SAFETY
In the
fast-paced environment of hotels and
restaurants, a common attitude is that accidents are
inevitable and a part of doing business. But injuries mean losses. Lost money,
lost time, and lost productivity. And more importantly, they mean that workers
and their families suffer pain and have their lives disrupted. If accidents are
prevented, the savings can be significant — less overtime, less retraining, and
less time spent investigating accidents, to name a few. The other benefits are
also rewarding — morale improves and workers feel valued.
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Safety tips for
preventing common accidents
Following are some safety tips for preventing accidents
that commonly occur in the hotel and restaurant industries. Safety tips are
included on:
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Cuts: These can occur from: • Knives •
Furniture • Equipment • Counters • Utensils • Glassware • Preparation areas • Dishes •
Cleaning equipment
Do
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Do
not
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•
Throw away broken or chipped glassware.
• Use a
cutting board for safe cutting and chopping.
• Lock out
or disconnect the power source before cleaning equipment such as meat
slicers.
• Make sure
that you receive proper training in operating equipment and safe job
procedures.
• Consult
the manufacturer’s instruction manual for operating, cleaning, and
maintaining the equipment.
• Make sure
that cutting blades are sharp.
• After
cleaning, make sure that all guards and safety devices are put back in place.
• Place a
warning tag on defective and unsafe equipment and do not re-start the
equipment. Inform your supervisor.
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• Do not
operate equipment if you feel unwell or drowsy. (Remember, some cold remedies
can make people feel sleepy.)
• Do not
place hands near the edge of cutting blades. Make sure you can always see
both hands (and all fingers) and the
cutting
blades.
• Do not
try to catch falling objects.
• Do not
try to clean or "just brush something off" a moving part such as
cutting blades or beaters in mixers.
• Do not
push or place your hand in feed hoppers or delivery chutes. Use food pushers.
• Do not
try to cut anything in a slicer that becomes too thin. Use a knife to finish
cutting.
• Do not
wear loose or frayed clothing, gloves, or jewellery that can be caught in a
moving machine.
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Knives: Potential injuries: cuts and amputation.
Do
|
Do
not
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• Use the right knife for the job.
• Always use a proper chopping board
or block.
• Make sure the knife is sharp.
• Carry only one knife at a time, tip
pointed down at your side.
• Store knives securely in proper
racks in a visible place.
• Hold the knife with your stronger
hand.
• Cut away from your body when
cutting, trimming, or boning.
• When not using knives, place them at
the back, with the sharp edge away from you.
• After using a knife, clean it
immediately or place it in a dishwasher.
• Use protective clothing such as mesh
gloves.
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• Do not leave a knife in dishwater.
• Do not use a knife as a can opener.
• Do not try to catch a falling knife.
Let it fall and then pick it up.
• Do not engage in horseplay with a
knife in your hand.
• Do not carry knives while carrying
other objects.
• Do not carry a knife in your pocket.
• Do not leave knives where they could
be accidentally covered.
• Do not talk to your co-workers while
you are using a knife — you could become distracted.
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Slips and
falls: Slips and falls
can occur from: • Slippery and cluttered floors and stairs • Loose or bumpy
carpets and floor mats • Defective ladders and footstools • Poor visibility
Do
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Do
not
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• Keep floors and stairs clean, dry,
and non-slippery.
• Keep floors and stairs clear of
debris and obstruction.
• Use slip-resistant waxes to polish
and treat floors.
• Make sure that carpeting, rugs, and
mats are free of holes, loose threads, loose edges, and bumps that may cause
tripping.
• Use adequate warning signs for wet
floors and other hazards.
• Make sure that wooden duckboards and
railings are in good repair and free of splinters.
• Make sure that ladders and
footstools are in good repair and have non-skid feet.
• If possible, immediately remove or
clean up any tripping or slipping hazard you notice. If it’s not possible to
take care of the hazard yourself, report it immediately to your supervisor.
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• Do not use defective ladders or
footstools.
• Do not use chairs, stools, or boxes
as substitutes for ladders.
• Do not leave oven, dishwasher, or
cupboard doors open. These may present a tripping hazard for you or your
co-workers.
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Floors: Potential accidents: slips and falls.
Do
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Do
not
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• Make sure that walking surfaces are
uncluttered, non-slippery, clean, and adequately lighted.
