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Housekeeping

Why Should We Pay Attention to Housekeeping at Work?

Effective housekeeping can eliminate some workplace

hazards and help get a job done safely and properly. Poor
housekeeping can frequently contribute to accidents by hiding
hazards that cause injuries. If the sight of paper, debris, clutter
and spills is accepted as normal, then other more serious
health and safety hazards may be taken for granted.

Workplace Sanitation

Maintaining a clean work environment is critical in

preventing foodborne illness. Bacteria can grow on unsanitary
surfaces and then contaminate food. Just because a work
surface looks clean does not mean that it is sanitary. Always
ensure that you clean and sanitize a work area before starting
to prepare food.

Cleaning Procedures and Schedules

A sanitation plan is important in any food service

preparation area. It ensures that all surfaces are cleaned on a
regular basis and reduces the risks of transferring bacteria or
other pathogens from an unclean surface to clean equipment
such as cutting boards or tools.

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PPE: Equipment Safety

Keep Restaurant Staff Safe with Personal Protective Equipment

Providing staff the proper restaurant equipment and supplies is

vital for ensuring the wellbeing and safety of employees. More
specifically, restaurants, hotels and just about every other place of
business requires some degree of personal protective equipment
(PPE) to reduce the risk of injury and keep workers as protected as
possible from potential hazards.

Restaurant supplies that can help safeguard staff from

unnecessary injury are:

Gloves – there are different types of gloves that are required for
various tasks, such as:
Dishwashing gloves
Help protect the workers hands from hot water, as well as
from abrasive chemicals that may be used in soaps and
sanitizers.

Cut-resistant gloves
Made from special, strong materials that help prevent skin
from being accidentally sliced by sharp knives.

Freezer gloves
Insulated gloves with good grips designed to shield the
hands from frostbite, which can be a potential problem when
spending a significant time in freezers or walk in refrigeration
storage units.

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Oven Mitts
Prevent burns and are primarily used for placing and removing
hot items from ovens, handling hot plates or dealing with other hot
food or restaurant equipment.

Aprons
Not only does this PPE help keep a worker’s uniform clean, but
it also provides an additional barrier between the employee’s body
and dangerous substances, such as chemicals, hot grease and oils.

Anti-slip shoes
The floors in a kitchen restaurant are often slippery due to
regular water and grease spills. Wearing safety footwear helps
provide employees with better grip, assisting in the prevention of
slipping and falling.

Other notable safety items that should be considered include:

Wet floor signs
Are essential for both your staff and your customers. It alerts
people that the floor is wet, so they can avoid these areas or take
extra caution when walking in these spots.

Slip-resistant mats
Ideal for kitchen floors or other high traffic areas in the
restaurant where there is a greater possibility for slips and falls (i.e.
front entrance/exit). These rubber mats not only offer better foot grip
but provide a softer and more comfortable walking surface that gives
the feet, knees and other joints better protection from strains and
other similar injuries.

Workplace Safety Procedures

The most important concept to remember is that you are

responsible for your own safety and the safety of others. Most safety
practices are common sense. Unfortunately, they can be forgotten or
overlooked unless you make safe practices a habit or an instinct.

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General Safety

By doing things right, you and your co-workers will commit yourselves
to safety on the job and everyone will benefit. Accidents occur in
many ways but most often can be traced back to one of two basic
factors: ignorance or carelessness. You must always be concerned
with your own safety and with the safety of others around you.

The following is a general list of safety precautions you must observe

in any work area:

 Don’t fool around. “Horseplay” is one of the biggest causes of

injuries on the job and it may be grounds for dismissal.
 Never work while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, as
you are a hazard to yourself and your co-workers.
 Pay particular attention to moving objects, such as equipment,
dollies, mixers, and slicers.
 Walk, do not run, in the work areas.
 Stay completely alert on the job.
 Avoid back strain by lifting properly.

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Knife Skills and Cuts

The way you chop and slice your food can affect the way your
food tastes, that’s why when it comes to following a recipe it is always
good to know what chops and slices they are referring to.

The Bâtonnet
This technique refers to chopping a vegetable into little sticks or
batons. After peeling and washing, you should cut the pieces into
strips around ¼ inch by ¼inch by 2.5-3” inch.

Julienne
This is referred to as the match stick cut, perfect for recipes like
spring rolls or coleslaw! A julienne cut measures at approximately 1/8
inch x 1/8 inch by 2 inches.

Fine Julienne
In comparison, a fine julienne measure at is 1/16 inch x 1/16
inch by 2 inches.

Small Dice
Also known as ‘macédoine’ in French, this cut is ideal for pasta
sauces or onion soup. A small dice is a cube cut measuring at around
1/4 inches.

Medium Dice
Also known as ‘parmentier’ in French, a medium dice is a cube
cut measuring around 1/2 inches.

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Large Dice
Also known as ‘carré ‘ in French, a large dice is a cube cut
measuring around 3/4 inches.

Brunoise
Start off by julienning your vegetables, then dice them into
cubes around 2 mm on each side.

Fine Brunoise
Just like a brunoise, you begin by julienning your vegetables.
When dicing, aim for cubes that are around 1mm on each side.

Rough Cut
A rough chop is just as its name suggests. You’re free to chop
quickly and at random, usually creating mid to large chunks as you
see fit.

