FOOD PRODUCTION NOTES

 

TOPIC FOUR                                 

SAFETY

Catering is the largest employers of labour

The catering industries are affected by accident at work. E.g. cuts, burns, fire, falls

The health and safety at work act was passed to;-to extend coverage & protection of the law to all employees    _increase awareness of safety among those at work both the employees &employers

The employer is responsible 4 providing &maintaining the safe working condition and training staff to use save and hygienic method.

The employee should take responsible care 4 his/her health &safety of the others in the immediate working areas.

The employee should co-operate with the employer to meet &comply with any requirement concerning health &safety.

The employee should not interfere with or misuse anything provided in interest of health &safety.

 

ACCIDENT PREVENTION

 Accident can be prevented by using the correct process 4 each job by sporting any hazard that may cause dangerous and by behaving in a sensible and direct full manner.

Accident prevention  :

·         Avoid being overtired.

·         Concentrate at all times.

·         Dont rush or run.

·         Do not make too much noise or distract the attention of others by shouting.

·         Use equipment only when authorized and trained to do so.

·         Use safety procedures at all times.

·         Always use protective clothing & footwear &ensure that they are properly maintained.

HAZARDS EXAMPLES AND THEIR PREVENTION

·         CUTTING BLADES HAZARDS

-This can be caused by using knifes which are blunt

-Handling knifes incorrectly.

-Putting knifes in the sinks.

-Using unguarded cutting blades on food e.g. slicers choppers & chippers

Prevention

-Use of sharp knifes

-The correct knife should be used for appropriate job.

-Knifes should not be put in the washing up sinks

-handle the knifes correctly the point must be held downwards

-place the knife flat on the board or table so that the blade is not placed upward

·         ELECTRICITY HAZARD

-Cleaning electrical appliances & equipment with water while electric current is flowing

-using equipment with wet hands

-badly wired or damaged wires or plugs

-Exposed or faulty wiring

-Overloaded plugs

-Electrical cords near hot objects

PREVENTION

-switching off the equipment &disconnect plugs when cleaning

-avoid overloading plugs

-never use wet hands on electrical appliances to avoid shocks

-report any damage plugs

-do not run electrical cords near hot objects

·         HEAT HAZARDS

-Incorrect handling of hot items being removed on the burners or ovens

-careless handling of hot pans or pots full of hot soup

-using damp clothes or inadequate oven cloths

-handles of hot pans protruding over the edges of the stoves

 

PREVENTION

-Carry pots or pans which are full of hot soup correctly

-correctly handling of hot items that are being removed from the burners or ovens

-always use dry clothes which must also be thick.ie ovengloves

-keep handles of the stoves away from the edges of the stove.

4) OBSTACLE HAZARDS

-This can be caused by mob bucket left lying on the main traffic routes

-working units doors left open

-unmaintained and chipped services

-uneven floor

PREVENTION

-Mark any areas where periodic or unusual work is being done e.g.; mopping in progress, cleaning in progress

-ensure working units doors are closed

-put a sign or mark where there is a chipped service or uneven floor.

5) POOR HOUSEKEEPING /POOR HYGIENIC STANDARD

-These are caused by fresh spillages of food & liquid on the floor

-wet floors.

PREVENTION

-Cleaning the spillages immediately

- keep the floor dry.

6) HEAVY EQUIPMENTS HAZARDS

When lifting items that are too heavy

Moving fast while carrying heavy goods /items

PREVENTION

-Ask for assistance or use mechanical lifts where possible

-move slowly while carrying items /goods

7) FIRE HAZARDS

-Incorrect method of cooking e.g.; when shallow frying &deep frying

-over boiling /flowing foods e.g.; starches &soups

-lack of concentration leading to burning of food

PREVENTION

-Correct method of cooking and follow the rules

-when food have reached boiling simmer to avoid over boiling

-concentrate in whatever you are cooking

-display clear instruction or procedures to be taken in case of fire

-providing firefighting equipment.

COMMON ACCIDENTS CAUSES AND PREVENTION MEASURES

CUTS AND SRATCHES

1. KNIVES.

-Use sharp knife and clean

-store them flat on the table

-avoid putting knives in a wash up sink.

-handle then point facing downwards.

-do not put knife at the edge of the edge of the table

-have a knife with handle.

-using greasy handle can cause cutting.

-the correct knife should be used for the correct job.

2. Choppers

-should be kept sharp and clean and should not be exposed.

3. Cutting blades.

-Guards should be in place when the machine is use and should not be tampered with.

-Hands or fingers should not be inserted passed in the guard.

-before the guards are removed for cleaning ensures that the guards have stopped revolving.

-after the guards have been removed for cleaning the blades should not be left unattended.

Prevention.

-Frozen meat should not be boned out until it is completely thawed out.

4. Burns and scald.

-A burn is caused by dry heat

-scald is caused by moist wet heat.

Prevention.

-sleeves of jacket and overalls should be rolled down.

-an apron should worn at a sensible length to give adequate protection.

-A good thick and dry clothes or grooves should be used to handle hot utensils.

-They should never be wet thin torn or with holes.

-trays and pots containing hot liquid should be handled carefully.

-Handles of pans should not protrude over the edge of the working surface.

-certain foods requires extra care when heat is applied to them e.g. cold liquid being added to hot roux for thickening of soups and sauces.

-Deep frying needs carefully attention e.g. put fish into the pan

Away from the person so that any splashes will do no harm.

-wet food should be drained and dried before placed in the fat.

-turn off steamers before opening the door, when steamer is opened one should be away of the escaping team.

-the door of the steamer should not be opened immediately the steamer is turned off.

-when passing liquids through conical strainers it is wise to keep the face well back so as to avoid getting splashed.

5. Falls.-falls accidents are also caused by water being spilled in the floor and don’t cleaned up peels of fruits and vegetable and obstruction of equipment’s.

Prevention.

-keep floors clean and dry.

-proper disposal of vegetables and fruit .peels

-pots and pans should never be left on the floor.

-wearing proper footwear.

-oven doors or cardboard door should not be left open.

-heavy items should be lifted in care.

-save kitchen should be well lit.

6. Machinery.

-accidents can be caused by misuse of machines to prevent this following must be put into practice.

A.The machine should be in correct order.

B.the control of machine should be done by the person operating.

Machine attachments should be correctly assembled .when using the mixing machine the hands should not be placed inside the bowl unit the blades have stopped revolving.

Plugs should be removed from the electric machines when they

Are cleaned.

Gas explosion.

-ensure the gas is properly lit.

-ensure the gas is turned off after use.

-ensure   that the main gas has ignited from the pilot

SUMMARY

Staffs should take precautions to accidents happening &when happen it is necessary to know