FACTS

1. Burns can happen when boiling water or oil makes contact with the skin, but they can also occur when staff members neglect to make use of protective oven gloves. Cuts can occur when dull knives being used to cut food slip and cause hand and finger injuries.
2. Kitchen floors are typically smooth for the purpose of making them easier to clean. However, this practical feature can turn into a significant hazard when water, oil, and other slippery substances inevitably spill during the course of a day’s work.
3. Fires can occur anywhere in a kitchen. From overloaded sockets to the spillage of oil onto hot burners or inside ovens, kitchens carry a risk of injury from fire.
4. Commercial kitchens are host to a variety of hazardous fuels, flammable liquids and gases which can cause catastrophic damage, severe injury and death.
5. Accidents often occur due to inadequate supervision, training or mismanagement.

STATS

• Trips and falls account for 16% of all workplace injuries within the foodservice industry and occur on the same level. With over 500,000 workplace injuries occurring annually and 6% within the foodservice industry, knowing the potential hazards and how to avoid them could save you or one of your colleagues from unnecessary harm.
• According to the NFPA, approximately 61% of all restaurant fires were caused by cooking – with cooking equipment or materials being the most frequent items initially ignited and therefore the cause of the fire. This makes up three out of five fires and 38% of direct property damage.
• Approximately 22% of these fires were a result of failure to clean, 14% electrical failure or malfunction, 12% mechanical failure or malfunction and 8% unattended equipment.
• Deep fryers were involved in one of five fires (21%), ranges or cooktops in 14% of fires, cooking grills in 6%, and ovens or rotisserie ovens in 5%.
• 31% of reported injuries in food service establishments resulted in days away from work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
• One of the biggest areas for improvement in many kitchens is oil management. According to a Restaurant Technologies study conducted by a major insurance provider, an impressive 60% of workers’ compensation incidents in restaurants are related to the handling of cooking oil — whether burns, slips and falls or back strains.