Chiffonade
This technique is used for chopping herbs or leafy greens. It is
a great way to decorate your plate with thin ribbons of green. You
begin by stacking the leaves from the biggest size to the smallest,
then roll them from one edge to another giving you a little bundle.
Run your knife through the length of the herbs, and then garnish.

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Different Types
of Knives

The Different Parts of a Kitchen Knife

Point – The point is the part of the knife where the edge and spine
come together. The point is often used for piercing.

Tip – The tip is the forward part of the knife and includes the knife
point. The tip is used for detailed or delicate cutting.

Edge – The edge is the cutting part of the blade. It extends from the
point to the heel of the knife.

Heel - The heel is the rear part of the edge, opposite the point.

Spine - The spine is the top of the knife blade, opposite the knife
edge.

Bolster - The bolster is the band that joins the blade of the knife to its
handle. The bolster provides balance for the knife and also helps to
protect the hand from getting in the way of the knife edge.

Tang - The tang is the part of the blade that extends into the handle
of the knife. It is the surface to which the handle attaches to the
blade.

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Scales – The scales are the part of the knife that creates the handle.
Scales are often made of synthetic material or wood. Two scales are
typically attached to the tang with rivets.

Butt – The butt is the end of the handle of the knife.

THE BIG FOUR

Chef's knife
A chef’s knife has a blade between 6 and 14 inches long
and 1½ inches wide, with a curve that becomes more
pronounced near the tip. Originally, this type of knife was
intended to slice large cuts of beef , but it's much more versatile
than that. From cutting meat to chopping vegetables , this multi-
purpose tool is a must-have.
Paring knife
The paring knife has a short blade, typically between 2½
and 4 inches long, and an edge that looks like a smaller, plainer
version of a chef’s knife. Its simple, sharp blade is great for
intricate work like peeling fruit or vegetables, deveining shrimp
or creating garnishes.
Serrated utility knife
Also called a tomato knife or sandwich knife, this one has
a blade between 4 and 7 inches in length. It looks like a bread
knife, but it’s shorter and sharper. It'll cut cleanly through fruits
and vegetables without tearing them, and it also works well for
small slicing jobs like cutting bagels or sandwich fixings.

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Boning knife
Thin and flexible with a curved blade that measures
between 5 and 7 inches, a boning knife is designed to get into
small spaces to detach meat from bone. There are a few
different variations here — firmer blades are better for cuts of
beef, more flexible blades are better suited for chicken. A really
bendy version called a filet knife is great for delicate fish.

LARGE KNIVES
Sometimes you need to bring out the big guns.

Bread knife
A bread knife looks like a longer, exaggerated version of
a serrated utility knife. Its grooves let it slice cleanly through
bread without crushing it. Bread knives can have a classic knife
handle, or they might have an offset handle to keeps your
knuckles from knocking the bread.
Carving knife
Measuring between 8 and 15 inches long, the carving
knife looks like a thinner, stretched-out chef’s knife. Its length
and very sharp edge allow precise, thin slicing of meat —
especially denser, larger items like a roast.
Cleaver
This horror-movie favorite is a large, usually rectangular
knife. It has a very heavy, thick blade that narrows to a sharp
edge. It's primarily used for splitting or “cleaving” meat and
bone. The cleaver is a necessity for restaurants that prepare

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their own meat, but it's not considered an essential home

kitchen tool (though it does look cool).

SMALL KNIVES
These little guys are all about finishing work and details.

Fluting knife
With a short, straight blade that's 2 to 4 inches long, a
fluting knife looks like a shorter, slightly sharper-angled version
of a paring knife. This one's used for delicate peeling or
creating decorations.
Mincing knife
A mincing knife looks like a miniature version of the blade
in Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Pit and the Pendulum." But in
the culinary world, it's just meant to finely cut vegetables and
herbs by moving the blade in a rocking motion.
Peeling knife
Related to the paring knife is a curved blade known as a
tourné knife. This short blade curves downward, but is not as
exaggerated as a hook. Use it to remove skins and blemishes
from fruits or vegetables or to make a specific cut called tourné,
especially popular with root vegetables.
Trimming knife
The trimming knife looks like a miniature boning knife,
and is usually under 3 inches long. It can handle a variety of
small tasks like removing meat from bone in small areas. If you

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want to get all retro and make radish roses, a trimming knife will
let you do it.

SPECIALTY KNIVES
Specialty knives are good at — no, great at — one thing. There
are tons of different kinds, but here are a few of our favorites.

Cheese knives
Cheese knives are designed for — you guessed it —
slicing cheeses. Knives designed for soft cheeses will have
perforated holes, which keep the cheese from sticking to the
metal; sharper knives are used for harder cheeses.
Decorating knife
Designed to make elaborate cuts, decorating knives have
a simple pattern in the blade. One of the most common
decorating knives is adorned with a zigzag shape, which is
about as much fun as it sounds.
Grapefruit knife
The grapefruit knife has a long, flat, dull blade that looks
kind of like an artist palette knife with a serrated edge. This is
used in the kitchen for separating the fruit of a grapefruit from
the peel and pith. Some fancy versions have a double blade —
one on either side of the handle — with one for the peel and the
other for the inner membrane.

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