KITCHENS--A DANGEROUS PLACE
Never underestimate the risk of getting hurt!
Working in a kitchen, at home or in a commercial kitchen, you need to be aware of the risks and dangerous situations in a kitchen. Heat, knives, electrical appliances, wet and slippery floors can be a real hazard when you work in a kitchen. Today, I like to bring up some important points working as a chef in a commercial kitchen.
Clothing & Shoes: In most trades, you wear either a uniform, overall, special hi viz clothing or a suit. As a Chef, you wear a Chefs uniform. A chefs jacket, chefs pants, proper shoes like boots with a slip resistent sole, a chefs hat, a apron, neck tie. Because you work with food and you need to protect yourself from heat, burns and steam, the chefs uniform is designed to do just that. A need uniform has two objectives: You look neat and professional, working with food plus at the same time protects you while you work in the kitchen. You are required to wear a proper Chefs uniform when you work in a commercial kitchen. It is also a food and safety requirement.
(I will talk about food and safety in a later blog.)
Knives: Knives are going to be your most important tools. The risk of cutting yourself can be minimalized by following sertain rules:
1) Buy good quality knives. Look what sort of knives the Chefs are using. Brands like Victorinox, Dreizack, Global or similar brands are used by Chefs.
2) Make sure your knives are always sharp. The nastiest cuts you can get is from blund knives.
3) Always keep your eyes on the job when you use a knife.
4) Learn the skill to use a knife only from a Chef, how to hold the food item you are cutting, how to position your fingers.
5) When you talk to someone or someone is starting to talk to you, put your knife down, talk and when you are finished, continue your cutting.
6) Concentrate when you use a knife, never drop your guard.
Pots and pans: When you use pots and pans, cooking on the stove, make it a habit to use a dry cloth to grab the handles of the pot or pan. The handles can get flaming hot and if you are not careful enough, you can burn yourself very badly.
Deep friers and cooking with hot oil: Oil burns can be very nasty. When boiling oil hits your skin, the oil will stay hot for a short period of time. Put your burned hand or arm immediately under ice cold water. Don't try to wipe off the hot oil when the burn happens, go straight under the cold water. Never put something wet into a deep frier or a hot pan. Oil and water do not get along with each other to well. The oil can catch fire or splatter into all directions burning you or others.
Steam: Steam is the king of burn accidents. When you work with a steamer, make sure you release the pressure first. Before you open the lid, keep your head away. I saw Chefs burning the whole face from steam. The pain is extremely bad and the burn can be nasty.
The same applies when you have a pot of boiling water with a lid. Keep your head away before you lift up the lid.
Ovens: Ovens run very hot in a commercial kitchen. The temperatures reach up to 240 degrees celsius. When you open an oven door, keep your head away. You can get nasty facial burns if you stand to close to an oven. Always use a dry cloth when you work with an oven. Sometimes the handles of the oven doors can get hot too. Make it a habit to always use a dry cloth when you touch the handles and everything inside the oven.
Dry cloth versus wet or damp cloth: As I previous explained, using a dry cloth to grab hot trays, handles will protect you from burns. Do NEVER use a wet or damp cloth. The reason is; you grab something with a damp or wet cloth, the steam developing inside the cloth will reach your hand within a split second and you will get a nasty steam burn.
Wet and slippery floors: Kitchen floors have generally a smooth surface. Oil and water can be very hazardous on those floors. You need to be aware, that your shoes have to be the right shoes to wear in a kitchen. Shoes that have a good grip and protect you from falling over. Be very careful, even in a good pair of shoes, you can slip and fall when there is oil on the floor. To avoid falling over because of oil is; remove any oil from the floor. When time does not allow to remove the spilled oil of the floor, sprinkle a generous amount of salt over the oil. The salt soaks up the oil and makes the area less slippery. Keep the floors dry and free of any spills.
Shoes: Shoes are important in any job. As a Chef, you are going to be on your feet a very long time. You need to be comfortable in your shoes. You also need shoes that protect your feet from hot liquid spills and falling items or knives. Get a good pair of work boots. Also ask the Chefs you work with about the right foot wear for the kitchen.
