Safe Use of Equipment

image of kitchen equipment The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. It was created to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance. OSHA's mission is to send every worker home whole and health every day.

Working in a restaurant can be dangerous and unhealthy. A workplace hazard is anything on the job that can hurt you or make you sick. Ergonomics is the science of designing the workplace to fit the worker, rather than expecting a worker to fit into a job that has not been designed correctly. You can prevent most kitchen accidents. The most common cause of accidents is simply being careless. Start with these basic safety rules to avoid injuring yourself and others:

Pay attention to your tasks.
Use the right tool for each job.
Keep hair, loose clothing, jewelry or apron strings from dangling. They could get tangled in appliances.

A busy kitchen can be a dangerous place with many hazards, including sharp edges, heat and open flames, oils and a fast paced working environment. Therefore, you must maintain a high degree of hazard awareness, adhere to safety procedures and cooperate and communicate with fellow workers in order to prevent injuries.

Here are some do's and don'ts of cooking equipment safety.

Cooking Equipment Safety
Do:	Don't:
Make sure equipment is off before plugging it in and starting it.	Do not use kitchen equipment until you have been trained to use it.
Make sure safety guards are in place on all choppers, mixers and food processors.	Never leave cooking equipment unattended.
If equipment is broken, label it "do not use" and notify the supervisor.	Do not store flammable items near heat-producing equipment or open flames.
Use oven mitts and arm guards when working on hot equipment such as: griddles, broilers, ovens, etc.	Never carry or move oil containers when the oil is hot or is on fire.
Open oven and steamer doors slowly to prevent burns.	Never throw water on a grease fire; it makes it worse.
Clean equipment after each use.	Never overfill pots and pans - the product may spill causing burns.
If you catch fire, stop - drop and roll.	Do not wear loose fitting clothing as it may get caught in equipment, causing injury.

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