Health & Safety at work: Kitchens

If you work in the hospitality industry . . . here are a few tips.

Whether you are casual or permanent, work full time or part-time, your employer must:

• Make sure the place where you work is safe and will not cause any health problems
• Have a workers compensation insurance policy. Details of this policy much be displayed at the workplace.

You must:

• Help your employer and the people you work with the make sure that the workplace is safe
• Report all accidents as soon as they happen
• Report any hazards you find to your supervisor
• Not operate any machinery unless you have be trained to do so.

Cuts

Cuts and even amputations can be caused by the misuse or poor maintenance of knives, mincers, food processors, dough mixers, meat band saws or from broken glass. So in general -

Make sure you:

• Receive proper training in operating the equipment
• Put back all guards and safety devices after cleaning
• Clean up broken glass as soon as possible
• Pick up loose pieces of broken glass with a damp paper towel and put them in a solid plastic of metal container.

Do not:

• Try to clean or “just brush something off” a moving part such as cutting blades or beaters in mixers
• Wear loose or frayed clothing or jewellery that could get caught.
• Pack down garbage by hand

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Source: Work Cover NSW,