Workplace safety is a major topic, involving all industries: from welding to Food Industry, from metallurgy to firefighting units, wearing the right work garments ensures worker safety and comfort.
However, professional clothing is not only to protect against injury, but also represents a kind of prevention from what could become the cause of future health problems.
In fact, even thermal stress can be the cause of more or less serious illnesses in the long run.
Appropriate work clothing, suitable for preserving our own health and the choice of PPE that is comfortable and facilitates the wearer’s movements, offer multiple advantages that are reflected in the quality of one’s work.
Hazards in the kitchen due to heat stress
Microclimatic one is, for all intents and purposes, a hazard on par with falls and slips, chemical hazards, cutting, burns, and shifting loads.
Even when cooking on a hotplate and not on a flame, one can run into hazards related to overheating of the work environment due to the radiation of heat with which cooking takes place.
When we talk about PPE for work safety, we are not only referring to gloves, but also to protective garments for the chest, legs and head.
The temperatures in which chefs and cooks work are a detail that should not be underestimated as a cause of heat stress symptoms.
If cooks work in high temperatures, they must wear appropriate outfits, with fabrics also designed to defend the abdomen from continuous heat, and that are breathable.
What can continuous heat exposure cause?
Skin rashes, cramps, burning eyes, fainting, and collapses are just some of the problems one might run into without proper protection and training.
Continuous heat in the abdominal area can also lead to severe stress on internal organs, which in the long run can cause more serious conditions, such as malfunction or dilation of the stomach and intestines or problems with the reproductive system.
In addition, working at high temperatures leads the operator to get tired faster. A tiredness that is also often a cause of stress, which can lead to other injuries in the kitchen due to distraction or lack of focus.
Silitherm LTXKS apron: a must-have PPE for kitchen workers
An example of what we can offer to prevent workplacel accidents and heat stress symptoms is the Silitherm LTXKS aramid apron, suitable for food contact.
Specifically, it protects against splashes of hot liquids such as frying oil or hot steam, and can resist contact heat up to 250°C.
If regularly worn, LTXKS provides an important barrier to heat, which comes from fires or hot plates, by delaying its passage and protecting the entire abdominal area and internal organs from heat stress. This not only prevents injuries but also possible future health problems.
A good workplace hazard prevention plan and proper training on what to do in the event of a work-related accident are key elements in avoiding workplace hazards in the kitchen.
If you need targeted advice contact us and we will give you all the information.