National Burn Awareness Week is approaching from February 4-10, 2024. Familiarize yourself with proper kitchen practices, understanding what actions to take and what to avoid. This preparation ensures you and your employees are ready in case of a burn incident.
Adhere to the following guidelines when handling hot items in the kitchen:
Deep Fryers:
- The commercial kitchen’s deep fryer stands out as a significant cause of burns. Exercise caution when working in its vicinity or around similar equipment.
- Employees must be fully trained on how to properly use deep fryers and what to do in the event of an emergency.
- Do not overheat or overfill deep fryers.
- Store oil off of the floor and away from the fryers.
- To prevent slips, clean any spills or splashes immediately with a degreasing cleaner.
Proper protective equipment:
- Use mitts, gloves and potholders
- Always wear long sleeves, pants and a proper-length apron when cooking, even in hot temperatures.
- Wear slip proof, closed-toed footwear to protect your feet.
What to Do
- Adjust burner flames to assure that they are not rising above the cooking area.
- Be careful when removing food from the microwave or from any other cooking equipment.
- Stand aside when opening oven and steamer doors to prevent steam burns and uncover pots with lid facing away from face.
- Remove items from pots and steamers with tongs, oven mitts or other utensils.
- When dealing with large containers, it may be necessary to involve more than two employees to relocate items from burners or the oven.
What Not to Do
- Do not reach over open oil or steam containers without the proper protective equipment.
- Do not clean hot equipment at the end of the shift; clean it at the beginning of the next shift when the equipment has cooled.
- Do not use any metals in a microwave.
- Do not pour water into hot oil.
- Do not leave hot oils unattended.
- Ensure that utensil handles are not protruding in aisles where pots or pans are unattended.
- Do not allow pot handles to rest above burners.
Reach out to an Advisor
National Burn Awareness Week presents an opportunity for organizations to rally burn, fire and life safety educators, coming together to disseminate a unified message on burn awareness and prevention in our communities. Reach out to an advisor if you need any assistance mitigating safety and risk management at your organization.