It’s not just a nice thing to do to make a safe working environment for your staff, it is a government, legal requirement under workplace health and safety. Every workplace must now have risk assessments for procedures relating to plant and equipment used on the premises and processes that are carried out by staff. Regular meetings with your staff is a great way of keeping them up to date with the latest safety requirements, discussing any incidents that have occurred and talking with staff about the safe work practices your company has in place for their safety. It is also important to keep the information regarding PPE (personal protective equipment) up to date and to ensure that there is always access to PPE you require staff to use.
Ensuring that all electrical equipment is tested and tagged regularly is also a requirement and assists with insurance if there are any issues. Well-maintained tools are vital to assist staff with intricate tasks. For example, keeping knives and other tools sharp decreases the effort required to use them.
Also, when designing the working environment optimize the work design for comfort and safety. Use adjustable tables where possible so your employees can physically position themselves in a way that’s comfortable. If possible, make the job easier with pouring machines, conveyor belts, dumbwaiters, and shelving and sinks that are installed at a proper height. There are standards and guidelines produced by the government that assist with this.
And, share the work around. Many tasks in a kitchen environment are repetitive so work a rotation roster among your employees to ensure one person is not stuck peeling spuds all day!. Be sure to make breaks mandatory. Not only is it good for their health, but it will decrease the risk of an accident.
When cooking, there is always a possibility of fire, it is a common and dangerous hazard. As mentioned earlier having the right equipment, ensuring it is up to code and having staff trained in its use is essential. There are several different fire extinguishers, but for the kitchen the Class K fire extinguishers are the most suitable. These fire extinguishers are specifically designed to put out kitchen fires that are caused by animal fats, oils, and grease. Basically the Class K extinguisher is a foam that smothers the flame and prevents the fire spreading.
With all this said, at Grease Busters we can assist with safety in your commercial kitchen. We know how to remove even the heaviest deposits of grease and fatty particles from your kitchen duct system. We really are the go-to Fat Busters and can guarantee you that, if you employ us to maintain your filtration system regularly, if the worst happens and you have a fire in your kitchen your exhaust system will not inflame it.
Our work comes with our customer satisfaction guarantee and a certified completion certificate that ensures your insurance is protected and you are covered in case the worst does happen.
Call Grease Busters today – we are part of the answer to a safe working kitchen for you!
