Can common finishing treatments used in chef jacket fabrics improve protection against scald injury?

Sushmitha Devarajan,Shuqin Wen,Rachel H Mcqueen

doi:10.1186/s40691-017-0103-3

Abstract

Chefs and other food preparation workers are at a high risk of scald injuries from hot liquids. Chefs’ clothing has the potential to act as a protective barrier between the skin and the thermal hazard. Although, impermeable barriers coupled with an insulating layer of fabric tend to offer the greatest protection against hot liquid penetration, the potential for heat strain and discomfort to workers may make them impractical in the kitchen environment. This study examined the effects of common finishing treatments used in chef jacket fabrics and the impact of layers on the protection offered against hot water burn injuries. The Teflon® treated fabrics offering combined stain and water repellency, provided the greatest protection with the lowest absorbed energy and longest times to second degree burn injury compared with the other finishes (i.e., regular, water repellent and soil release). Findings also showed that in most cases, increasing the number of layers improved protection provided by the fabric systems, with the Teflon® finished fabrics providing the highest protection against scald injuries as fabric layers increased.

Highlights

Cooking and food handling procedures in restaurants involve workers being in close proximity to hot equipment, flame, hot liquids and steam
The mean and standard deviation for absorbed energy and second and third degree skin prediction burn injury time is provided in Table 2 for all sensors
Effect of fabric finish Fabric finish was one of the most significant variables influencing absorbed energy (Upper sensor: F3,96 = 214.41, p ≤ 0.001; Middle sensor: F3,96 = 40.386, p ≤ 0.001; Lower sensor: F3,96 = 67.65, p ≤ 0.001) and time to second-degree burn for the upper sensor (F3,95 = 20.67, p ≤ 0.001)

Summary

Introduction

Cooking and food handling procedures in restaurants involve workers being in close proximity to hot equipment, flame, hot liquids and steam. It is not surprising that burn injuries within food preparation and service workers have been reported as being among the highest of all occupational groups (Islam et al 2000; Walters 2009). Burns and scalds have been reported as being the third most common type of injury, sustained by cooks and food service workers, after strains/sprains and cuts/lacerations (Cann et al 2008; Gleeson 2001; Pearsonick 1991). Among injuries sustained by cooks and other food service workers scalds have accounted for around 60% of all burn injuries (Islam et al 2000; Reichard et al 2015). It is important to note, that many scald injuries within the kitchen environment will go unreported due to not being severe enough to warrant medical attention, in many cases they may still cause pain and limit productivity.

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