What are the potential hazards of working as a chef?
Asked by Rebecca G
What injuries could you get working as a chef? What would you need to know to be and stay safe while working? What are a chef's rights and responsibilities as an employee? What about the employer’s?

Best Answer:
Cuts, burns, and stabbings are the most common injuries in the kitchen. I'll relate a few stories. There was one cook who was cutting chicken medallions when his knife slipped and he cut his pinkie off about halfway down the fingernail. There was another chef who was caramelizing creme brulees in the broiler, when they were done he went in to pull them out and he fumbled the sheet pan and they all fell, he did manage to catch one on the way down. It landed upside down on his palm at about 400 degrees resulting in third degree burns. That doesn't happen too often, however right now I have three second degree burns and one first degree burn on my hands right now. Finally there was a chef who was shucking pacific oysters during service. These oysters were being particularly difficult that night and when he was opening one, with a great deal of force, the shell flaked above the knife and it went about three inches into his left hand in the muscle behind your thumb. He continued to work through the rush(after first aid and a glove), and then the restaurant manager took him to the hospital. To avoid injuries: never cut towards yourself. Never use a wet towel to move some thing hot. never put a hot pan on any work surface. always assume that all pans, ladels, and tongs anywhere near a stove, grill, oven, etc, are searing hot. When shucking oysters, always hold the shell with a towel so that if the knife breaks through or slips, it goes into the towel and not your hand.

One potential hazard is called chefs arse. This is caused by the Extreme heat in a kitchen giving you a sweaty back, the sweat beads then trickle down until they reach your arse cheeks. The constant movement and rubbing of the cheeks eventually make a rash which is red and uncomfortable aka chefs arse. Try cornflower on the offending area before you start a shift.
Answered by barry m

There are plently of possible injuries to be made in a kitchen. There's lots of heat, lots of sharp things and lots liquid all moving around really fast with lots of people on edge trying to get the meals out as fast as possible. Thousands of things could happen in a kitchen, You could cut yourself slice a tomato, you could crush your hand under a pot, you could burn your hand with scalding water, you could slip on some water tried to grab something and end up bringing a shelf down on you. Anything is possible but they're are courses you can take like a worksafe course General and hospitality both which inform you about proper procedures and protocol. The worksafe courses will inform you about your and your employers responsibilities
Answered by Ruby