Kitchen injuries are mostly cuts, burns, slips and strains. Nearly all of them are prevented by habits.
Key idea
Cuts: sharp knives, the claw, a steady board, knives carried point down, never left in the sink, mandolines with guards. Burns: dry towels or mitts for hot handles (water carries heat through), handles turned in, open steamers and oven doors away from your face, no reaching over hot surfaces, oil cooled before moving. Slips: closed, non-slip shoes; spills cleaned at once; wet-floor signs; no running. Strains: lift with your legs, keep loads close, get help with heavy stockpots, use carts.
Safety
- OSHA's restaurant guide lists fryers as a leading cause of burns, and says to wear long sleeves and a proper apron, never pour water into hot oil, and use Class K extinguishers on grease fires.
- Keep fire exits and extinguishers clear, and know where the hood's manual pull station is.
- Pull plugs by the plug, not the cord; report frayed cords and broken equipment.
- Store heavy items on low shelves; use a step stool, not a crate, to reach high ones.
Why it works
A wet towel grabbing a 400°F pan handle is one of the most common burns in kitchens. Water conducts heat far better than dry cloth and turns to steam.
Worked example: Safer choice
A stockpot holds 5 gallons of hot stock. About how much does the stock weigh? (A gallon of water weighs about 8.3 pounds.)
- $5 \times 8.3 = 41.5$ pounds, plus the pot.
- Too much to carry alone, and it's hot: get help or ladle it out.
Answer: About 41.5 pounds; get help or ladle it.
Common mistake
Using a wet towel for a hot handle.
Practice at home
- Look around your kitchen for the hazards in this lesson: wet towels near the stove, handles sticking out, knives in the sink, a slippery mat. Fix three of them.