Health and safety in the catering industry - key recommendations
Among the potential dangers encountered in the food service industry, we can include first and foremost:
contact with high or low temperatures, use of machinery and tools that can cause damage to health.
It is also very important to maintain hygiene.
Therefore, the requirements in a food service workplace are:
regular inspection of the technical condition of machinery and tools and reporting all defects to the employer or other person in charge, maintaining cleanliness and order at the workplace, maintaining personal hygiene, using personal protective equipment.
WORK SAFETY (OPERATION OF MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT)
It is important to remember that machinery and equipment in the workplace can only be used in accordance with the instructions for their operation, with caution and safety rules (e.g. "Bakery oven manual").
In the food service industry, potential dangers include the possibility of exposure to excessively high temperatures (when cooking with gas, frying or operating a pizza oven).
On the other hand, when working in a cold storage or freezer, you can also expose yourself to temperatures that are too low. At the same time, it is important to remember that the person working there is required to be dressed appropriately and that he or she is entitled to a restorative meal.
When preparing food or portioning food, there is a likelihood of damaging your hands with sharp tools such as knives and slicers. Therefore, the health and safety signs that will be directly applicable to this industry are "High temperature warning", "Low temperature warning" or "Warning by before cutting off fingers".
Workers, in turn, should be provided with coveralls or aprons to protect them from burns, but also from damage to their clothing. Their nails should be cut short and their jewelry removed.
WORKING HYGIENE
In the catering industry, it is particularly important for employees to be healthy and maintain hygiene rules. Each employee is required to complete a sanitary survey.
When it comes to keeping the workplace clean, orderly and safe, not only is the condition of equipment, tools and food service facilities important, but attention should also be paid to the expiration date of items and that food that requires it is kept refrigerated.
Other rules related to hygiene in the food service industry include protecting the head with a cap or headscarf to prevent cooks' hair from falling into meals. A person, touching food with his hands, should wear disposable gloves.
OTHER RISKS
In addition, one of the significant risks in catering establishments is the possibility of slipping, occurring when water is spilled while cooking or washing dishes and caused by the need to keep the eating area clean. In such a situation, the portable signage " can be helpful.Note! Slippery floor", occurring in the form of a small stumbling block. For this reason, it is also a good idea to use comfortable shoes with flat, thick soles.
As in any other business, fire safety signage is essential in catering enterprises, because in the kitchen it is easy to have a fire risk and there is the possibility of a gas explosion. That is why it is so important to know where to find a fire extinguisher - as indicated by the placard "Fire extinguisher".
Of course, both cafes, restaurants and manufacturing facilities also use other signage that serves an informational role and is used to mark food storage areas (e.g. "Food storage", "Refrigeration"), its processing (e.g., "Kitchen", "Egg processing"), as well as sanitary facilities (e.g., the pictogram "Toilet").
The use of health and safety signage in the form of placards and stickers promotes safety in a food service workplace, facilitates compliance with procedures and evacuation action. That's why, in addition to following proper safety rules and personal protective equipment, you might want to think about labeling your premises and putting warnings on potentially dangerous machinery and tools.
