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.

Before operating any machinery workers should:

• Get trained in their use.

• Wear any personal protective equipment provided by your employer.

• Use any machine guarding provided.

• Always ask for help if you are not sure how to do something.

• Be aware that age restrictions exist for workers under the age of 18 from using or cleaning certain equipment.

• Follow the manufacturer's instructions for machine use and cleaning.

• Follow the general recommendations below to identify and avoid potential hazards associated with kitchen machinery.

Mincers, choppers, dicers, slicers:

• Always use push sticks or tamps to feed or remove food from these types of machines.

  • Do not use your hands to feed smaller pieces of meat through slicers.

• Make sure you are using any machine guarding that is provided to prevent access to cutter blades. Do not bypass safety guards.

• Do not open up or put your hands into an operating machine to stir contents or guide food.

• Turn off and unplug the machine before disassembling and cleaning.

Food processors, mixers:

• Do not attempt to remove items (for example, a spoon that falls into the mixture) from dough while the machine is mixing.

• Do not open up the lids of processors to stir contents while food is processing.

• Make sure the processor is off before opening the lid or adding items.

• Turn off and unplug machinery before cleaning or removing a blockage.

• Use any machine guards provided.

• Do not wear loose clothing or jewelry that could become caught in machinery.

Microwaves:

• Make sure the microwave is located at approximately waist level and within easy reach, to provide for ease in the lifting of hot foods.

• Follow manufacturer's instructions for operating microwave ovens.

• Cover foods cooked in microwaves to avoid splattering.

• Use caution when opening tightly covered containers. Open containers away from your face because they may be under pressure and could be extremely hot.

• Use appropriate personal protective equipment such as hot pads when removing foods from microwave.

• Make sure door seals are in good condition and free from food or grease buildup.

• Do not use a microwave if it has a door that is damaged or doesn't lock properly. Damaged ovens may emit harmful radiation.

• Do not microwave metals, foil, or whole eggs.

• Keep the interior of the microwave clean to avoid splattering and popping.

• If you notice any sparking inside the microwave, immediately turn off the microwave, unplug it, report it to the supervisor, and do not use it.

• Be advised that microwaves may interfere with the workings of pacemakers.

• Be aware that food cooked in the microwave can remain hot long after the microwave turns off.

Steamers/Pressure Cookers:

• Do not open the door while the steamer is on, shut off the steam, and then wait a couple of minutes before releasing the pressure and opening.

• Clear the area around the steamer before opening.

• Open the steamer door by standing to the side, keeping the door between you and the open steamer.

• Use oven mitts to remove hot trays from the steamer.

• Place hot, dripping steamer trays on a cart to transport. If trays are carried by hand, they will drip on floors and create a slip hazard.

• If a steamer is stacked, remove the tray from the top steamer first, then the lower one, to prevent burns from rising steam.

Pressure Cookers:

• Shut off the steam supply and wait for the pressure to equalize before opening the lid of the pressure cooker.

• Stand to the side and open the pressure cooker away from yourself, keeping the open lid between you and the pressure cooker.

Coffee Makers:

• Do not place hot coffee makers close to the edge of counters where people passing by may come in contact with them.

• Check to make sure the coffee filter is in place before making any coffee.

• Do not remove the filter before the coffee has stopped dripping.

• Never stick your fingers into the chamber of a coffee grinder to get beans to drop into the grinder; tapping on the outside of the container will encourage beans to drop into grinder.

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:

• Follow OSHA's Machine Guarding Standard [1910.212]: All machines need to be properly guarded.

• Follow the child labor laws that do not permit workers younger than 18 to operate, set up, adjust, clean, oil, or repair power-driven food slicers, grinders, choppers, cutters, and bakery mixers and other power-driven bakery machines.

  • State Child Labor Laws may be even more stringent

Consider implementing recommended safe work practices, including:

• Label equipment that young workers are not allowed to operate. The DOL YouthRules! website has available downloadable stickers for employers to place on hazardous equipment to alert all workers that no one under 18 years of age may operate the equipment.

  For more information, see the Food Preparation - Machine Guarding.

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.

• Handle, use, and store knives and other sharp utensils safely.

• Cut in the direction away from the body.

• Keep your fingers and thumbs out of the way of the cutting line.

• Use any protective clothing provided by employer such as steel mesh or Kevlar gloves.

• Use a knife only for its intended purpose and use the appropriate knife for the cutting job.

• 
  Store knives, saws, and cleavers in a designated storage area when not in use. Do not store the blades with the cutting edge exposed.
  • Install knife holders on work tables to prevent worker injury.

  • Equip newly purchased knives with blade guards or knuckle guards that protect the hand from slipping onto the blade.

• 

  Let a falling knife fall. Do not try to catch it.

• Carry knives with the cutting edge angled slightly away from your body, with the tip pointed down to your side.

• Place a knife that you are handing to someone, down on a clean surface, and let the other person pick it up.

• Clean the knife immediately after use or place it in a dishwasher or a container labeled "for knives only."

• Do not store knives and other sharp objects in sinks between periods of use.

• Do not touch knife blades.

• Avoid placing knives near the edge of a countertop.

