FOOD & KITCHEN SAFETY

FOOD & KITCHEN SAFETY

KITCHEN SAFETY

Anyone who eats food prepared in your home OR in a foodservice establishment has a right to expect safe food served in a safe environment on safe premises. Liability... ‘Premises’ include a foodservice establishment and the property around it. A ‘general safety audit’ identifies areas and practices that may be hazardous to employees or customers. A restaurant manager is supposed to know the hazards, do whatever is necessary to correct them, and be sure there are proper warnings where everyone can see them. If an accident does happen, restaurants may be held ‘legally responsible’. This principle is the same one that applies to home ownership. LIABILITY means the legal responsibility that one person has for another.

Protection for employees in foodservice operations... Workers’ Compensation is a state-administered program that helps employees who are injured in accidents related to work, or become sick for job-related reasons. It provides payments for lost work time, payments for medical treatment, and payments for rehabilitation and retraining. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the federal agency that creates and enforces safety-related standards and regulations in the workplace. One such regulation requires that restaurants have a Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), and that employers notify all employees about chemical hazards on the job and provide training for their safe use.

Chemicals sometimes pose health hazards because they can cause long- or short-term injuries or illnesses. They may be toxic (poisonous), carcinogenic (cause cancer), or corrosive (cause a material to be eaten away or dissolved). Chemical hazards... Chemicals sometimes pose physical hazards because they are flammable, explosive, highly reactive to air or water, or stored under pressure that could cause damage to property and burns. Each chemical in a foodservice operation must have a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) that describes the hazard it presents, first aid, procedures for handling it, manufacturer contact info, etc. Ammonia, brass and silver cleaners, chlorine bleach, coffee pot cleaners, degreasing agents, disinfectants, drain cleaners, floor cleaners, dishwashing detergent, propane, butane, and pesticides are all examples.

Fire hazards... There are 3 classes of fire hazards in a kitchen or restaurant environment: Class A includes wood, paper, cloth, or cardboards; Class B includes flammable liquids, gases, or grease; Class C includes electrical equipment and circuits. Portable fire extinguishers are marked A, B, C, or a combination. Arson refers to the deliberate and malicious burning or property. Good fire safety procedures and building security can minimize risk. Smoke detectors must be placed where they have a flow of air past them, not in dead spaces such as at end of hallways or between ceiling beams. Heat detectors are activated by significant increases in temperature. CLICK ON THIS PICTURE TO SEE VIDEO After smoke comes fire. NEVER throw water on a grease fire! To put out a fire: remove the fire’s fuel supply; deny it oxygen; cool the fire’s point below it’s combustion point (throw on salt; flour will burn), or disrupt the flame’s chain reaction with a fire extinguisher.

Avoid burns... In order to serve food while it is hot, it may be served on heated plates or in skillets. Warn your guests about hot dishes or hot fillings in food, or about extremely hot liquids. Avoid steam burns on hands & arms. Use potholders. Do not substitute dishcloths that may be damp or towels that hand down.

Prevent slips, trips, and falls... Keep traffic patterns clear; check for exterior weather hazards; wipe up spills or grease on floors immediately; make sure lighting is good; check stairway handrails for sturdiness and stairway coverings must be secure; never use stairs or landings for storage; use ladders safely.

Lift and carry safely... Lift items carefully to avoid injury, especially to your back: A. stand close to the load with one foot slightly in front of the other; feet shoulder-width apart B. stand straight; face the load; bend at the knees and lower yourself with the leg muscles C. grip the load with your whole hand; keep wrists straight; tighten stomach muscles; slightly arch the back; check the weight and balance of the load; transfer weight to your legs as you lift the load; do not twist D. keep the load close to the body and elbows against the side of your body E. look for hazards in your way, such as people, obstacles, sharp corners, stairs, etc. F. give people carrying heavy objects the right-of-way G. use hand trucks, dollies, and carts when possible

Preventing cuts... Use equipment with blades carefully, such as slicers, blenders, choppers, and grinders. Employees under the age of 18 cannot operate these in restaurants or grocery stores. Practice safety when using cutting strips on plastic wrap, waxed paper, and foil products. Edges of tin or aluminum cans can be very sharp after opening. Use care when using utility knives to open boxes or crates. Sweep up large pieces of broken glass and discard in clearly marked containers. Use a wet paper towel to wipe up counters and floors to pick up the smallest fragments of glass BEFORE using your dishcloth.

Sharp knives are safer than dull ones; you exert less force. Use a ‘claw hold’ when chopping or dicing, keeping the tips of the fingers tucked back and slightly under. Knife safety... Wash knives separately; do not let them ‘hide’ while soaking in soapy water; pass the knife to another person by laying it down on a sanitized surface and allowing them to pick it up; carry a knife with the point down and slightly away from the body; only use knives for their intended purpose; step out of the way of a falling knife, not attempting to catch it.

Use equipment safely... Always unplug the mixer BEFORE inserting or ejecting beaters. Use care to keep spoons, rubber spatulas, long hair strands, or fingers away from moving beaters. When plugging in or unplugging an electrical appliance, grasp the plug end, NOT the cord. Use sturdy stepstools for climbing. Do not store heavy equipment over your head. Tie back long hair; do not wear loose clothing. Electricity and water do not mix! Avoid the use of extension cords. Do not overload electric circuits.

