Employers have the primary responsibility for protecting the safety and health of their workers. Employees are responsible for following the safe work practices of their employers.

• Do not try to unload dishes or glasses until they are cooled.

• Avoid steam; it can burn.

• Open hot water faucets slowly to avoid splashes.

• Test water temperatures in sinks before sticking your hands into them.

Employers have the primary responsibility for protecting the safety and health of their workers. Employees are responsible for following the safe work practices of their employers.

Follow OSHA Standards including:

• Provide machine guards to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards. Machine Guarding Standard [1910.212(a)(1)].
  • Continuous-feed dishwashers and glass washers should be properly guarded to prevent accidental scalding of workers by steam and hot water and possible injuries from rollers and conveyors.

Employers have the primary responsibility for protecting the safety and health of their workers. Employees are responsible for following the safe work practices of their employers.

• Identify and report any workplace hazards to supervisors.

• Attend any training meetings provided by employer.

• Report any unsafe working conditions to supervisor.

Eliminating electrical hazards through safeguards and safe work practices including:

• Use ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) receptacles for your own protection if they are available. Encourage employers to install these lifesaving, inexpensive devices. See ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs).

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  Become educated about electrical hazards. Understand how potential electrical accidents may occur and how to help avoid them. For example:
  • Do not put your fingers or other materials on the prongs of a plug while you are inserting it into an outlet. Keep your hands well back on the plug.
  • Remove plugs from receptacles by pulling on the plug, not the cord. Pulling on the cord could damage the cord and increase the risk of shocks.

  • Do not use damaged cords or receptacles. This may promote shocks.

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  Understand that touching the outside of a metal outlet box with one hand while plugging in an appliance with the other hand may complete the electrical "circuit," forcing current through you and exposing you to possible shock or electrocution.

• Do not plug in electrical equipment with wet hands or while touching a wet or damp surface

• Use plugs and receptacles that have been designed to prevent energization until insertion is complete.

Know emergency procedures and policies for electrical emergencies at work including:

• Learn how to shut off the current (such as flip breakers, or lever switch, etc.) in case of an emergency.

• Make sure electrical control panels are properly labeled.

• Never touch an electrocution victim until the power has been turned off.

• Never use faulty equipment or damaged receptacles and/or connectors.

• Never plug in electrical equipment with wet hands or while touching a wet or damp surface.

• Learn how to perform CPR.

Follow OSHA Standards including:

• Ensure that all electrical service near sources of water is properly grounded. Electrical Standard [1910.304(g)(6)(vi)(C)(5)].

  • Grounding requirements for equipment connected by cord and plug. OSHA Standard Interpretation, (December 21, 1999)

• Ensure electrical equipment shall be free from recognized hazards [1910.303(b)(1)].

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  Tag out and remove from service all damaged receptacles and portable electrical equipment [1910.334(a)(2)(ii)].

• Repair all damaged receptacles and portable electrical equipment before placing them back into service [1910.334(a)(2)(ii)].

• Ensure that employees are trained to not plug or unplug energized equipment when their hands are wet [1910.334(a)(5)(i)].

• Keep aisles and passageways clear and in good repair, with no obstruction across or in aisles that could create a hazard. Provide floor plugs or ceiling plugs for equipment so power cords need not run across pathways. Walking-working Surfaces Standard [1910.22(a)].

For more information, see General Hazards - Electrical Hazards.

Employers have the primary responsibility for protecting the safety and health of their workers. Employees are responsible for following the safe work practices of their employers.

• Read the product label and follow instructions and recommendations listed on the label.

• Use the least toxic cleaning products possible.

• Use any personal protective equipment provided by your employer such as gloves, eye goggles, and special aprons.

• Be sure you are properly trained in the need for and use of personal protective equipment.

• Use appropriate gloves to protect your hands from chemicals and sharp objects.

• After removing gloves, wash your hands with mild soap and water, and dry thoroughly.

• Avoid latex gloves if you have been diagnosed with latex allergy.

• Ask your employer about possible toxic effects of the chemicals you are required to use. You have the right to read Safety Data Sheets (SDS). SDS provide employers and employees with information to protect themselves from hazardous chemical exposures and to work safely with chemical products.

• Do not mix chlorine bleach and ammonia products together. This combination will create a toxic gas.

Employers have the primary responsibility for protecting the safety and health of their workers. Employees are responsible for following the safe work practices of their employers.

Follow OSHA Standards including:

• If hazardous chemicals are used, employers need to implement a written program that meets the requirements of the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) to provide for worker training, warning labels and access to Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
  • The Hazard Communication Standard ensures employee awareness of the hazardous chemicals they are exposed to in the workplace and how to prevent exposure.

