Safety should be the number one priority in any workplace. This is especially true for restaurants. Most commercial kitchens feature equipment and tools that could easily injure someone when used incorrectly. You don’t want a bad accident to take place in your kitchen. Practicing proper safety in a commercial kitchen will help prevent injury and equipment issues.
Below, we offer several tips on how to make your commercial kitchen safer. Use them to create a safe environment for you, your employees and your customers.
Have the right fire extinguishers
Fires are always a possibility in commercial kitchens. That’s why it’s important to keep the right fire extinguishers on hand. Kitchens cooking with vegetable oils need a UL 300 hood extinguishing system and K-rated fire extinguisher on hand. Not having these items would be a violation of current U.S. codes.
Every kitchen should have at least one fire extinguisher. Make sure all employees know where it’s located. Check the condition of your fire extinguisher on a monthly basis and have it serviced when necessary.
Prepare your employees
Improve safety in your commercial kitchen by providing employees with the right training. All employees should know how to stay safe when operating equipment or simply moving around the kitchen. That’s why it’s good to provide your employees with routine safety training programs. During these training programs, inform your employees of what to do during an emergency.
Good communication is an important aspect of commercial kitchen safety. All employees should know to tell someone when they notice a problem with any equipment. They should also know to clean any floor spills as soon as possible.
Provide equipment with proper maintenance
A good equipment maintenance program will help make your commercial kitchen safer. Equipment malfunctions could easily cause safety issues in the kitchen. That’s why it’s important to take care of those small equipment problems before they grow out of control. Faulty equipment could result in fires and employee injury.
Don’t ever put off equipment repairs. Contact a commercial equipment repair specialist right away. This will help prevent injuries and the need for expensive future kitchen equipment repairs.
Supply employees with safety gear
To ensure the safety of all your employees, supply them with protective clothing, like aprons and face masks. It’s usually a good idea to have all employees wear gloves. This will not only help ensure the safety of your employees but also the safety of your customers.
Make sure employees wear the right kind of shoes. Slipping is easy in a commercial kitchen when you don’t wear the right shoes. Avoid allowing anyone in the kitchen who isn’t wearing the right protective clothing.
Invest in the right equipment
You can help improve the safety in your commercial kitchen by investing in top-quality equipment in the first place. At Commercial Equipment Service Inc., we sell the best kitchen equipment to business owners. We also provide equipment repairs, installations and 24-hour emergency service. Get in touch with us today to learn more and discuss your needs.