Occupational Safety
Occupational safety and health
Hazards
A general list of the main safety and health hazards for employees in food preparation and food service includes:
| Potentially hazardous activities | Result |
| Use of knives, cutters, slicers, choppers and grinders | Cuts and amputations |
| Contact with open flames, hot surfaces and oils, steam; ovens, appliances, utensils | Burns and scalds |
| Use of kitchen appliances, motorized cleaning equipment | Electric shock, electrocution |
| Walking on slippery, wet or cluttered floors | Slips and falls |
| Using hand/arm for repeated stressful or awkward movements; working in one position for extensive time | Soreness and loss of function of wrists or arms |
| Heavy lifting, especially with awkward postures or difficult loads | Back pain |
| Exposure to detergents, cleaning solutions, food additives, plant materials, pesticides; temperature extremes; abrasion | Skin irritation, itching, swelling, redness |
| Exposure to flour, grain dust, spices, additives | Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath |
Hygiene and the food code
- Hand-Washing
- Standard Operating Procedure for Hand-Washing
- Bare Hand Contact with Ready-to-Eat Foods
- Using Disposable Gloves
- Employee Hygiene
- Hand Sanitizers
- Washing and Sanitizing Food Contact Surfaces
Training examples
As an idea for how you might create a safer campus kitchen, UW-Platteville Dining Services created these videos to train employees on safely completing some routine tasks.
Page last saved: 09/13/2013
Disclaimer
This publication was prepared for environmental, health and safety staff at University of Wisconsin System campuses, to assist in finding resources and information for regulatory compliance. It is not intended to render legal advice.
(Read full legal disclaimer.)