Here is an infographic that Master Cleaners, who offers kitchen cleaning services in London, has created providing information about the injuries that can be caused while kitchen cleaning.
Deadly Kitchen Cleaning & Maintenance
Injuries & Illness in the food industry over the past decade have increased on an average of around 4% per year.
Floors
These account for 45% of all injuries or illnesses caused in a commercial kitchen.
- Oil & cooking fat can splatter from cooking containers making floors slippery
- Uneven floors cause kitchen staff to trip
- A combination of uneven & slippery floors can be deadly
- Water can drip from dishes & slosh from sinks making floors slippery when not cleaned up
- Obstructions in walkways, including trailing cables, boxes and crates, bins, cleaning equipment
Additional Hazards
- Wet floors from cleaning
- Worn down or loose flooring
- Using a ladder to access high pantry shelves
- standing in a truck to unload delveries
Burns
These account for 7% of all injuries or illnesses in a commercial kitchen.
- Hot oil splashing
- Hot equipment
- Spills not cleaned up
- Clothing catching fire
- Overcrowded pots & pans on top of cooking surfaces
- Contact with hot surfaces, hot equipment, cooking appliances, utensils, steam or boiling water
Heavy & Incorrect Lifting
These account for 11% or all injuries or illnesses caused in a commercial kitchen. Commercial kitchens often lack the space to move freely so extra care is needed when lifting. Back and neck strain are the most common complaints.
- Lifting boxes and crates of food
- Pushing or pulling wheeled racks (such as trolleys)
- Carrying pots or stacks of plates
- Moving equipment
- Handling containers of drinks (including casks and kegs)
- Unloading food and drink deliveries
- Cutting and deboning (meat and poultry)
- Reaching for items on shelves or in walk-in fridges
Dangerous Machinery & Equipment
These account for 12% of all injuries or illnesses caused in a commercial kitchen.
- Cuts from knives & blades
- Handling food processors incorrectly
- Loose clothing getting caught in machinery
- Not switching off machines when cleaning blades
- Cuts from broken glass & crockery
Food Hazards
These account for 4% of all injuries or illnesses caused in a commercial kitchen.
- Frozen food defrosted on a counter or sink can cause dangerous growth bacteria
- Cooked food held at below 140 degrees Fahrenheit can also cause dangerous growth bacteria
- Kitchen staff not cleaning their hands properly for example after going to the toilet is also a risk
- Not checking sell by dates
Biological Agents
These account for 4% of all injuries or illnesses caused in a commercial kitchen. These can cause infections & Legionnaires’ Disease.
Examples are:
- Exposure to contaminated water from spray nozzles
- Handling raw meat
- Contact with infectious residents if delivering food
Chemical Agents
These account for 4% of all injuries or illnesses caused in a commercial kitchen. These are responsible for the following:
- Burns
- Allergies
- Explosion
- Dermatitis
- Respiratory Sensitisation
- Skin damage
Possible Causes:
- Exposure to chemicals such as detergents, caustic of oven cleaners, soaps, chlorine based products and other cleaning agents
- Exposure to flour enzymes or dust, or other powdered ingredients such as egg powder, spices or seasonings.
- Incompatibility of chemicals
- Gas leaks
Fire
These account for 2% of all injuries or illnesses caused in a commercial kitchen.
Risk of:
- Smoke inhalation
- Burns
- Death
Possible Causes:
- Poor housekeeping
- Overloaded or badly maintained electrics
- Improper storage of flammable materials
- Unattended deep fat fryers
- Build up of grease on equipment
Walk In Fridges or Freezers
These account for 1% of all injuries or illnesses caused in a commercial kitchen.
Risk of:
- Hypothermia
- Slips
Possible Causes:
- Lock in due to lack of operational internal opening mechanism
- Lack of internal alarm
- Ice build-up
Racking
These account for 1% of all injuries or illnesses caused in a commercial kitchen.
Risk of:
- Collapse of racking
- Falling items or objects
Possible Causes:
- Lack of proper access equipment
- Exceeding the Safe Working Load (SWL) of the racking
- Damaged racking
- Inappropriate method of storage (e.g. failing to store heavy items at lower levels).
Heat Stress
These account for 2% of all injuries or illnesses caused in a commercial kitchen.
Risk of:
- Collapse
- Illness
Possible Causes:
- High temperatures and humidity
Natural Gas and LPG
These account for 2% of all injuries or illnesses caused in a commercial kitchen.
Risk of:
- Fire
- Explosion
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
Possible Causes:
- Inadequate maintenance of equipment
- Incompatible equipment
Non Ionising Radiation
These account for 2% of all injuries or illnesses caused in a commercial kitchen.
Risk of:
- Induced tissue heating
Possible causes:
- Exposure to microwave radiation and heat through use of microwave
- Poor maintenance of equipment
- Overriding interlock systems
Other Hazards
- Obstructions in walkways, including trailing cables, boxes and crates, bins, cleaning equipment
- You regularly use electrical equipment and naked flames in a kitchen
- Dermatitis caused by repeated contact with water for cleaning and food preparation and liquid ingredients such as oils
- Faulty or improperly grounded equipment
- Faulty insulation
- Overloading of sockets
- Unsafe work practices
- Ingress of water into equipment
