COMMON KITCHEN HAZARDS

Being aware of common hazards is essential to maintaining safety and preventing mishaps in any kitchen area, whether it be at home or in a professional setting. There are several possible risks in the kitchen, including burns from hot surfaces and slips on damp floors. 
Commercial kitchens often face hazards from food preparation equipment, manual labor, stock storage, and environmental cleanliness. However, humans are the primary cause of most hazards. The following safety instructions and preventative steps can reduce risks to a manageable level.

1. Manual handling.
   If not performed safely, carrying, lifting, pushing, and other manual handling tasks can cause severe damage to the musculoskeletal system of the body.
   According to the Health and Safety Executive, musculoskeletal injuries brought on by manual handling account for more than 30% of injuries in the food and drink industry.
   Among the dangerous manual handling tasks are:

Lifting food crates and boxes.
Dragging or pushing racks on wheels (such as trolleys).
Carrying plates in stacks or pots.
Equipment relocation.
Distributing drinkware, such as kegs and casks.
Unloading delivery of food and beverages.
Chopping and deboning birds and pork.
Grabbing things from walk-in refrigerators or shelves.
It can be particularly dangerous to manoeuvre difficult weights with shifting contents, such as kegs and casks, since you frequently have to adjust your grip while moving.

2. Electrical and fire hazards.
   You frequently work with open flames and electrical appliances in the kitchen. Electricity and fire constitute major risks since they can start a fire or potentially result in burns and shocks.
   To reduce the risk of electrical and fire dangers, you should:
   Watch out for fuel and ignite sources and get rid of cardboard boxes, packaging, and flour (using wet cleaning to avoid creating a cloud of flammable material).
   When working near open flames or electric stoves, exercise extra caution. Keep combustible goods far from heat sources, and don’t forget to wear a proper chef’s jacket.
   Examine the cables and plugs of appliances and equipment for damage, including fraying, dents, cracks, exposed wires, and burn marks. Keep an ear out for any strange sounds as well.
   Chemical spills should be cleaned up right away using non-flammable materials. 
   Use appliances and electrical equipment strictly for their intended use, and pay attention to any instructions that are given to you. 
   Avoid submerging electrical gadgets in water and avoid overloading outlet sockets. Electrical equipment should never be repaired by the user; instead, if it seems broken or has ceased functioning, remove it from service and notify senior staff right away. 
   Turn off all electrical equipment, stoves, and ovens at the conclusion of the work day and when cleaning. 
   Though far from comprehensive, these lists of kitchen hazards and safety precautions raise your awareness and provide helpful information for averting the most frequent risks you may encounter in a commercial kitchen.
   Your focus on safety will be advantageous to you in spotting out all types of hazards whle at work.
3. Inappropriate storage.
   Food could eventually become hazardous to use, and goods could fall from heights onto people if shelves and refrigerators are not securely stored. To properly store, you ought to: 
   Don’t overstock shelves and keep heavy goods no higher than waist height in storage. Apply the FIFO method of food storage. 
   If you need to reach higher shelves, use a stepladder to avoid having to reach over your head. Observe the safety guidelines for ladders. Remember your training on food safety and cleanliness. 
   Learn the proper way to store food in the refrigerator: place raw meat, poultry, and fish on the bottom, place fruits and vegetables in the bottom drawer, and place ready-to-eat food on top. 
   Don’t overstock the refrigerator; instead, store food in containers for later separation. Verify as much as possible beforehand and frequently check the use-by dates on items.
   Allergenic components should be kept well apart from non-allergenic ones.
   Make sure that the freezer is below -18°C and the refrigerator is between 0 and 5°C in temperature.
4. Trips, falls, and slips.
   Because there are so many opportunities for slips, trips, and falls in kitchens due to mistakes made by people, you and others need to pay special attention to good safety procedures and cleanliness.
   Fall, trip, and slip dangers, include: 
   Pills of flour, sauces, oil, and water on the floor.
   Floors that are wet after cleaning.
   Pathway obstructions, such as trailing cables, crates, boxes, trash cans, cleaning supplies, etc.
   Loose, worn-out, or uneven flooring.
   Reaching up on high pantry shelves with a ladder.
   Unloading cargo while standing inside a truck.
   People are always on their feet, sometimes carrying hot food that may spill on them if they tripped, therefore it’s imperative to prevent floor contamination.

How to reduce hazards when cooking:
Establish a reporting framework: Urge staff members to disclose risks as soon as they become apparent. In this manner, possible risks can be dealt with and avoided before they result in an incident.
Establish and carry out a schedule for cleaning and maintaining kitchen appliances. It can lessen the risks brought on by unclean or broken equipment.
Put on protective equipment: Make sure workers are protected from risks by wearing protective gear including oven gloves, aprons, and non-slip shoes.
Employee training: Employees should receive frequent training on safe food handling procedures and kitchen safety standards so they are aware of potential risks and how to avoid them.
Suitable food storage practices: Make sure food is at the right temperature, store it properly to prevent cross-contamination, and use the right containers for storage.
Maintain a spotless kitchen: To lower the possibility of mishaps and injuries, keep the kitchen clutter-free, spotless, and organized.
Maintain equipment properly: Kitchen equipment dangers brought on by filthy or malfunctioning equipment can be minimized by routine maintenance and inspection.
Label food correctly: Label and date all food items correctly. in order for food to be properly rotated and consumed prior to expiration.
Recognize hazards: Always be mindful of your surroundings and potential safety risks, especially in the kitchen.
Observe the rules on food safety: Adhere to the food safety standards and guidelines in order to prevent food poisoning and other food-related kitchen dangers.
Make an emergency plan: Make sure that every employee is aware of your emergency plan. Additionally, they know what to do in emergency.

Food Safety and Hygiene should be required for everybody who works with food on a daily basis, regardless matter whether they are professional chefs in restaurants or just occasionally make supper at home.
In any case, adhering to the stringent instructions provided here can help lessen the likelihood of dangerous situations happening while guaranteeing that everyone’s food stays contaminant-free and tastes great every time it is served up later!