Why it is important to focus on safety in our deli kitchen



Why it is important to focus on safety in our deli kitchen?

Answer: for two main reasons: employee safety and the cost involved in case of an injury.

Our goal is to be “A SAFE WORK PLACE”

To achieve this goal, all employees need to follow certain rules and procedures with 100% compliance.

• Employees must wear slip resistant shoes to avoid slip and fall.

• Use approved knives to avoid cuts.

• Wear heat resistant safety gloves when filtering or handling hot pans to avoid burns.

Now what tools and programs are needed to reach this goal?

Some businesses initialed a program to count accident-free days; others used periodic safety meetings to communicate safety issues and ways to prevent it, and to encourage employees to keep the focus on the importance of safety.

It is very important to launch safety training and education starts from day one.

It is like everything else, if you focus on it, you can make a difference.

Kitchen accidents such as slips and falls, cuts and burns, strains and sprains should be eliminated.

The source of kitchen injuries are floors that become slippery because of a drop of water or a flattened fries, knives and other sharp tools, surfaces that reach high temperatures, heavy food packages that they are also the place where most injuries occur.

We should all know that every injury that takes place is preceded by “Unsafe acts and near misses”.

70 percent of all food service injuries occur in kitchens. Eliminating these accidents will positively sweeten the company’s profit by lowering workers injury costs.

We can’t beat up people with regulation, we must think safety first, and then change our work behavior to avoid future injuries.

THE ABC’S OF SAFETY:

ATTITUDE, BAHAVIOR, AND CONTROL.

They are the three most important and perhaps the simplest aspects of personal safety both on and off the job. You must periodically review your ABC’s to see if you are doing all you can to protect yourself, your co-workers, and your loved ones from careless, needless, injury.

ATTITUDE:

A safe attitude means staying alert and focused on the job at hand, never horsing around, and not letting emotions like anger and frustration get in the way of job performance.

BEHAVIOR:

Good behavior means following safety guidelines and procedures, refusing to take short cuts and helping friends and coworkers, and family members understand the importance of safe practices at work and home.

CONTROL:

Control means taking responsibility for making your worksite, home, a safe place to be.

It is keeping your surrounding safe from potential hazards by keeping them clean and orderly. Clean up spills; make sure that the walkways are free from obstacles. Report all potential hazards to your manager and supervisor.

HOW TO AVOID AND PREVENT ACCIDENTS

SLIP AND FALL

Wear proper footwear.

Follow proper cleaning procedures and keep the floors clean and free of build up.

Be alert around fryers where oil might drop on the floor. Follow the cleaning guidelines for grease build up on or around the fryers and frying area.

Pick up trash, food, debris and any other items you see on the floor immediately.

Wipe all spills immediately.

Place “wet floor” signs in any area where there is a spill and in areas that are being cleaned.

Walk, don’t run and watch where you walk.

Do not climb or walk on or over crates, boxes, it is an invitation for accidents.

AVOIDING CUTS

Practice a good knife safety.

Wear cut-resistant gloves when appropriate.

When finished with a knife, clean it immediately and store in a proper storage place. Do not leave in the sink where it can cause injury to someone who is unaware it is there.

Check knives for sharpness. A dull knife requires excess pressure and causes slips.

Pass a knife to another person by the handle only.

Cut away from your body at all times.

Don’t push on trash with your feet—there may be sharp objects inside.

Use appropriate cutting tool for boxes.

Focus and look at what you are cutting.

AVOIDING BURNS

Always wear heat resistant gloves and protective apron when filtering and boiling out the fryers.

Check out filter hose for cracks and holes before filtering.

Be sure the hose is properly connected before turning on the filter machine.

Drain and dispose of the shortening or boiling out solution when it’s cooled, never when it’s still hot.

Avoid spills or splashing during moving the disposed grease.

Filter and boil-out the fryers according to procedures. Someone must hold the filter hose when it is in use.

When adding grease to the fryer, gently pour liquid shortening to avoid splash.

Use tongs with hot items.

Be careful around steam, heat lamps or hot water.

HANDLE WITH CARE ISSUES

Use only safe chemicals for cleaning.

Always follow the directions for use on the label.

Never mix chemicals or other liquids.

Pour away from your body.

Store chemicals properly and away from food products and utensils.

Do not dispense chemicals in beverage cups.

Keep all chemicals and objects away from water heaters.

Don’t mix water and hot shortening.

Summary

Hopefully, with this short script, you the employee has established a better understanding of the importance of following the procedures, and as well created a better idea of the cause of some kitchen injuries. Keep your focus on creating and maintaining a safe environment in your store and home.

Good luck and keep your store safe.

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