Information for the Safe Operation of Commercial Appliances
There is never a such thing as being too well informed. Especially if you are running a business with commercial equipment and staff. The planning phases are the first places where oversights can happen, and there are countless risks afterwards, so it is always best to stay on top of your game every step of the way for the sake of the success of your business and the safety of everyone present.
As part of our commitment to the businesses, business owners, and their staff, Commtech Services is helping to take the guessing out of much of your operating process by providing as much information as possible to save you money and, most importantly, to you and your employees safe. Keep an eye on this Frequently Asked Questions list as we will keep you informed as much as we can on the safe and efficient operation of your equipment. Keep in mind, however, much of the standards and codes information contained here can change periodically as regulatory bodies dictate. The changes can come at the local, provincial, federal, and international levels and we will makes sure that updates are posted on the main page as well as on this FAQ page.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ Answers
How do I know how much space I need in my kitchen?
As per the British Columbia Health Act, Part 2 – Construction of Food Premises, 3(1) – Plans for the construction or alteration of a food premises may not commence before they are approved by a health officer.
The layout of your kitchen is a process that should not be taken lightly. The kitchen layout must first take into consideration safety, mobility, and access. If you are building your restaurant from the ground up, you might have a little more latitude in this area than an owner who is retrofitting an existing building to accommodate a kitchen. A general rule is to allow five square feet of kitchen space for every seat in the resaurant. If you plan on being able to seat upwards of 50 people you would need a 250 square foot kitchen*.
Consider how large your restaurant is going to be and, therefore, how many kitchen staff are likely to be employed. Your kitchen staff should be able to move around the equipment – and each other – oftentimes while carrying hot cooking utensils.
A quick look through our Links Page will provide some resources on B.C.’s regulations and codes regarding commercial layout and permit guidelines.
How do I balance ergonomics and efficiency
According to the CCOHS, Ergonomics is “the science of matching the job to the worker and the product to the user. This section covers situations such as lifting, lighting, office/desk set up, etc. that may contribute to injury.” These are important considerations both for your staff and your customers. The truth is, in some industries, ergonomics does not lend itself to efficiency. An efficient kitchen would place a cooking surface as far as possible from a refrigerator. An ergonomic kitchen would potentially have a freezer containing fryer foods underneath the fryer itself to minimize the fatigue on the fryer station attendant.
So where is the balance? Consider your menu, your aesthetic choices, and your clientele and think about what equipment can be best stationed together. In an assembly line style kitchen, cool storage or frozen ingredients could possibly be staged in a smaller freezer closer to an assembly station that is near to the fryer station. This would amount to a few steps and a crouch for the attendant but not a walk all the way across the kitchen and into the walk-in freezer.
What can I do to keep my staff and I safe?
There is a popular safety sign available that features a mirror and a slogan saying “Meet the Person Responsible for Your Safety!”. SafetySign.com sells them. This an important note for all persons working in all industries, however it is most certainly the responsibility of an owner or general manager to provide some basics safety necessities.
Some things to consider regarding the safety of your workplace:
- Adequate of staff training in areas such as equipment operation, safe food handling, and safe lifting techniques
- Availability of First Aid Materials – Accessability and Stock
- Safe storage of equipment and materials
- Availability of cleaning and sanitation products
- Availability of MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) for any chemicals stored on the premesis
- Materials for reporting hazards and accidents
- Adequate signage for any and all occupational hazards
Some resources from CCOHS for cooks and servers
What are my training obligations to my staff?
Any operation requiring the employment of other people must provide some degree of job specific training in so far as the job requirements can not be met through outside training. The prime benefits to adequate employee training are safety and the efficient operation of equipment: ergo efficient operation of your company. A lapse or inadequacy in training on the job can result in serious injury or death to yourself, your staff, and your customers. As well, the penalties for injury, death, or damage as a result of an assignment your employee was not trained to perform can result in severe financial and criminal penalties to you and your company. The risk is simply not worth it.
As an owner/manager, your obligation is:
- to clearly indicate the job description and the prerequisites to performing that job. If necessary, perform an orientation to assess a prospective employees suitability for the position.
- to provide training for any process or operation of equipment specific to the emnployee’s duties that the employee would not have been able to acquire before being hired.
- to provide any and all protective equpiment required for the safe performance of the employee’s duties and the instruction necessary to use said equipment.
- to make your employees aware of any occupational hazards (i.e. wet floors – slips, trips, and falls)
- to make sure your employees are aware of any chemicals or cleaning products on the premesis, how to use them, and what to do in the event of a spill.
- to ensure an MSDS is available at all times and that staff know how to use it
- to provide all the tools and instruction necessary for the employee to fill out a report of accident or injury on duty
What kinds of service can my staff or myself perform on my equipment?
The short answer to this question is “None”. Industry and regulation have engineered the need for service technicians to take care of that responsibility for you. The benefits to leaving the service and repair of commercial equipment to a professional technician are safety, protection of warranty, and the efficient operation of your business. A certified service technician, as the kind provided by Commtech Services, can offer a broad range of skills, experience, and consultancy services in a timely fashion that will be the best defense against a catastrophic service failure of your own.
Having said that, there are routine maintenance and operations tasks that come with every piece of equipment and they are usually indicated in the operator’s manual that was provided with the equipment. Your Commtech technician will illustrate these operations at the point of install or at the next round of regular service and it is your due diligence to perform these tasks or train an employee to perform them. Keeping up on routine maintenance, and scheduling regular professional service, will be the greatest help to maintaining your warranty and keeping your equipment running efficiently for as long as possible.