Lab Safety Guidelines
Hand Sanitation is Essential
• Wash your hands anytime
you start cooking, change
kitchen jobs, need to put on
gloves, use the restroom,
cough or sneeze.
• Thoroughly wash hands for
20 seconds.
• Dry hands with single-use
paper towels.
Avoid Bare Hand Contact with Food
• When preparing any ready-to-eat food, always
use gloves to avoid bare hand contact.
• Whenever possible, use a tool to prepare and
transfer foods.
Avoid Wearing Loose Clothing
• Dangling and loose sleeves
can catch fire on the range.
• Clothing touching food may
transfer disease-causing
bacteria.
• Form-fitting clothing from
less likely to be being
soiled.
Remove Bulky Clothing
• Remove coats and/or
oversized sweatshirts
and hats.
• Winter outdoor attire
should stay away from
the lab.
• Roll up long and or
dangling sleeves.
Remove Jewelry from Hands & Arms
• Jewelry can harbor disease-causing bacteria.
• Parts of jewelry may fall off creating physical
contamination of food being prepared.
Fingernails
• Keep nails clean and short.
• Avoid artificial nails and nail polish.
• Even with careful washing, bacteria can thrive
under long nails and polish can chip off into
the food
Shoes
• Wear closed-toed shoes in the foods lab.
• Avoid open-toed shoes to prevent burns and
cuts.
Always Wear an Apron When Cooking
• Aprons protect food
from any items on your
clothing – lint, dog hair,
etc.
• They prevent clothing
from being damaged
from cooking.
Tie Hair Back During Labs
• Hair should be tied back in
a pony tail or confined in a
net to prevent touching it.
• Heads carry the
staphylococcus aureus
virus which can
contaminate food and lead
to food-borne illness.
Cupboards
• Immediately close cupboard doors and
drawers.
• This will keep them clean inside and will
prevent injuries.
Cooking
• Keep pan handles turned
inward to prevent burns.
• Match pan size with burner
size for more efficient cooking.
• Only use pots and pans on the
range. To avoid starting a fire,
do not place serving bowls,
recipes and towels on the
stove top.
Equipment Use
• Use equipment for its
intended use.
• Using a pastry blender to
mash potatoes will result in
burns.
• Selecting kitchen towels to
remove food from the oven
will burn the user.
• Avoid sitting on the counter
top. Food is prepared there.
Knife Safety
• Always cut slowly and with care.
• Cut away from the body.
• Make sure to cut with dry hands to prevent
slippage
• Keep distractions out of the kitchen when
you are chopping.
• Pay attention as you chop to prevent injury.
• Any time you are chopping fruits and
vegetables, chop in half first to create a flat
surface. This will give you better control so
the food won’t roll under the knife.
Before Food Preparation
Clean, rinse and sanitize all counters and the
sink to reduce the risk of food-borne illness.
In Case of Fire….
• Throw baking soda or salt on the fire.
• Put the lid on a burning pan.
• For grease fires, carefully vegetable oil. It will
reduce the temperature of the food and the
fire will die.
• Remove pan from stovetop.
• Use a fire extinguisher.
• If fire continues to burn, call 911.
Small Electric Appliances
• Unplug small electrical appliances after use
and before cleaning. This will save energy
and prevent electric shock.
• Carefully read instructions for small appliances
to fully understand how to use.
Hot Food
• Use a dry oven mitt
to move hot items.
Heat travels rapidly
through wet mitts
and will burn the
user.
• After removing food
from the oven or
stove top, set it onto
a hot pad or trivet.
Spills and Breakage
• Clean up all spills
immediately to prevent
slipping or injury.
• For broken glass, carefully
sweep up glass. Dispose
glass in a sealed paper bag.
• Use a piece of soft bread to
“blot” affected area. It will
pick up the remaining glass.
Carefully dispose of bread.
Wash Dishes with the 3 Sink Method
• Left Sink – Hot Sudsy water.
Wash with dish cloth.
• Middle Sink – Rinse with hot
water. Turn on water only when
rinsing dishes
• Right Sink – lukewarm water
with ½ capful of bleach
(sanitation) for 1 minute
• Then set dishes on a clean towel
to air dry or dry immediately
and put away.
To Prevent Accidents…
• Stay in your assigned
work area.
• Wandering in the
classroom could result in
crowded kitchens.
• The more students in a
work area, the greater
the risk of injuries such as
burns and cuts.
Remember….
You have the power to prevent accidents in the
kitchen. This will keep you safe as well as the
people who are served your food.
Resources