Whether you are starting a new restaurant or rebuilding an existing one, you need to make sure that safety never takes the backseat. A good commercial kitchen is a blend of airy aesthetics, premium equipment, and a well-thought design that ensures optimum productivity and staff safety. Besides adhering to safety codes, it is important to work with a kitchen consultant to optimize the kitchen design and minimize the possibility of mishaps. To help you get started, we discuss the basic safety guidelines for commercial kitchen planning and design. Read on.
1. Know the Key Components
Whether it is a commercial kitchen in hotel, cafeteria or restaurant, these five dedicated spaces must be present for an optimal functioning:
- Cleaning Space
- Service Space
- Food Preparation Space
- Storage Space
- Cooking Space
2. Learn about Common Safety Concerns
Working in an environment with high traffic, hot burners and lot of stress is difficult for the staff, and not paying attention to safety concerns could be an invitation to a mishap. When designing a kitchen, address the following:
How to Prevent Cuts?
Hand injuries are the second most frequent injury in the restaurant industry, so:
- Make sure there are knife blocks and trays for proper storage of these essential kitchen tools.
- Do not allow crushing of garbage bags to minimize the chances of any sharp object poking through the bag.
- Ask the staff to wear cut resistant gloves and dishwashing gloves while working.
How to Prevent Slips and Falls?
- Slips and falls are the most common injury, which can be avoided by:
- Smoothing out uneven floors with ramps.
- Using cordless equipment, if possible.
- Providing non-slip, waterproof shoes to the workforce.
How to Prevent Burns?
- Ask the staff to wear oven mitts.
- Instructing the staff to stand to the side while opening steamers or ovens.
3. Select the Right Layout and Equipment
Layout of Kitchen
Though there are many types of layouts, the common ones are:
Island Layout – In this layout, all the major cooking equipment are kept at the center and other stations are made on the kitchen perimeter.
Assembly Layout – The first station in an assembly layout is the food preparation area, which leads to a dedicated cooking area and the service area is next. The cleaning and storage areas are either at the back or to the side of the service area.
Ventilation System
The ventilation system, which looks like a simple box is actually one of the integral components to ensure the safety of workplace and guests in the restaurant. Make sure to turn to a commercial kitchen design consultant to finalize a ventilation system that is capable of keeping the workplace clean and safe and preventing grease build-up on expensive equipment.
Kitchen Equipment
Make sure that you don’t compromise with the quality of kitchen equipment, as you will be using them for a couple of years. Choose premium quality equipment that adhere to the safety standards and guidelines for a commercial kitchen.
Wrapping Up
Commercial kitchens are fraught with potentials for accidents, and as an employer, it is your responsibility to ensure the safety of the people working in the space and guests. In addition to above-discussed measures, provide long sleeves clothes to your staff to reduce burns and use heavy pans to avoid spills. Designing a commercial kitchen involves a lot of planning and this is where HPG Consulting can come up with a practical and safe layout for your cooking area. We are one of the leading commercial kitchen consultants in India with extensive experience of planning the layout and design in accordance with food service concepts. To learn more about our services, fill out the contact form and one of our design consultants will help you get started.