Kitchen Equipment
Working in a restaurant kitchen can be fast-paced, but employees must stay vigilant when handling dangerous machinery. Accidents can happen quickly if proper safety measures are not followed.
Employees can be exposed to potentially dangerous machinery in the kitchen, such as:
- slicers
- dicers
- choppers
- mincers
- microwaves
- mixers
Before operating any types of kitchen equipment, you should do the following to protect yourself:
- Get trained on how to use the equipment.
- Wear any personal protective equipment provided by your employer.
- Use machine guarding.
- Ask for help if you are unsure how a piece of equipment works.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions for machine usage and cleaning.
Real-life Scenario
The Untrained Worker
One afternoon, a new employee, Gloria, was tasked with preparing ingredients for a busy dinner service. She noticed the slicer and decided to use it without asking for help or receiving proper training. As Gloria began operating the slicer, she failed to notice the absence of a machine guard. While feeding a piece of produce into the slicer, her hand slipped, resulting in a severe cut to their fingers.
Key Safety Missteps:- Gloria was not trained on how to use the slicer properly.
- Personal protective equipment, such as cut-resistant gloves, was not worn.
- The slicer was missing its machine guard, which went unnoticed.
- Gloria did not ask for help when unsure about the equipment.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
5-3. What should you receive before operating any type of kitchen equipment?
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