The Dangers of an Unclean Kitchen There are various dangers that come with an unclean kitchen. Each aspect of the kitchen from surfaces and cookers to storage areas and kitchen ducts have their own dangers associated with them. While some things in a kitchen are relatively easy to keep clean some areas will require specialist services. For example, kitchen ducts will require a specific duct cleaning service provider like Assured Cleaning. Unclean Surfaces One of the most common concerns in a kitchen is the cleanliness of the work surfaces. Food poisoning is one of a restaurant owner’s worst nightmares. In 2016/17, the Food Standards Agency and Food Standards Scotland were notified of and investigated 2,265 incidents of food contamination in the UK. Keeping surfaces clean and free of bacteria is a must for any restaurant owner. Unclean Cookers Cleaning the oven and hobs is one of the least glamorous jobs in the kitchen. This does not mean it is not an important one. A dirty or greasy cooker can pose multiple dangers. It goes without saying that cooking in an oven with old food and grease stuck to it can be a fire hazard. Any food collected in the oven can stick to grills and metal trays and continue to burn. Another issue with unclean cookers is that if an oven is unclean it can often expel a thick cloud of dark smoke due to the burning of the old food and grease. This is not ideal as not only can the smoke find its way into the restaurant, upsetting customers, but it can also reduce visibility in the kitchen making it harder for the chefs to do their job safely. Unclean Kitchen Ducts Unclean kitchen ducts are one of the biggest causes of fires in the catering industry. London Fire Brigade report that there is a kitchen fire caused by unclean kitchen ducts, on average, every 9 days in the Greater London area. Kitchen duct fires are caused by a build up of grease in the ducts over time reducing the efficiency of the duct causing it to heat up. It is estimated that unclean extraction systems are responsible for 70% of commercial kitchen fires. Cleaning kitchen ducts can be almost impossible unless carried out by a professional. Assured Cleaning’s duct cleaning service ensures that ducts are thoroughly clean and reduce the risk of kitchen fires greatly. It is clear that kitchen cleanliness is responsible for reducing several serious health and safety concerns both for kitchen staff and customers. Assured Cleaning can provide everything needed to keep kitchens clean and safe and their duct cleaning service ensures the risk of fires is kept to a minimum.
Find out more at www.assuredcleaning.co.uk Assured Cleaning has been recognised by the Living Wage Foundation, the organisation at the heart of the movement for fair pay.
The Living Wage commitment will see Assured Cleaning offer a Living Wage option for each and every request for tender. Recognised Service Providers also commit to pay the real Living Wage to all staff working for their core business. For more details please visit: www.assuredcleaning.co.uk/living-wage-foundation/