Funworld July 2010

by Mike Bederka

At a family entertainment center (FEC), you never want injury and illness on the menu. Management must remain vigilant to make sure kitchen staff members stay out of harm’s way and the meals and snacks they prepare are free from bacteria that cause foodborne illness.

“Safety has to be a priority for operators,” says Brian Cohen, vice president of operations for iT’Z, which has three U.S. locations. “You can have the greatest product in the world, but if you’re not offering a safe environment for your employees and guests, you may as well not be in business.”

Common Injuries
Kitchen accidents can be broken into six main categories, says Rich Powers, senior vice president of risk services for American Specialty Insurance and Risk Services Inc., in Roanoke, Indiana. Attraction operators can take steps to mitigate injuries in all areas:

• Slip and fall. Many of these injuries are caused by improper footwear; grease and water on the floor increase the risk. Staff should wear nonslip shoes and clean and dry spills immediately. Running shouldn’t be allowed, and managers must ensure proper drainage.
  
  
• Trip and fall. Electrical cords should not run across walkways. Also, fix any improperly placed drain covers and bulging or bunched-up floor mats.
  
  
• Burns. Hot oil, steam, hot plates, and heat lamps are generally to blame. Staff should use proper hand protection and utensils when handling hot food and stand to the side when opening ovens and steamers. In addition, employees shouldn’t drop food into the fryer and overfill pots and pans.
  
  
• Cuts. Staff should use cutting boards and wear cutresistant gloves (when appropriate). They need to cut away from the body and properly store knives in a block or rack, not in the drawer or sink.
  
  
• Sprains and strains. Managers must teach proper lifting techniques (lift with the legs, avoid twisting, keep the object close to the body, and avoid overreaching) and instruct employees not to stand in one place for long periods of time, especially on hard surfaces. Last, stock heavier items on lower shelves.
  
  
• Chemical burns and skin irritations. Employees should be trained in chemical handling per Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and wear proper protective equipment. Properly label all chemicals, and use automatic chemical dispensers for appropriate concentrations. Keep an organized material safety data sheet (a system for cataloging information and safe usage instructions for specific substances) in a binder in a readily accessible area.
  

Creating a Culture
Safety has to start at the top of an organization, Powers says. “I think a lot of times we take training for granted. It’s easy to just plug them on the front line and let them go. But from my experience, those are the scenarios that come back and bite you. If you don’t train them, their work isn’t going to be as good, and there’s going to be some key safety points they miss.”

Staff must learn to quickly correct unsafe conditions. So for example, if they see a puddle on the ground or a cord running across the floor, they shouldn’t continue walking—they should fix the problem.

Beyond initial training, managers should have weekly follow- up safety meetings as well as regular preopening inspections, Powers says. Plus, they should conduct kitchen inspections “when you’re in the thick of things.”

After an Injury
If an employee does slip and fall or some other accident occurs, make sure he or she receives prompt medical attention from a certified medical provider and gets proper followup care, Powers says. Always show care and concern, without admitting fault.

“You should have someone trained in the organization— a supervisor and backup person—able to perform basic incident investigation,” he advises.

Ask the injured person what happened before, during, and after the incident. Interview witnesses about what they saw. Then, complete a thorough incident report. Follow up with the staffer to check on his condition and get the employee back to work as soon as possible, with the doctor’s permission, Powers says.

“Always offer modified work duty,” he explains. “You don’t want a workers’ comp claim to become an indemnity claim. That will kill you. If they’re just sharpening pencils, it will save you money in the long run.”

Food Safety
Foodborne illnesses aren’t pretty. They often present with fever, vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea. And don’t forget all the negative media attention that will come your way if a few dozen people get sick in an afternoon.

Bacteria invade food for two main reasons: violations of time and temperature, says Kristina Mena, associate professor of environmental sciences at the University of Texas School of Public Health El Paso Regional Campus. “People need to be mindful of how long food is sitting out,” she says of the first point. Many items should not be left out for more than two hours (one hour in hot weather).

With her second point, hot fare needs to be kept above 140 degrees F and cold food below 40 degrees F. Mena, a food safety expert, says people always should use a thermometer when cooking. “You can’t tell something is done by looking at it,” she notes, adding that burgers in particular can be tricky with the eyeball test.

At iT’Z, managers take a food safety class provided by ServSafe, which certifies them to teach others at their facilities, Cohen says. In the program, they learn about a variety of issues, including personal grooming, hand washing, food handling and temperatures, and cross-contamination. Kitchen managers continue to present and reinforce food safety issues at monthly meetings.

Thanks to the attentiveness of the kitchen staff at iT’Z, the facility has had zero food safety issues, Cohen says proudly. However, they do have a protocol in place in case an incident occurs. Management will try to identify the food in question and swiftly take it off the buffet. They will examine the item’s ingredients to make sure they don’t have a broader safety issue. If they suspect a particular ingredient is the culprit, they’ll pull all related food products.

“We just want to make sure we’re covered and do what’s in the best interest of our guests,” Cohen stresses.

Contact Contributing Editor Mike Bederka at mbederka@IAAPA.org.