There are many factors that affect the emission levels that staff are exposed to during cooking. They include:

• Size of the kitchen
• Quality of ventilation system
• Age and condition of the appliance
• The level of appliance usage

These four factors must be taken into consideration at all times to ensure the wellbeing of your staff.

It is important to have an adequate cooker hood above cooking areas to extract harmful gasses and by-products from the process such as carbon monoxide, a harmful gas created by the incomplete burning of gas.

Not only must the canopy be an adequate size to cover the size of the cooking area, it must also be regularly cleaned and maintained to ensure it works effectively and meet HSE requirements. See our table of frequency below to make sure you are within required insurance guidelines:

Nitrogen Dioxide

Nitrogen Dioxide is one of the extremely harmful by-products often created as part of the cooking process. However, it is easier detected than carbon monoxide as it generally comes with a nasty smell and is reddish-brown in colour.

It can often be produced by the incorrect burning of gas, generally caused by overuse of old or poorly maintained kitchen appliances. To ensure that nitrogen oxide does not become an issue in your kitchen please get make sure all your gas appliances are serviced regularly and in accordance with HSE requirements, and do not overuse kitchen appliances or ever use appliances that are not fit for service.

Employee Health

The main effect of breathing in raised levels of nitrogen dioxide is the increased likelihood of respiratory problems. Nitrogen dioxide inflames the lining of the lungs, and it can reduce immunity to lung infections. This can cause problems such as wheezing, coughing, colds, flu and bronchitis.

Increased levels of nitrogen dioxide can have significant impacts on people with asthma because it can cause more frequent and more intense attacks. Children with asthma and older people with heart disease are most at risk.

Employee health and providing a well conditioned working area are essential requirements for all commercial kitchens.

To find out how we can make sure you achieve a safe and well-ventilated workplace for your staff, call us today on +44 (0)20 8681 1694.