Always assume a pot handle is hot. Don’t just grab it with your bare hand.

Use dry pads or towels to handle hot pans. Wet ones will create steam, which can burn you,

Keep pan handles out of the aisle, so people won’t bump into them. Also, keep handles away from open flames of gas burners.

Don’t fill pans so full that they are likely to spill hot foods.

Get help when moving heavy containers of hot food.

Open lids away from you to let steam escape safely.

Use care when opening compartment steamers.

Make sure gas is well vented before trying to light ovens or pilot lights. Strike matches BEFORE turning on the gas. Also, strike matches away from yourself.

Wear long sleeves and double-breasted jackets to protect yourself from spilled or spattered hot foods or fat. Also, wear sturdy leather shoes with closed toes

Dry foods before putting them in frying fat, or hot fat may splatter on you.

When placing foods in hot fat, let them fall away from you, so that fat will not splash on you.

Keep liquids away from the deep fryer. If a liquid were spilled into the fryer, the suddenly created steam could spray hot fat on anyone nearby.

Always warn people when you are walking behind them with hot pans or when you are walking behind someone who is working with hot items.

Warn service people about hot plates.

Keep knives sharp. A sharp knife is safer than a dull one, because it requires less pressure and is less likely to slip.

Use a cutting board. Do not cut against a metal surface. Place a damp towel under the board keep it from slipping.

Pay attention to your work when using a knife or cutting equipment.

Cut away from yourself and others around you.

Use knives for only cutting, not for such jobs as opening bottles.

Don’t try to catch a falling knife! Step back and let it fall.

Don’t put knives in a sink, under water, or any place where they can’t be seen.

Clean knives carefully with the sharp edge away from you.

Store knives in a safe place, such as in a rack, when not in use.

Carry a knife properly. Hold it beside you, point down, with the sharp edge back and away from you. Don’t swing your arm. Whenever possible, carry knives in a sheath. Warn people when you are walking pasg them with a knife in your hand.

Keep breakable items, such as dishes and glassware, away from the area in which you are preparing food.

BACTERIA – Microscopic organisms, some of which can cause disease, including food-borne disease.

PATHOGEN – A bacteria that causes disease.

AEROBIC – Most bacteria require oxygen to grow. These are called “aerobic”.

ANAEROBIC – Some bacteria are “anaerobic”, which means they can grow only if there is no air present, such as in metal cans. Botulism,one of the most dangerous forms of food poisoning, is caused by anaerobic bacteria.

LAG PHASE – When bacteria are introduced to a new environment, they need time to adjust to their surroundings before they start growing. This time is called the “lag phase”. If other conditions are good, the lag phase may last about 1 hour or somewhat longer.

INTOXICATION – Disease caused by poisons that bacteria produce while they are growing in food.

INFECTION – Disease, including much food-borne disease, caused by bacteria in the body.

BOTULISM – A deadly food-borne intoxication usually associated with improperly canned foods.

STAPH (OR STAPHYLOCOCCUS) – A bacterium that causes food-borne disease by producing a toxin or poison in improperly stored foods.

SALMONELLA – A widespread food-borne disease, spread by improper food handling and inadequate sanitation.

TRICHINOSIS – A food-borne disease caused by a parasite sometimes found in undercooked pork.

FOOD DANGER ZONE – The temperature range of 45 degrees Farenheit to 140 degrees Farenheit, in which bacteria grow rapidly.

CROSS-CONTAMINATION – The transfer of bacteria to food from another food or from equipment or work surfaces.

SANITIZE – To kill disease-causing bacteria, usually by heat or by chemical disinfectants.

HACCP – A food safety system of self-inspection, designed to highlight hazardous foods and to control food handling to avoid hazards.

FLOW OF FOOD – The path that food travels in a food service operation, from receiving to serving.

HAZARD – A potentially dangerous food condition due to contamination, growth of pathogens, survival of pathogens, or the presence of toxins.

CRITICAL CONTROL POINT – An action that can be taken that will eliminate or minimize a food safety hazard.

CLASS A FIRES – Wood, paper, cloth, ordinary combustibles

CLASS B FIRES – Burning liquids, such as grease, oil, gasoline, solvents.

CLASS C FIRES – Switches, motors, electrical equipment, and so forth.

MAKE SURE YOU USE THE RIGHT KIND OF FIRE EXTINGUISHER FOR EACH CLASS OF FIRE!!!