Food and Kitchen Safety

Please pay close attention to these safety guidelines. They will help prevent you and others coming to harm and will be useful to you.

The main dangers in the kitchen are naked flames, hot objects, hot liquids, sharp objects, bacterial poisoning and slip hazards. Keep your kitchen tidy and organised, clean up after yourself well and concentrate on what you are doing. It is also essential you read the additional kitchen hygiene sheet linked to at the bottom. It covers information about cross-contamination.

  • Tie long hair back and roll up your sleeves for hygiene reasons and to avoid them catching on fire from naked flames or the hotplate.
  • Also do not wear anything that might dangle over naked flames or the hotplate.
  • Never pour water over hot or flaming fat/oil. It can cause hot fat to explode onto your skin. Smother flaming fat with a fire blanket or a damp cloth and switch off the heat. Let the hot fat or oil cool before moving it and do not try and carry the burning pan.
  • Make sure your kitchen floor is clear and immediately clean up any spilled liquid or food and dry the floor to avoid slipping.
  • Keep your fingers away from knife edges and always point the bade away from you.
  • Do not put sharp knifes in a sink full of washing up or water. You or others may cut themselves while feeling around in washing up water or retrieving items.
  • Keep your knifes sharp. This is safer as it give you more control and reduces slips and mistakes.
  • Do not try and catch dropped knifes or other sharp objects.
  • Do not rush around with sharp objects or boiling liquids in your hands.
  • Do not carry hot liquids, hot foods or sharp objects directly above children or pets.
  • Make sure hot liquids and sharp objects cannot easily be knocked or reached by young children or pets.
  • Make sure food is not past its use by date, particularly things containing animal products like meat and fish.
  • If something has mould on it or smells bad then bin it regardless of the use by date.
  • If your gas hob, oven or grill does not light after 5 seconds then switch it off and make sure it is clean at dry before trying again.
  • If it does not light on the second try then switch it off and call a qualified professional. Accumulated gas from repeated tries could cause an explosion and serious burns.
  • Dry your hands well before touching electrical plugs or switches and do not overload sockets.
  • Keep flammable items like t-towels and clothing away from flames or hot stoves.
  • Be careful when uncovering pans or opening oven doors as hot steam can rush out and burn you. Let the excess steam escape before looking at what is inside.
  • Make sure food is cooked right the way through. Be particularly careful with chicken, turkey, other poultry and pork. Uncooked fish can cause serious food poisoning too.
  • Cut through the thickest part of meat and check it is not pink or bloody in the middle. Make sure it is also piping hot in the centre.
  • Do not part-cook food and then continue cooking it another time, especially with meats. The heat will never reach the centre and warm half-cooked food is ideal breeding ground for bacteria.
  • Remember to switch hobs and ovens off. It is easy to be forget while tending to food.
  • Remember that things still remain hot for a while after they are switched off.
  • Use oven gloves or a t-towel to carry hot items.
  • Do not leave items on the stove unattended.
  • If for some reason you do have to leave something to cook for a while (safe from children) then set a timer so you do not forget it. Never leave the house while food is cooking.
  • Do not put hot food in the fridge, especially in with raw meats. It will raise the temperature in your fridge leading to bacteria growth.
  • Be particularly careful not to let raw meat contaminate anything that is to be eaten, used for food later or touched by other unsuspecting people.
  • Make sure left-over food is refrigerated as soon as possible in covered containers.
  • Make sure left-over food is used quickly. Most things will perish when refrigerated for over three days, other things may last less time.
  • When re-heating left-over food make sure it is piping hot all the way through.
  • Do not reheat food more than once.
  • Make sure you wash you hands well before cooking. Keep your nails clean and preferably short.


Read this additional basic hygiene page.


Next Section: Cookery Tips


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