How to Ensure Safety in a Restaurant Kitchen

Ask any restaurant owner and they will tell you how workplace illnesses and injuries cost them huge chunks of money every year in the form of compensation. And for a fragile industry such as hospitality, the possibility of financial stress and reduced productivity is real if an employee misses reporting to work as a result of workplace safety issues. That is why restaurant owners are not mad when they prioritize kitchen safety. And while restaurant owners don’t have to spend big on straightening up this on matters kitchen safety, the following safety measures should not be negotiated.

Proper ventilation: The conditions in a restaurant kitchen can be unbearable if there is no proper ventilation. First of all, there is smoke to deal with, and the humidity is high due to boiling food. And of course, the environment is hot because fire is always burning. As such, a proper ventilation system is a must, to say the least. For the workers to beat the heat and work to their level best, fresh air must circulate in the kitchen at all times. Yes, kitchen workers do faint sometimes, and this could be dangerous. What about if they fall on a boiling pot or a hot pan due to dizziness?

Non-slip floor: Restaurant kitchen workers do move a lot. But there is also a lot of washing in the kitchen, which means it is not a new thing to find a kitchen floor wet. If there is a lot of cooking, then the humidity in the kitchen is definitely high, and the vapor can easily settle on the kitchen floor, especially if there is no proper ventilation. To avoid accidents resulting from slippery floors, a restaurant kitchen should have non-slip tiles or non-slip mats to ensure that the workers don’t lose their footing easily.

Fire extinguishers: This is a must-have in any restaurant. Remember, there is no restaurant kitchen without fire, and no kitchen is immune to a fire outbreak, however cautious the workers may be. Besides having a proper fire suppression system in place, the workers should be trained on how to use the system in the event of an outbreak. They should also be in the know of what type of fire extinguisher works in which case. For instance, it would be a disaster for a water extinguisher to be used on burning oil.

Correct attire: While this is usually ignored, it is as important as any other kitchen safety precaution. In the kitchen, sharp objects, such as a knife can fall; this is normal. There are also such thinks as spilling hot water and hot oil. To prevent related injuries, wearing the right attire should be a must. This may include such things as heavy-duty closed footwear.