be taken.
It is also important that these appliances are regularly cleaned and maintained. If there is any noticeable damage or something is not working as it should, this should be reviewed by a professional immediately, and repaired or replaced if necessary.
When you or any other staff members are cooking dishes, these should never be left unattended, to monitor over-heating or potential burning. This ensures that any fire risks can be prevented in good time. Prior to this, pans should be filled to a suitable level as spillage of hot oil and grease are some of the lead components to causing a kitchen fire.
Depending on your business size, the HSE may require that you need to get appliances checked for electrical safety, and you will need to look into the laws that apply.
In terms of safety precautions, a fully-functional fire extinguisher should be available to everyone in the kitchen, with all staff members being trained on how to use it, if ever required. Alongside this, numerous smoke or fire alarms should be installed in areas, both in and surrounding the kitchen to signal if a fire were ever to occur. To keep these in good working order, these should be regularly checked and tested.
Now you know all of the safety measures when using any form of kitchen equipment, there is no doubt that your kitchen will be running smoother and safer than ever before! For any further information on the safety procedures and measures to take in the kitchen, feel free to get in touch with us now on 01392 840071!
