Advertisement
Work Safely
Appears in
By Culinary Institute of America
Published 2015
In addition to the precautions necessary to guard against food-borne illness, care must be taken to avoid accidents to staff and guests.
- Clean up grease and other spills as they occur. Use salt or cornmeal to absorb grease, then clean the area.
- Warn coworkers when you are coming up behind them with something hot or sharp.
- Alert the pot washer when pots, pans, and handles are especially hot.
- Beware of grill fires. If one occurs, do not attempt to put it out with water. Removing excess fat and letting any marinades drain completely from foods to be grilled will help prevent flare-ups.
- Keep fire extinguishers in proper working order and place them in areas of the kitchen where they are most likely to be needed.
- Remove lids from pots in such a manner that the steam vents away from your face, to avoid steam burns.
- Bend at the knees, not the waist, to lift heavy objects.
- Pick up anything on the floor that might trip someone.
- Learn about first aid, CPR, and mouthto-mouth resuscitation. Have well-stocked first-aid kits on hand (see “First-Aid Supplies,”).
- Make sure that all dining room and kitchen staff know how to perform the Heimlich maneuver on a choking person. Post instructions in readily visible areas of the kitchen and dining room.
- Handle equipment carefully, especially knives, mandolines, slicers, grinders, band saws, and other equipment with sharp edges.
- Observe care and caution when operating mixers. Always keep your hands away from an operating mixer.
- Use separate cutting boards for cooked and raw foods, and sanitize after using.
- Wash hands thoroughly after working with raw foods.
- Use tasting spoons, and use them only once—do not “double-dip.” Do not use your fingers or kitchen utensils when tasting food.
- Store any toxic chemicals (cleaning compounds and pesticides, for example) away from food to avoid cross contamination.
- Use only dry side towels for handling hot items.
- Use instant-read thermometers (and sanitize them after use) to ensure that adequate temperatures are reached.
- Post emergency phone numbers near every phone.
Part of
Advertisement
Advertisement