First aid... Small 1st (redness) and 2nd (blisters) degree burns can be treated immediately. Reduce the heat of the burn by running cool water (water that is too cold or ice may cause shock) over the burn. Use a burn ointment or sap from the aloe plant to sooth and keep the burned area moist if the area appears dry and cracked. Loosely bandage the area, if needed, but allow air to assist healing. Do not break blisters. Allow minor cuts to bleed for a bit, to wash the germs back out of the wound. Rinse with cool water, or apply pressure to stop the bleeding. Apply an antiseptic and a bandage. Effective first aid for either light injuries or until more complete treatment can be provided, meets the injured person’s emotional and medical needs.

Life-saving measures... Choking can be caused by: Trying to swallow large pieces of poorly chewed food. Drinking alcohol before or during meals. Alcohol dulls the nerves that aid in swallowing. Wearing dentures. Dentures make it difficult to sense whether food is fully chewed before it is swallowed. Eating while talking excitedly or laughing. Eating too fast. Walking, playing, or running with food or objects in the mouth. Children eating foods the size of a hot dog or grapes, nuts, raw vegetables, & popcorn * * * * * The Heimlich Maneuver clears the airway of a person who is choking. Cardio-Pulmonary Resusitation (CPR): clear the Airway, Breathe for the person, and restore Circulation through chest compressions.

FOOD SAFETY

Food poisoning... The #1 cause of food poisoning is the improper cooking and storage of food. Poor hygiene comes in second. The people at the highest risk of dying from food poisoning are very young children and the elderly.

Gastro-intestinal symptoms of food poisoning... 1. nausea 2. vomiting 3. diarrhea 4. abdominal pain

Less common, but more serious symptoms of food poisoning... 1. blood in the stools 2. fever

Botulism... food poisoning caused by spore-forming bacteria. • The most common source of botulism is in low-acid canned foods. • NEVER USE FOODS FROM BULGING CANS • AVOID DEEPLY DENTED CANS, ESPECIALLY AT THE SEAM OF THE CAN • DISCARD FOOD THAT EXPLODES FROM A CAN WHEN OPENED • DON’T TASTE FOODS YOU SUSPECT MAY BE SPOILED When in doubt, throw it out!

E.Coli food poisoning... IF the e.coli organism is living in the intestines of a healthy cow, and…IF the fecal matter inside these intestines touches the meat during the butchering process, and…IF you eat this meat without thoroughly cooking if first… …then you can get e.coli poisoning. Meat is not the only source. Any food or liquid can become contaminated if it comes in contact with the infected fecal matter. Even sewage-contaminated flood waters can pose a threat. Thorough cooking of the meat, until there is no pink remaining, kills the e.coli organism. Hamburger is the most common source of a large outbreak.

(kam′pi-lō-bak′ter) Campylobacter... The leading cause of food poisoning. Source: eating, or coming in contact with raw or undercooked chicken. Washing hands and work surfaces is the best preventative for cross-contamination. Use hot water and soap, or better yet, a diluted bleach solution.

Salmonella... The second leading cause of food poisoning, salmonella is most often associated with eating raw or undercooked eggs. Even eating raw cookie dough and cake batter can place you at risk, because they contain uncooked eggs. Cooking destroys this bacteria, so cook eggs ‘til yolk is firm to eliminate all risk.

Staphylococcus Aureus... (better known as "staph") Good hygiene of the food handler limits the spread of this food poisoning. This bacteria can be transferred from the skin, nose, and mouth to the food.

The cowboys of the old west feared contracting a case of “toe-main” poisoning, from eating the camp cook’s bad chow. This wasn’t some new fangled fatal disease…it’s just a word that meant the same thing as “food poisoning”. PTOMAINE POISONING! (spelled correctly!)

There is NO CURE for food poisoning! DRINK FLUIDS. That is the first and most important step to recovery. Consult a physician if symptoms become severe or last longer than 12 hours. Doctors can only help treat the symptoms. Do not induce vomiting. By the time you actually feel sick, the poisoning is past the stomach.

Moldy food...yuk! Although molds can cause foodborne illness, they more likely cause allergic reactions.

METAL AND ACIDIC FOODS DON’T MIX! De-tinning is a dark discoloration of a can lid or lining. It is simply a non-harmful chemical reaction of acid, metal, and oxygen. Aluminum foil may corrode if used to store acidic foods such as tomato sauce. It will get little holes in it and leave an unpleasant, but not harmful metallic taste in the food.

Worms or weevils... High in protein, Low in calories, But soooooo disgusting!

FOOD SAFETY TIPS... After thawing foods, you must cook them before refreezing. Any food containing mayonnaise must be kept cold at all times! Keep the inside of your refrigerator very cold… the lowest shelves being the coldest! NEVER stuff the turkey until you are ready to put it in the oven! Wash all fruits and vegetables before eating them!

THE END Which one of the safety rules did you break?

FOOD & KITCHEN SAFETY