Healthcare OHS: Reflective Forum on Kitchen Safety and Risk Management

This report examines Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) in the context of a kitchen environment. It identifies potential hazards such as falls, back injuries, chemical threats, cuts, and fires, and discusses the importance of risk management and control measures. The report highlights the responsibilities of various stakeholders, including the OHS practitioner, staff, and others, emphasizing the need for collaboration to create a safe workplace. It also outlines the significance of implementing an OHS policy that includes guidelines, training, and emergency procedures. Furthermore, the report details the process of developing safe work procedures, including task analysis, hazard identification, and risk control methods. Finally, it underscores the use of checklists for identifying health and safety concerns and the importance of follow-up actions to ensure continuous improvement in workplace safety. The report emphasizes the application of these principles within a kitchen setting to promote a safe and healthy environment.

Running Head: HEALTHCARE 0
REFLECTIVE FORUM

HEALTHCARE 1
OHS in Kitchen
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) also stated to as Workplace Health and Safety
(WHS) associates to the assessment and mitigation of risks that may influence the health,
safety and welfare of individuals those employed in the workplace. There are various sorts of
kitchen hazards that required to be identified under OHS and accordingly develop risk
management system and control measures. Some of the common kitchen hazards include
falls as of cleaning and ladders, back injury due to trolleys and lifting, chemical threat due to
cleaning and dishwashing, cuts as of mixers, knives, glasses and crockery and lastly, fires due
to hoods, fryers and extinguishers.
The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act outlines various responsibilities
including different members such as the OHS practitioner, patients, staff, suppliers and
visitors agency contractors. For instance, the staff responsibility is to work together with the
employer about any act they prefer to meet the terms with the OHS Regulations or Act.
Illustration can be like – use equipment appropriately, trail safe work guidelines and
measures and show up while training. Involving all the members will lead to safer workplace
and this makes important for any kitchen or restaurant to ensure that they are complying with
all the regulations and practices under OHS.

HEALTHCARE 2
In addition, it can be said that OHS policy of kitchen includes executing work-related
safety and health to confirm positive work environment for all. OHS policy in a kitchen also
provides various guidelines, education, training and supervision and it also helps to train
workers in emergency response procedures. Taking an example of kitchen, developing a safe
work procedure is also important it can be breaking down into various steps such as
determining the overall task, breaking down the task into basic steps, identifying hazards and
risk control methods and writing of safe work procedures.
Ultimately, kitchen and restaurants can also use identification checklist to identify
health and safety concerns in the workplace. Some of the manual tasks and checklist
questions can be like – are they any mechanical aids (such as hoists and trolleys) available
and used? , Is the requirement to move heavy loads minimised or eliminated? And many
more. There are also different ways to approach safety inspections and accordingly
recommendations to be presented to the employer or supervisor or where there is the right
authority. Afterwards, follow up actions needed to be taken on to ensure that right procedures
are being taken on in future.