Work related injuries, conditions, etc....

[m brown]

rubber gloves, latex gloves, plastic gloves protect your hands!!!! when done with your shift, wash hands with germ killer soap and moisturize with something serious, don't laugh, try alberto VO5 hairdressing. it is like pure mineral grease. some friends use baby diapering lotions like balmex and a and d ointment.

Everytime I try to use gloves when handling meat, it feels wrong. I can't tell what the texture is, if it feels right, if its starting to turn. You have some valid points on the use of gloves, I just don't feel comfortable with them on.

[m brown]

I've heard that before, but I was speaking with Chef O'Conner of the California Grill and he said since seeing professional compititions (world class) in the 80's and the top world chefs were using them, he decided to get used to it. It saves you from some burns, nicks and the biological problems. Besides it keeps your germs to yourself too.

Alot of problems I see with gloves too are that alot of cooks think that if they wear the gloves they never have to wash their hands. They don't understand that bacteria and germs still get onto the surface of the gloves the same as their bare skin.

[m brown]

Oh, YUCK! I would hope proper sanitation rules would be the norm.
I am so grossed out Andrew, but you do speak the truth. eeewwwwwwww.
cut meat,wash hands, change gloves, cut fruit, wash hands, go to the bathroom, wash hands, guess what, new gloves!
It gets to be second nature.

I have actually had to yell at dishwashers to stop picking their nose while washing the plates.

picking their nose? How about eating with their hands, smoking and God Forbid... going to the bathroom... People just don't understand the importance of washing their hands... How about cooks who claim to know so much... and then lick their fingers on the line? It's so hard to break people of these disgusting habits. It's so filthy.

Thats why you get the server to hand you a bunch of spoons to taste with.

Im new here and a culinary student at NECI. i have eczema very badly and have gone through several scratch tests, and diff. allergy tests. Found out im allergic to rubber so beware if you have eczema the rubber could have brought it on and it can be a real pain to try and get rid of . im still fighting it and now where vinyl gloves there real cheap and that leads to the proper thing to do CHANGE THEM OFTEN!

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Matthew

Matthew,

All three of my children suffer from excema. We just recently discovered the youngest has a wheat sensitivity and a strong allergy to nuts. From the itching and suffering my girls have gone through, I sympathize with you.

With the sanitation and golve thing, I know of a few companies and schools, CIA, J&W, etc. that make great sanitation videos, both in english and spanish. I showed these to my staff, and told them that this is the rule not the exception. If i catch a bad sanitation practice, meat above veg., not washing hands, or picking the nose, the employee gets docked 2 bucks. After a few dollars are gone the they can learn really quickly. What does some one do with a major allergy in the kitchen. I.e. latex, nuts, shell fish things like that? It must be hard to work on certain things? Any medicines that you can take or do you just have to grin and bear it?

[This message has been edited by ChefTiss (edited December 05, 1999).]

I use vinyl gloves. I despise the pain and swelling that comes with this condition. There are several meds. that can be taken. I have kweflex as an antibiotic for immflamation, and a strong topical cream for the hands. Sometimes ill sleep with med. and hands in gloves. As soon as i quit taking meds the condition comes right back. Thanks for the sympathy and hopefully ill be able to pursue my carreer as a chef, its a serious passion of mine and it would kill me if i couldnt stay with it. Not to mention the 43000 dollars that im spending. chat soon!

I just read on www.drkoop.com that latex gloves can not only affect the wearer of the gloves, but also cause allergic reactions in people who eat food handled with them. Apparently 1% of the US population is allergic to latex. I personally just wash my hands all the time.

Nothing works perfect 100 percent of the time.