Burn Injury Resource Center
What employers can do to reduce the risk of scaled burn injury:
- Place microwaves at a safe height within easy reach for all users to avoid spills. The face of the person using the microwave should always be higher than the front of the door.
- Provide splash screens for frying foods.
- Maintain equipment to ensure that lids are tight fitting; handles are securely attached on vessels that contain hot liquids.
- Ensure that workers are trained on the hazards of hot liquids and safe work practice. Supervisors should encourage and when necessary enforce safety rules.
- Designate someone each shift to be responsible for immediately cleaning up spills.
- Ensure someone on each shift knows and can use first aid procedures for managing burns.
- Always practice good housekeeping, keep floors clean of liquids and other debris. Slips, trips and falls are responsible for almost a third of all restaurant scald burns.
- Use non slip matting, no- skid waxes and coat floors with grit, especially in areas where cooking oils and other liquids may spill.
What employees can do to reduce the risk of a scald burn injury:
The most important things you can do is to make sure you are aware of how to assess burn hazards in your workplace and how you can reduce your risk of being burned or burning one of your co-workers. Good communication between co-workers, understanding and following all of the safety procedures at your workplace can help to reduce your risk of serious potentially life altering injury from a scaled burn.
- If manually transferring hot liquids ensure the liquid is at a safe level for carrying (1/2 full), use splash guards, or secure lids for all vessels containing hot liquids.
- If transferring hot liquids using a rolling cart, ensure the vessel is secure on the cart so that sudden stops or jarring will not allow the container to tip or fall.
- Carefully handle micro waved liquids, assume they are hot. Micro waved foods and liquids can reach temperatures greater than boiling without the appearance of bubbling.
- Always practice good housekeeping, keep floors clean of liquids and other debris. Slips, trips and falls are responsible for one in three restaurant scald burns.
- Use hot pads, potholders, or appropriate size gloves or mitts when appropriate.
- Wear protective shoes; open toed shoes, sandals or boots, where hot oil can pool, are not appropriate. Also wear shoes with slip-resistant soles to avoid slipping or falling.
This information is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice; it should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Call 911 for all medical emergencies.