Kitchen Appliances Tools

Issue

Hazard

Possible solutions

Check it

Portable kitchen appliances

• Contact with exposed wiring or any internal part of a broken appliance which is connected to the power supply.
• Immersing the body of an electrical appliance in water for cleaning purposes.
• Failing to isolate an appliance from power supply before washing sharp blades or moving parts.

• Have all kitchen appliances inspected, tested and tagged on a regular basis.
• Remove from service any appliance which is identified for repair, and label it appropriately.
• Ensure that instructions for use of any appliance are accessible to employees in a known location.
• Place small signs near appliance power points as a reminder to employees to switch off power and disconnect from socket prior to cleaning after use.

Refrigerators

• Refrigerator temperature is consistently above the recommended temperature for safe food storage.
• Food is left in refrigerator until mouldy or past its safe 'use by' date.

• Periodically check that refrigerator temperature complies with requirements for safe storage
  (eg. milk should be stored at 4 degrees).
• Arrange for refrigerator to be periodically emptied and the inside washed and cleaned according to the manufacturers instructions.

Microwave ovens

• Removing food from a microwave oven which is situated at or above eye level.

• Spilt food left uncleaned in microwave.

• Use of wrong type of food containers and covers.

• Malfunction or misuse may cause leakage of radiation from microwave unit.

• Where possible, microwave ovens should be placed on a counter top where it is easy to see inside and load or unload contents.
• Arrange for inside of microwave oven to be periodically washed and cleaned according to the manufacturers instructions.
• Ensure users clean up spillages immediately.
• Place sign on oven door listing those food container types and coverings which should NOT be used in the oven.
• Have microwave oven checked occasionally for radiation leakage, tested and tagged.

Stovetops

• Hotplates accidentally left on after user has finished cooking and left the area.
• Using pots and pans which are not suitable for the type of cooker hotplates or rings.

• When purchasing a cooker, select one which has warning lights to alert users to a hot surface.
• Provide pots and pans which are designed for use on the type of cooker hotplates/rings, and are the correct diameter for the hot plates.

Dishwashers

• Poor stacking of dishes/glasses (including overloading) resulting in breakages.
• Machine overflows due to food debris left in dishwasher.

• Ensure that care is taken by employees when loading large quantities of dishes (especially tall glasses), that these are stacked correctly and will not move or are struck during the washing cycle.
• Encourage employees to rinse dishes of food residues before loading these into dishwasher.

Knives, scissors

• Contact with sharp and serrated knives (bread, carving) which have been left on worktops, placed in dishwasher or put away in drawers amongst other (non-sharp) cutlery.
• Wrong choice of knife, or inappropriate method of cutting food, resulting in knife slipping and cutting hand used to hold food being cut.

• Provide appropriate safe storage for very sharp knives used in food preparation (eg. a knife block).
• Ensure that all employees know NOT to put these knives in drawers hidden amongst sundry cutlery.
• Instruct employees not to put very sharp knives in the dishwasher, but to wash them carefully by hand, using a dishmop with handle to avoid contact with the blade.