Kitchen hazards are among the commonest in the home and the effects can be very devastating. An online report by Robert Rossier stated that major kitchen hazards could come from fire, electrical appliances, slips, trips or cuts and burns.

Rossier advised that if your kitchen is equipped with a gas stove or appliances, it is critical to keep combustible materials like food wrappers, towels, potholders and shirt sleeves away from the flames.

You should remember that accumulations of grease and fat around burners and other hot surfaces can also pose a fire hazard. If your kitchen is all-electric, you shouldn’t think that the lack of an open flame means you are safe.

An electric burner can reach temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit – hot enough to ignite many combustible materials even after the burner is shut off.

Vent hoods represent another potential fire hazard, especially if the ductwork is not cleaned periodically to remove accumulations of combustible grease and fat that inevitably occur over time. The report which was published in

On electrical, the report which was published in http://thefbireport.com stated that right on the heels of fire hazards are the electrical systems and appliances.

“Faulty wiring – either in the building or in an appliance – can constitute an ignition source for a fire, but loose wiring, broken switches, and frayed electrical cords can be just as troublesome.

Look for locations where broken receptacles, missing cover plates, missing GFCI (ground-fault circuit interrupter) receptacles and improper use of extension cords are likely to occur”.

Slips, trips, bumps and cuts: Roughly half of all injuries to restaurant employees come from slips, trips, bumps and cuts, so keep a critical eye open for setups in your kitchen.

While immediate cleanup of spills is probably the most important ingredient in preventing such accidents and injuries, be on the lookout for more innocuous problems.

Look for doors and drawers than can be left open, see how employees handle can lids and other sharp trash items, and identify places where loose items, electrical cords, or damaged carpets could trip up employees.

Stairs pose another potential hazard, so note the condition of handrails, lighting and switches. Also important is the location and manner in which knives and other sharp instruments are cleaned and stored.

Burns and scalds: There are plenty of ways to get burned in the kitchen, so it is no surprise to learn that burns and scalds represent about 15 percent of worker injuries in restaurants.

Look at the way hot pans, grease and food are handled in your kitchen. Some appliances and tools found in the kitchen are particularly troublesome in terms of burn and scald potential.

Deep-fat fryers are notorious for burns, so look to see what goes on around them, noting that virtually any liquid spilled into a deep fat fryer will cause an eruption of boiling, splashing oil.

Steamers are also notorious for burn and scald injuries. Look at the placement of steamers and other tools, the juxtaposition of ovens (stacked) that can be conducive to burns, and the location of other oft-used items in the vicinity of steam equipment.