 Occupational Safety and Health in Food Service Operations

Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) – can be important for moral, legal, and financial reasons. It can also reduce
employee injury and illness related costs (medical care, sick leave, disability benefit cost).
Moral obligations would involve the protection of employees lives and health. Legal reasons for OSH practices relate to
preventive, punitive, and compensatory effects of laws. All organizations have a duty of care to ensure that employees and
any other person who may be affected.
Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHC) – is mandated to protect Filipino workers against accidents and
illnesses in their workplace and promote employee’s welfare.
3 Main reasons for Occupational and Health Standards:
 Moral – it is an idea that no one should have to risk their health for the sake of work.
 Economic – it involves the financial security reserved for the employees to maintain safety and health
 Legal – the management needs to uphold its legal obligations and compliance.
Hazard Identification and Risk Control:
 Hazard identification – consider every area when looking for hazards.
 Assess the risk – evaluate the risks.
 Risk control – look for ways to control the risk.
Best way to Control Risk:
1. Eliminating or Substitution – physically remove or replace hazard.
2. Isolation
3. Engineering controls – isolate people form the hazard.
4. Administrative controls – change the way people work.
5. Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) – protect the worker.
Occupational Safety – workers in food industries are exposed to wide range of hazards.
 Same level falls or fall from heights.
 Exposure to sharp instruments and falling objects.
 Collision with transport equipment.
 Work posture injuries.
 Exposure to noise, heat and cold, dust radiation, electricity.
 Worked in confine spaces.
Solution for Hazards in Food industry:
1. Equipment Solution – making sure that the restaurant has the right equipment.
2. Work practice Solution – carrying out the work in a way that reduces the chances of hazards.
Eight (8) types of Hazards:
1. Awkward Posture – working with an uncomfortable position.
2. Repetitive Motion – when a task involves your body over and over again.
3. Standing in Place for A Long Time – standing in place for a long time can cause body pain tendons.
4. Heavy Loads – by lifting, it increases the tension on your body.
5. Forceful Use of Hand Muscles – pushing your muscles to its limits.
6. Slips, Trips, and Falls – can lead to serious injuries, the main reason is poor housekeeping.
7. Burns – burns from hot surfaces such as grills and stoves.
8. Cuts and Lacerations – usage of knives and unguarded machines.
Fire Hazards – cooking fires are the primary cause of home fires and home fire injuries.
Most often Cause of Fire:
 Cooking food unattended.
 Combustibles near to the heat surface.
 Unintentionally turning on or off of equipment.
Kitchen Fire Prevention:
 Keep appliances serviced, cleaned, and in good repair.
 Unplug electric appliance when not in use.
 Install a smoke detector near, but not in the kitchen.
 Use caution when lighting the burner gas stove.
 Don’t use metal in the microwave.
 Don’t overspill.
 Wipe up spills and don’t cook on a dirty stove.
 Always roll up long sleeves and tie back long hair when cooking.
 Never leave cooking unattended.
 Keep dish towels, pot holders, and paper towels away from the stove.
Restaurant Kitchen Fire Prevention:
 Inspect solid fuel cooking appliance on a monthly basis.
 Have cooking appliances in low-volume kitchens inspected quarterly.
 Have cooking appliances in moderate volume kitchens inspected twice a year.
 Have cooking appliances in high-volume kitchens inspected quarterly.
 Equip cooking appliances with non-combustible grease filter.
In Case of Fire:
 Grease fires are put out by smothering the fire.
 Cover the pan or fryer with a tight-fitting lid.
 Do not pour water onto grease fire.
 Do not carry the burning pan.
 Use fire extinguisher to put out fire.
 Must have multi-purpose fire extinguisher.
 Place fire extinguisher near at the workplace.
 Call the fire department
Ergonomics – is the science of designing the workplace to fit the worker.
First signs of Injury:
1. Numbness – unable to feel anything.
2. Weakness – prevents someone or something from being effective or useful.
3. Aching – causing distress, deep emotion, or longing.
4. Itching – produce an unpleasant feeling on your skin that makes you want to scratch.
5. Discomfort – feeling of somewhat worried, unhappy, uncomfortable, or painful in your body.
Workplace Violence – is any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation or other threatening disruptive
behavior.
1. Bullying – distinctive pattern of harming and humiliating others. It is deliberate and repeated.
2. Intimidation – can effect the working environment because it provides negativity.
3. Harassment – workplace harassment is a form of discrimination towards co-workers.
Protect Employee Against Workplace Violence:
1. Identify areas of risk.
2. Develop procedures to minimize risks.
3. Train to minimize for potential violence.
4. Implement system for reporting, investigating, and following up.
Safe Work Practices – provide employees with instruction on how to carry out specific tasks.
Work Guidelines and Policies to Make Work Healthier:
1. Adequate rest breaks, less overtime. 3. Fair and equal opportunities.
2. Better staffing.
 Kitchen Safety: Pre-cautions and First Aid
First Aid for Kitchen Accidents – your kitchen is a place where you can express your culinary creativity and it is also a
place where you can get seriously hurt if you are not careful.
6 Major Areas of Concern with respect to kitchen safety:
1. Fires and burns 4. Cuts
2. Electric shock 5. Choking
3. Falls 6. Poisoning
The Basic First Aid Kit:
1. Alcohol 4. Antiseptic Cream
2. Band Aids 5. Bandage.
3. Burn treatment ointment
First aid for common kitchen accidents:
1. First Aid for Cuts:
Causes: Knives, broken glass, sharp cooking utensils.
Pre-cautions:
- Keep knives sharp - Pick up broken glass with a paper towel.
- Wash separately and share appropriately.
First Aid:
- Clean it with a soap and water.
- Go to emergency room if the bleeding is severe or doesn’t stop after 5 to 20 minutes of direct pressure.
2. First Aid for Burns:
Causes: Hot burners on the stove top, oven, hot dishes, scalding from steam and boiling liquid.
Pre-cautions:
- Use pot holders - Turn the stove and oven off when done.
- Turn pan handles toward the center of the stove. - Keep small children away from stove.
First Aid:
- Cool as quickly as possible - Don’t break blisters
- Cover with a dry bandage - Call doctor if burn is extreme
To treat Burn Injuries:
1. First-degree Burn – involves just the top layer of skin, red, and painful like sunburn. When pressed burned area it
turns white.
2. Second-degree Burn – deeper skin injury, turn red, blister, swells, and hurts.
3. Third-degree Burn – a medical emergency, cover the wound in a cool, wet dressing and call 911.
See doctor right away if: involves face, hand, feet, or genital. Near a joint such as knee or shoulder. Goes way around a
part of your body. Is longer than 3 inches across or goes deeply in skin.
3. First aid for Electric shock:
Causes:
- Worn cords on appliances - Water in contact with appliances
- Underground outlets
Pre-cautions:
- Replace worn cords - Disconnect appliances if it falls in the water
- Disconnect small appliances when not in use - Use outlet covers.
First Aid:
- Disconnect the power source first - Treat burns
- Remove the injured person from the power source - Call for help
- Administer Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)