• If you drop or spill something,
clean it up immediately.
• Mop floors with the recommended
amount of cleaning product in the water, or cleaning fluid, to ensure grease
and other slippery substances are removed.
• Make sure floors are free from trip
hazards such as raised or broken sections.
• Treat floors with slip-resistant
products if the floors must be waxed.
• Place wet floor warning signs
to prevent people from slipping.
• Use non-slip mats and floor
finishes.
• Replace doormats regularly.
• Walk — don’t run.
• Mark swinging doors with in and
out signs.
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• Do not leave carts, boxes, trash
cans, or other objects on the floors and in the aisles.
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Stairways: Potential accidents: slips and falls.
Do
|
Do
not
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•
Ensure that stairways are well lit.
• Keep stairs
clear of obstructions.
• Use
handrails.
• When
carrying a load up and down stairs, make sure that the load does not block
your vision.
• Report
tripping hazards to your supervisor and place warning signs.
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• Do not
store boxes and supplies on the stairs.
• Do not
throw things up or down stairways.
• Do not
switch off lights in the stairways.
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Storage Areas: Potential hazards: collapse of stored goods; slipping and tripping.
Do
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Do
not
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• Make sure the shelves are firmly
secured in place against walls and on the floor.
• Ensure adequate lighting.
• Store chemicals, detergents, and
pesticides in a separate area away from foodstuff.
• Ensure that chemicals that are
notcompatible with each other are not stored together. (Check the material
safety data sheet.)
• Store heavy items on lower shelves,
particularly when cartons contain fluids.
• Use bins and racks as much as
possible.
• Leave adequate clearance space
between the top of the stored goods and the ceiling in areas protected by a
sprinkler
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• Do not block passages in the storage
area.
• Do not stack loose items on the top
shelves.
• Do not overload shelving units.
• Do not store cardboard cartons in
damp areas.
• Do not overstock.
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Ladders: Potential accidents: falls from portable ladders; splinters;
slipping.
Do
|
Do
not
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• Inspect a ladder before and after
each use.
• Reject a ladder if it has loose,
broken, or missing rungs; loose hinges; or loose or missing screws or bolts.
• Reject and tag defective ladders.
Have defective ladders repaired or thrown out.
• Use a ladder designed for your task.
Consider its strength and type. (eg. insulated ladder for electrical work)
• Set up barricades and warning signs
when using a ladder in a doorway or passageway.
• Clean muddy or slippery footwear
before mounting a ladder.
• Face the ladder when going up or
down and when working from it.
• Keep the centre of your body within
the side rails.
• Place ladder feet 30 cm (1 ft.) from
the wall for every 1 m (3 ft.) of height.
• Extend the ladder at least 1 m (3
ft.) above the landing platform.
• Locate the ladder on a firm footing
using slip-resistant feet or secure blocking, or have someone hold the
ladder.
• Rest both side rails on a top
support, and secure the ladder to prevent slipping.
• Use a three-point stance, keeping
both feet and at least one hand on the ladder at all times.
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• Do not use ladder in a horizontal
position as a scaffold plank or runway.
• Do not carry objects in your hands
while on a ladder. Hoist materials or attach tools to a belt.
• Do not work from the top two rungs.
The higher you go on a ladder, the greater the possibility that the ladder
will slip out at the base.
• Do not use makeshift items such as a
chair, barrel, milk crate, or boxes as ladders.
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Burns and
scalds: Burns and scalds can occur from: •
Stoves • Toasters • Ovens • Boiling hot liquid • Hot utensils
• Pressure cookers • Cooking pots • Hot
dishwashers
Do
|
Do
not
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• Assume that all pots and pans and
metal handles are hot. Touch them only when you are sure that they are not hot
or when you are using proper gloves.
• Organize your work area to prevent
contact with hot objects and flames.
• Keep pot handles away from hot
burners.
• Make sure that handles of pots and
pans do not stick out from the counter or cooking stove.
• Use oven mitts appropriate for
handling hot objects. Use long gloves
for deep ovens.
• Follow electric and fire safety
guidelines.
• Follow the manufacturer’s operating
instructions.
• Use only recommended temperature
settings for each type of cooking.
• Open hot water and hot liquid
faucets slowly to avoid splashes.