  • Provide Safety Data Sheets for any hazardous chemicals that are used in the workplace.

• Provide appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as, gloves, goggles, and splash aprons for employees who handle hazardous chemicals including dishwashing detergents, pesticides, etc. [1910.132].

• Provide suitable facilities for quick drenching or flushing of the eyes and body if exposure to injurious corrosive material is possible. Facilities should be located within the work area for immediate emergency use. Medical Services and First Aid Standard [1910.151(c)].

Consider implementing recommended safe work practices, including:

• Use cleaning chemicals that are not considered hazardous.
• Consider automating the dispensing of cleaning chemicals whenever possible to avoid employee contact with chemicals.
• Limit employee contact with dishwashing detergents by providing dishwashing machines with automated detergent dispensers.

  • Workers must still be cautious and use appropriate PPE such as goggles and gloves when changing out detergent containers.

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  Ensure that chemicals that are not compatible with each other are not stored together (check SDS).

• Always label cleaning bottles and containers. Never remove products from the original bottle without properly labeling the new container.

• Store pesticides in their original labeled container.

• Avoid storing liquid chemicals on top shelves. Store them on lower shelves.

Employers have the primary responsibility for protecting the safety and health of their workers. Employees are responsible for following the safe work practices of their employers.

During Dishwashing:

• To help limit back flexion (forward bending at the waist) while washing items in a large sink:

  • Place an object such as a plastic basin in the bottom of the sink to raise the surface up while washing items in the sink.

• Rearrange work spaces so it is easier to reach for supplies used routinely and to prevent over-reaching and awkward back, shoulder, and wrist postures.

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  Lower your rinse nozzle to rest at mid-body height to reduce your reach.

• Reduce your reach while rinsing dishes by lowering the rinse nozzle to rest at mid-body height.

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  To limit over-reaching when placing glasses into racks, fill the near rows first, then rotate the rack to bring the back rows to the front.

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  Reduce overhead reaching; try to keep reaches at chest to waist level.

• Don't overload dish racks.

• Rack heavier items, such as plates, closest to you.

• Empty and sort cutlery bins before they are full.

• Use cleaning tools with good grips when heavy-duty cleaning is required.

• Vary your activities to space out repetitive tasks.

• Vary your technique to use different muscle groups; alternate between left and right hands.

For more information, see Drive-thru - Prolonged Standing.

Employers have the primary responsibility for protecting the safety and health of their workers. Employees are responsible for following the safe work practices of their employers.

Consider implementing recommended safe work practices, including:

During Table Clean-up:

• Provide workers with containers to be used where possible to carry dirty dishes. Employees must be warned not to overfill containers, or they will have to lift or carry excessive weight.

  • Provide small rather than large containers, to limit the amount of dirty dishes that can be stacked and carried at one time.

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  If space permits, provide carts to put dirty dishes and heavy bussing containers on, rather having workers carry them.

  • Choose carts with large wheels that roll easily, to prevent strain/sprain injuries to employees from pushing or pulling heavy carts.

• If space permits, decrease the distance workers must carry containers. Provide close "stations" to put bussing containers on that are located near the serving and clean-up area, so that the young worker doesn't have to return dirty dishes all the way into the kitchen area.

• Leave outdoor furniture set up outside, outdoors at night. This may substantially decrease the amount of lifting required to set up and break down outside eating areas.

• Instruct employees to get help when moving tables and chairs or other heavy objects, rather than lifting alone.

During Garbage Removal:

• Reduce lifting during garbage removal tasks by using garbage handling bags with wheels or garbage cans with wheels for garbage collection when possible.
  • Handling bags have a frame with one side open to allow for easy disposal of garbage without reaching into and pulling bags up and out. The bags should be able to slide off the cart without lifting.

  • Limit the size and weight of these bags and provide handles to further decrease lifting hazards.

• Use garbage cans that have a frame versus a solid can to promote ease of emptying. This will prevent plastic bag liners from sticking to the inside of the can. If the garbage bag gets stuck in the can, you must lift a lot more weight to release the vacuum than just the weight of the garbage.

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  Use anti-cling products that can be applied to the inside of your garbage can to prevent the plastic bag from sticking to the inside of the can.

• Limit the size of garbage containers to limit the weight of the load employees must lift and dump.

• Place receptacles in unobstructed and easy-to-reach places.

• Install dumpsters at or below grade level.

Consider implementing recommended safe work practices, including:

• Choose properly designed equipment like adjustable level rinse nozzles to help reduce the hazards associated with repetitive overhead and elevated reaches.

• Provide cleaning tools with good grips.