Kitchen And Food Safety
Holly Ascroft
Preventing Kitchen Accidents
1. Cuts
- Put knives in a separate drawer from other utensils
- always keep knives sharp so they will be less likely to slip - the duller the knife the more dangerous
- Never cut on the counter use a cutting board instead
- only use knives for the purpose they were made for (not as a screwdriver or can opener)
- hand knives to others by giving them the handle and not the blade
2. Slips and Falls
- clean up spills immediately
- DO NOT RUN
- close cupboard doors immediately
3. Burns
- DO NOT TOUCH the pan to test if it is hot
- Presume that all pots and pans are hot
- place pot handles inward toward the center of the stove, never place pot handles over other burners
- Use oven mitts or pot handlers to take anything out of the oven ( don't use dishtowels or dishcloths)
- to avoid steam burns open pot lids away from yourself
- be very careful when placing food in hot oil - make sure the food is dry
- Turn Off burners and oven after use
4. Fires
- make sure to keep paper towels, dish towels, recipes and cords away from the burners
- Never wear baggy clothing when cooking
- long hair should always be tied back
- Never leave cooking unattended
- Never plug too many appliances into the same outlet
- make sure all burners and oven elements are clean before you start cooking
5. Shocks
- completely dry hands before touching electrical appliances
- keep all electrical cords away from water
- take the plug not the cord, when removing from the outlet
- Never use frayed, cracked, or torn electrical cords - report these to the teacher
- keep utensils out of the toaster
6. Poisoning
- hazardous materials and cleaning products should never be stored near food
- DO NOT remove cleaning products from their original containers
- Never use a chemical for anything but what it is made for
- NEVER mix household chemicals together
In case of a kitchen fire...
> Pan Fire
- smother fire with baking soda or use an oven mitt to put a pot lid over fire
- turn the heating element off
- inform the teacher
> Oven Fire
- keep the door closed
- turn the oven off
- inform the teacher
- allow the fire to burn out
If you cut yourself...
- run the cut under water to take out any debris
- wash cut using mild mild soap
- stop the bleeding by using a paper towel and applying pressure to the direct area > if the cut is on your arm or hand raise your arm above your head to stop bleeding
- when the bleeding has stopped, cover the cut with bandages or gauze and tape
If you burn yourself...
- cool the burn by running it under cool water for 10-20 minutes (never use ice because it will make the burn blister faster) > Never apply butter to the burn
- clean the area with some mild soap and water
- cover the affected area with a clean cool cloth
- if it blisters, never pop or drain it - the blister helps heal
Food-borne Illness
Food-borne illnesses are caused by bacteria. Bacteria is a microscopic organism that can be found everywhere, they can be dangerous and can cause many different types of illnesses.
Bacteria grows more rapidly in the danger zone. The danger zone is the temperature range of 4 - 60 degrees c ( 40 - 140 degrees F.
Some of the most common food-borne illnesses are:
- E coli
- Salmonella
- Botulism
- Campylobacter
- Listeria
Preventing Food-Borne Illness
To prevent food-borne illness you should always put away groceries right away, never put raw meat on the top shelf put it on a lower shelf and vegetables on the top ( always wash fruits and vegetables before eating them). Cut vegetables and meat on separate cutting boards to prevent cross contamination. Wash all dish towels, dish cloths and aprons after using them the prevent the spread of bacteria. Wash your hands before you go and do anything else and after you come back, cook raw meat as soon as you take it out of the fridge to prevent the growth of bacteria.
Remember to keep your kitchen clean so you can avoid getting sick or hurt.