• Lift lids by opening away from you.
• Wear long-sleeved cotton shirts and
cotton pants.
• Report
problems to your supervisor.
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• Do not overfill pots and pans.
• Do not leave metal spoons in pots and
pans while cooking.
• Do not spill water in hot oil.
• Do not overstretch over a stove,
grill, or other hot area in order to reach an uncomfortable distance.
• Do not use a wet cloth to lift lids
from hot pots.
• Do not open cookers and steam ovens
that are under pressure.
• Do not lean over pots of boiling
liquids.
• Do not leave a hot electric element
or gas flame of stove "on" all the time.
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Preventing overexertion accidents: Risk factors
The key to preventing injuries is to reduce or eliminate the
risk factors contributing to the injuries. Workplace factors associated with
overexertion accidents to the back include:
• Awkward back posture held for a period of time or repeated due
to poor working heights and reaches. Examples include
reaching for linen or supplies located on high shelves.
• Heavy or frequent lifting, pushing, pulling, and carrying. For
example, lifting and carrying bulk food containers.
• Prolonged sitting or standing. Examples include:
- Sitting — front office staff working on computers
- Standing — a restaurant worker whose duties consist of
greeting customers and working the cash•
- Whole body vibration. For example, delivery truck drivers.
The time to complete a task, how often it is repeated, and the
worker’s perception about time pressures can also influence workplace risk
factors.
How to reduce overexertion accidents:
Reducing risks need not be a complicated process. Following are
examples of solutions in hotel and restaurant industries:
• Store heavier or frequently used items at a height between
workers’ hips and chest to reduce awkward postures when
handling these items.
• Place smaller loads in laundry washing machines to reduce
tangling and the subsequent heavy pulling needed to remove the laundry from the
washer.
• Use laundry carts with spring-loaded bottoms that rise as the
cart is unloaded. This reduces repetitive, awkward bending.
• Install platforms at the base of laundry chutes to eliminate
repetitive bending and lifting from the floor while sorting laundry.
• Use long-handled tools to reach the walls and tub when
cleaning showers to decrease reaching and stooping.
• Ask a co-worker for help when moving heavy furniture.
Employers should set a policy to give guidance in these situations.
• Ensure cleaning products and equipment are efficient and do
not require extra force to use. For example, use a window
cleaner that doesn’t streak to reduce the number of wiping
motions, or use a cleanser that removes dirt and grime with one swipe.
• Use smaller banquet trays to lighten loads and to make them
easier to handle.
• Store clean plates on spring-loaded dollies to reduce repetitive
bending.
• Use carts to move heavy products from storage coolers and
freezers.
• Don’t store heavy items in small, confined areas where the
worker may not be able to use safe lifting techniques.
• Design or alter “pass through” windows in restaurants to
reduce the risk of back injury. If they are too high or too deep, workers are
forced to use long reaches and awkward postures to pick up orders.
• Lower storage racks at dishwasher stations to minimize awkward
lifting and reaching. Lowering the racks or using a sturdy step stool can help
to reduce the height of the lift.
• Add a footrest or matting to a hostess counter to give some
relief from prolonged standing.
• Reduce risks through organizing work differently. For example,
room attendants could unload laundry from their carts more often to lighten the
loads they handle and to reduce the amount of pushing needed to move the cart.
• Train and supervise workers in safe work practices that have
been developed to reduce their exposure to risk factors.
BAD WORKING HABITS: Some common working habits that can be identified in catering
situations as safety hazards are as below:
#- Habit of lighting cooking gas ranges without placing anything
on the burner for cooking.
#- Habit of keeping electric switches “ON” while dismantling an
equipment for cleaning or repair.
#- Placing knives and other sharp kitchen tools in the sink for
washing, along with other equipment can cause cuts.
#- Not wiping the spillages immediately can result in slips and
falls
#- The tendency to dispose of broken glass pieces along with
other wastes can cause cuts.
#- Inserting loose wires into electric sockets, especially with
moist hands can result in fatal shock.
#- Replacing hot electric bulbs immediately upon fusing, can
cause burns on the hand.
#- Lifting lids off hot pans suddenly poses threat of getting
burns through hot steam.
Preventing exposure to HIV/AIDS, and Hepatitis
‘’B and ‘C’ at work:
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