A kitchen can be an inspiring, exciting place to work. But it can also be a dangerous one, especially when appropriate precautions haven’t been taken. Industrial kitchen mishaps are impossible to avoid altogether. With that said, we can learn from the ones that we do experience, and thereby reduce the likelihood of their being repeated.
Under UK law, employers have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment. A failure to take kitchen safety seriously might therefore expose an employer to legal risk.
So, what lessons are worth learning?
Common causes of industrial kitchen accidents
There are many possible sources of danger in the kitchen. These include open flames, sharp knives, and floors that might have become slippery after a spill. There are also risks that come about more gradually, exacerbating the more acute dangers. For example, workers might be fatigued to the point that they end up injuring themselves.
In some cases, the blame can be apportioned to a specific, specialised piece of industrial machinery. A machinery accident can often be difficult to anticipate, because the machine itself might be rare or even completely bespoke.
Preventative safety measures
It’s important, therefore, to perform risk assessments at regular intervals and to determine exactly where accidents are most likely to occur, and what can be done to prevent them from occurring. It’s often a good idea to conduct a risk assessment in the wake of an accident.
The risk assessment might recommend a certain kind of training or regular checks on a particular piece of equipment. But often, the more effective measure is the one that’s difficult to quantify: a workplace culture wherein safety is taken seriously, and actively pursued before a danger has had a chance to form.
Legal implications and support
If you suffer an accident at work, then you might find that you’re able to pursue compensation by taking legal action against your employer. The good news is that you can’t be singled out for punishment, should you choose to do this. There are a number of solicitors specialising in accidents involving machinery, and so it’s worth getting in touch with them to investigate whether a case has merit.
Encouraging a culture of safety
We’ve mentioned that the most potent way to create a safe workspace is to foment a safety-conscious culture, especially when it comes to industrial kitchen mishaps. But how can this be done?
Above all, it’s important to be consistent and to lead by example. Make rules to ensure that particular checks are made, and that certain practices are abandoned. Then, when those rules are violated, enforce the rules without fear or favour.
You might find that some of the rules you create are resisted by your employees. There might be good reasons for this resistance. Make sure that you keep an open mind and that you’re receptive to feedback. When employees feel that their concerns are being taken on board, they might be more inclined to help develop the culture you’re looking for. This can, ultimately, help to drive down incident rates and improve your well-being.
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