• Do not talk with coworkers while using a knife. When interrupted, stop cutting and place the knife down on a secure surface. Do not try to cut while distracted.

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:

• Follow the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Standard [1910.132]:
  • Assess tasks to identify potential worksite hazards and provide and ensure employee use of appropriate personal protective equipment.

  • Require employees to use appropriate hand protection when hands are exposed to hazards such as cuts and lacerations. For example, use steel mesh or Kevlar gloves when cutting. Hand Protection Standard [1910.138(a)].

Consider implementing recommended safe work practices, including:

• Allow only experienced, trained workers to sharpen knives. This is done correctly by keeping the thumb beneath the knuckle guard rim protection on the handle of the sharpener, rather than on top of the rim where it may get cut.

• Keep knives sharpened and in good condition; dull knives tend to slip and may cause injuries. Tell other staff when knives are newly sharpened.

• Protect workers who use shake mixer blades. Remind workers to securely hold the top of the container onto the shake cup while mixing to avoid exposure to the blade.

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.

Remember: Child labor laws do not permit workers younger than 18 to operate power-driven equipment such as mixers and slicers. This information is provided for workers 18 years old and older who may be using power-driven equipment in restaurants.

• Use caution when working around power-driven equipment.

• Turn off and unplug machinery before cleaning or removing a blockage.

• Use any machine guarding that is provided.

• Get properly trained before using any equipment.

• Ask that machinery be securely fixed to benches or tabletops.

• Do not put your hands into machinery to manipulate food. Use pushers or tamps to move food in machinery.

• Wear proper work clothing, avoiding loose clothing or jewelry that could become caught in machinery; such items caught in machinery can pull you into machinery causing injury and or death.

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's 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)].
  • Use tamps or push sticks or other hand tools to feed or remove food from grinders, slicers, or choppers [1910.212(a)(3)(iii)].
  • Isolate hazards with machine guarding (such as providing barrier guards over a mixer when it is in use to prevent strangulation or amputations).

  • Look for examples of machine guarding for General Industry-Bakery equipment in [1910.263]. Paragraph (c) addresses general requirements for machine guarding in Bakeries.

• Follow the child labor laws that do not permit workers younger than 18 to operate, set up, adjust, clean, oil, or repair power-driven equipment such as meat slicers or bakery mixers.

  • State Child Labor Laws may be even more stringent

Consider implementing recommended safe work practices, including:

• Label equipment that young workers are not allowed to operate. The DOL YouthRules! website has available downloadable stickers for employers to place on hazardous equipment to alert all workers that no one under 18 years of age may operate the equipment.

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. These may include:

• Promptly clean up food spills and use cones to identify wet areas.

• Wear appropriate waterproof non-slip footwear.

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. These may include:

Follow OSHA standards, including:

• Keep all places of employment clean and orderly and in a sanitary condition [1910.22(a)(1)].

• Keep floors clean and dry [1910.22(a)(2)]. In addition to being a slip hazard, continually wet surfaces promote the growth of mold, fungi, and bacteria that can cause infections.

• Provide warning signs for wet floor areas [1910.145(c)(2)].

Consider implementing recommended safe work practices, including:

• Identify and correct possible slip hazards.

• Use non-slip mats for surfaces in slippery areas.

• Provide adequate drainage for wet areas.

• Repair any uneven floor surfaces.

• Replace any drain covers that have come loose.

• Keep grates/drains free from debris and blockage.

  For more information, see General Hazards - Slips/Trips/Falls

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.

Reaching and lifting:

Learn to lift properly and stay fit to help reduce the risk of injury from lifting:

• Lift with your knees, not your back.

• Lighten a heavy load that needs to be lifted or get help when lifting.

• Always make sure the load is balanced and even when lifting.

• 

  Get help when lifting or pouring fluid out of heavy pots or use tilt containers to help minimize arm and back train.

  For more information, see Delivery - Strains and Sprains.

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:

Assess worksites for ergonomic stressors and identify and address ways to decrease them. For example:

Prolonged standing

• Provide stools or a foot rest bar at work stations. This provides workers an opportunity to shift weight from their feet while still maintaining reach and accessibility.

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

Reaching and lifting

• Provide height-adjustable workspaces appropriate for the task being performed, so that workers can keep elbows close to the body. For example, lower countertops, use height-adjustable countertops or stands, or provide work stands for employees.

• Redesign or reposition tasks to allow elbows to remain close to the body, (for example turn boxes over on their side to allow for easier access).

• Avoid awkward postures. For example, reposition tasks in front of workers rather than allowing them to reach above or behind to get supplies.

Repetitive motions

• Rotate workers through repetitive tasks.

• Use mechanical aids for chopping, dicing, or mixing foods (such as food processors and mixers) rather than hand chopping or mixing.

• Reduce the amount of chopping tasks by purchasing ready-made salads, pre-sliced onions and vegetables, and other pre-prepared foods. This may be limited by budgetary considerations.

• Restructure jobs to reduce repeated motions, forceful hand exertions, and prolonged bending.

• Select ergonomically designed tools. For example:
  • Use ergonomically designed kitchen scoops that allow the wrist to remain straight.

  • Provide ergonomically designed knives that allow the wrist to remain straight.