Kitchen appliances and electricity: When you work with kitchen appliances, make sure, that you follow a few safety rules. Before you get an appliance ready to use, make sure the power is off. Especially those appliances like stand mixers, choppers, blenders and the like. You may need to assemble the appliance, change blades or the like. Always turn the power off to the appliance. Once the appliance is ready to use, turn the power source back on.
Cleaning the appliance: some of them you can use water and some of them a damp cloth. In either case, turn the electricity off or remove plug from power point. Water and electricity don't get along with each other and you don't want to get an electric shock.
Pay attention: This is the golden rule. What ever you do in a kitchen, pay attention. Never leave any pot or pan unattended on the stove. Never have an appliance running while you are not watching. Pay attention what your work mates are doing and warn them before something happens. Turn all appliances, stove, ovens and other equipment off before you close the kitchen.
A PROPER FIRST AID KIT: Every kitchen should have a proper first aid kit made for kitchen accidents. This first aid kit should be always well stocked and checked regularly by a qualified person like an ambulance officer, first aid officer or a company which supply the first aid kits. If you don't see that your kitchen has a first aid kit, ask your head chef to get one. One more important point; in the case of an accident, the first aid kit should be easy to access. It is also handy, if one or two members working in the kitchen should have a first aid certification.
I am sure that I have not covered all the dangers in a kitchen. The main dangers are listed here and I hope that you all take this blog serious and look out for each other for a smooth and accident free kitchen operation. If you see that something is faulty and in poor working order, report it immediately to the Head Chef.
NEXT WEEK I talk about my experiences as a breakfast Chef during my apprenticeship. Have a great week and stay save.
Wet and slippery floors: Kitchen floors have generally a smooth surface. Oil and water can be very hazardous on those floors. You need to be aware, that your shoes have to be the right shoes to wear in a kitchen. Shoes that have a good grip and protect you from falling over. Be very careful, even in a good pair of shoes, you can slip and fall when there is oil on the floor. To avoid falling over because of oil is; remove any oil from the floor. When time does not allow to remove the spilled oil of the floor, sprinkle a generous amount of salt over the oil. The salt soaks up the oil and makes the area less slippery. Keep the floors dry and free of any spills.
Shoes: Shoes are important in any job. As a Chef, you are going to be on your feet a very long time. You need to be comfortable in your shoes. You also need shoes that protect your feet from hot liquid spills and falling items or knives. Get a good pair of work boots. Also ask the Chefs you work with about the right foot wear for the kitchen.
Kitchen appliances and electricity: When you work with kitchen appliances, make sure, that you follow a few safety rules. Before you get an appliance ready to use, make sure the power is off. Especially those appliances like stand mixers, choppers, blenders and the like. You may need to assemble the appliance, change blades or the like. Always turn the power off to the appliance. Once the appliance is ready to use, turn the power source back on.
Cleaning the appliance: some of them you can use water and some of them a damp cloth. In either case, turn the electricity off or remove plug from power point. Water and electricity don't get along with each other and you don't want to get an electric shock.
Pay attention: This is the golden rule. What ever you do in a kitchen, pay attention. Never leave any pot or pan unattended on the stove. Never have an appliance running while you are not watching. Pay attention what your work mates are doing and warn them before something happens. Turn all appliances, stove, ovens and other equipment off before you close the kitchen.
A PROPER FIRST AID KIT: Every kitchen should have a proper first aid kit made for kitchen accidents. This first aid kit should be always well stocked and checked regularly by a qualified person like an ambulance officer, first aid officer or a company which supply the first aid kits. If you don't see that your kitchen has a first aid kit, ask your head chef to get one. One more important point; in the case of an accident, the first aid kit should be easy to access. It is also handy, if one or two members working in the kitchen should have a first aid certification.
I am sure that I have not covered all the dangers in a kitchen. The main dangers are listed here and I hope that you all take this blog serious and look out for each other for a smooth and accident free kitchen operation. If you see that something is faulty and in poor working order, report it immediately to the Head Chef.
NEXT WEEK I talk about my experiences as a breakfast Chef during my apprenticeship. Have a great week and stay save.
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