Understanding how to identify the hazards and risks in the kitchen, as well as adopting control measures, is also the role of every cook.
A kitchen area is a special place for food lovers and a commonplace with free access for family, friends, and pets.
Although the modernity of these kitchens seeks to make everyday tasks easier, they also have hidden risks that go unnoticed by our eyes, and with that, an accident can be about to happen.
You may have heard someone say, “This is dangerous! Someone almost got hurt! The chances of an accident happening are high!
In this post, you will learn in detail about the hazards and risks in the kitchen.
The kitchen really is the castle itself. This is where we spend our happiest moments and where we find the joy of being a family.
– Mario Batali
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What Is The Difference Between Danger And Risk?
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The probability of an accident occurring is directly related to a hazard and risk to which a person or property is exposed.
- Hazard is any source that has the potential to cause injury, illness, or property damage, such as a knife, hot oil, boiling water, chemicals, or gas, among others.
- Risk is the probability of these hazardous sources causing accidents, for example:
- Knives: risk of cuts.
- Hot oil or boiling water: Risk of burns.
- Chemicals: Risk of contamination
- Gas: Risk of fire and explosion
- Accident is an unexpected event that causes injury, illness, or material damage, such as burns, cuts, visual or hearing losses, fractures, fires, or explosions.
- Incident, also known as a “near miss,” is an unplanned event that has the potential to cause an accident and has not resulted in injury, illness, or material property damage. For example, someone slipped and almost fell because of the water on the floor; the driver almost crashed his car; the cook almost burned his hand.
Ideally, action or control measures are taken every time an incident occurs.
Eliminating The Hazard
Eliminating the hazard means removing the source that could lead to an accident from the place; for instance, by replacing the gas stove with an electric one, you will remove the gas that has a real chance of leaking and causing fire and explosion.
When you keep the area in good condition, clean and free of obstructions, you eliminate hazard sources, such as holes, water, or oil on the floor, which would be capable of causing accidents as someone could slip or trip and fall.
Reducing risks means that the source that could lead to an accident was not eliminated, but controlled or neutralized, minimizing the chances of an event occurring, for example:
Using utensils such as mixing bowls, knives, and cutting boards separate from others to handle raw chicken, eggs, or meat that are sources of bacteria reduces the risk of cross-contamination.
Using an electric coffee maker instead of boiling water to make coffee reduces the chances of accidents involving boiling water.
Bottom Line
Whether you’re a professional cook or an enthusiast, it’s essential to learn what kitchen tasks will be performed, take simple preventive measures, respect your limits, and maintain a clean and organized environment. On this way, you may avoid the hazards and risks in the kitchen.
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I hope this article has helped you understand how to stay safe while cooking. To learn more about kitchen safety, look at Safety Rules In The Kitchen: A Complete Guide.
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