How to Do a Kitchen Risk Assessment in Hospitality

Date modified: 1st April 2025. This article has been written by Pilla Founder, Liam Jones, click to email Liam directly, he reads every email.

TLDR;

• •Kitchen risk assessments are a legal requirement.
• •The person doing the assessment should know the kitchen well (usually the Head Chef or Kitchen Manager).
• •Use the pre-built kitchen risk assessment template in Pilla to record hazards, who might be harmed, existing controls, and any further actions needed. 
• •Set a reminder to review it in one year (or sooner if things change).

You should complete a separate risk assessment for the kitchen because it carries specific, high-risk hazards that don’t appear in other locations of your business. Hot surfaces, sharp tools, heavy lifting, gas and electrical equipment, and constant movement all create a work environment with lots of potential for injury.

The person best placed to complete the risk assessment is someone who knows the kitchen well, usually the Head Chef or Kitchen Manager. They understand the layout, equipment, daily routines, and the real risks faced by their team.

This is why kitchen risk assessments should be done separately from front of house or general site assessments. A single, generalised risk assessment for the whole site won’t cover the detail needed to keep staff safe in the kitchen. Every part of the business has different hazards and kitchens require focused attention. If you need to, check out our article on doing a front of house restaurant risk assessment.

All risk assessments have five steps to them which are below. In this article I will go through each step and explain how you should be thinking about each one. I'll also explain how each step is managed in the pre-built kitchen risk assessment template that Pilla subscribers use. 

Step 1: Identify the hazards.

Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how.

Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions.

Step 4: Record your findings and implement them.

Step 5: Review your risk assessment and update if. necessary.

Starting with step 4: Recording your findings to implement them

OK I'm starting with step 4 which is weird but theres a reason. Step 4 is about recording your risk assessment, and it's much easier and more accurate to record your risk assessment as you along working through steps 1 to 3, so I'm going to show you how you can create your risk assessment document. 

There are two formats that I like for recording risk assessments:

1. •

   Using a table style layout (spreadsheet) and using each column for each step in the risk assessment. This is traditionally the most popular format but not the one I prefer because it doesn't leave you much space to add detail.

2. •

   Using a written listicle style document. This is the format we use for the Pilla kitchen risk assessment template. It means that each hazard will be numbered and have it's own space underneath it for you to add more information. 

If you want to use a table format then set it out like this: 

HazardWho could be harmed and howCurrent control measures****Additional control measures Slips, trips and fallsStaff, and visitors walking throughDaily housekeeping checksRepair floor tiles If you want to use a listicle format then set it out like this: 

Hazard 1: Slips, trips fallsWho could be harmed and how:**** Staff, and visitors walking throughCurrent control measures: Daily housekeeping checksAdditional control measures: Repair floor tiles

Step 1: Identifying the hazards in your kitchen

Start by walking through the kitchen and listing anything that could cause harm. Don’t do this sitting at home, do it on shift, look at what’s actually happening during prep, service, and clean-down.

Here’s how to break it down:

• •Walk the space at different times of day (e.g. prep, service, clean-down). What hazards appear when it’s busy vs. quiet?
• •Watch tasks being carried out. Are staff lifting heavy items? Working around open flames? Rushing across wet floors?
• •Check equipment. Are guards in place on slicers? Are pan handles secure? Any signs of wear or DIY fixes?
• •Talk to the team. Ask the chefs and KPs where they’ve had near misses or what tasks feel risky.

Focus on hazards that are likely to cause real harm - don’t waste time listing things that have no real risk. Common kitchen hazards to look for include:

• •Slips, trips, and falls (especially during busy service or near the sink area)
• •Burns from ovens, hobs, fryers, steamers, hot oil, and hot water
• •Cuts from knives, mandolins, or meat slicers
• •Manual handling – lifting pots, trays, or bulk deliveries
• •Exposure to cleaning chemicals or food allergens
• •Gas or electrical faults
• •Poorly maintained equipment
• •Fire risks (e.g. fat build-up in extraction hoods)

In order to help you, what we've done on our risk assessment template is outline the hazards commonly found in hospitality kitchens. The list is designed to help you identify the things that you should likely be thinking about (the biggest risks to mitigate).

When you have your list, all is you need to do is write them down in column 1 of your spreadsheet.

Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how

Once you’ve listed the hazards, add a second column to your spreadsheet and think about who could be harmed by that specific hazard and how. Use job roles or groups of people (like delivery drivers), not names, and consider how every type different type of person uses or even moves through the kitchen. It's OK to group people together for example saying 'all staff'.

Here’s some types of people who could be harmed by various things:

• •Chefs - Working around hot equipment, sharp knives, and busy service lines. Often lifting heavy stock or rushing across wet floors.
• •Kitchen Porters (KPs) - Constant exposure to water, steam, and cleaning chemicals. At risk of slips, burns, and skin irritation from detergent use.
• •Prep Staff - Using equipment like slicers and mixers, often working alone early in the day without backup.
• •Delivery Drivers - Moving through the kitchen during drop-offs, sometimes lifting or walking on wet floors.
• •Front of House Staff - May enter the kitchen briefly, often unfamiliar with the layout or hazards.
• •Engineers or Contractors - Temporary workers who may not know the space or safe routes. Risk increases if they’re working near gas or electrics.

If you're struggling, try thinking about imaginary scenarios that could happen in the kitchen

• •A chef slips near the fryers while turning to plate food.
• •A KP scalds themselves when emptying hot water from a pan into the sink.
• •A prep cook cuts themselves because the guard on a slicer was removed “just for a second.”
• •A delivery driver sprains their wrist carrying a 25kg sack through a cluttered kitchen.

Tip: Don’t just assume staff are following the correct process. Think about how they really behave during pressure moments - that’s where most injuries happen. Use this step to focus your attention on where the real risks are, and who’s exposed.

Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions

Now that you know what the hazards are and who might be harmed, the next step is to work out how serious the risks are — and what you're going to do to reduce them.

In a kitchen, most risks can’t be eliminated completely. You’re dealing with heat, sharp tools, heavy lifting, time pressure, and crowded spaces. So your goal isn’t to eliminate all hazards — it’s to control the risks well enough that nobody gets hurt.

Use a mini two-step approach

This step is easiest to manage if you break it into two columns for each hazard:

• •What you're already doing — Existing control measures, even if informal or routine.
• •What else you should do — Any new or stronger actions you need to take.

Start by writing down what you currently do to prevent harm. These might include training, signage, team briefings, safety guards on equipment, or protective gear. Be honest about what’s really happening in your kitchen, not just what’s in a manual.

Then think about what extra precautions might be needed — based on how risky the situation is and whether current measures are working.

How to judge the level of risk

To decide how strong your controls need to be, ask two questions for each hazard:

How likely is it that someone will be harmed?Is this something that’s happened before (e.g. oil splashes, knife cuts)?Do near misses happen often (e.g. slips during clean-down)?Does the control rely on people staying alert all the time? How bad would the injury be if it happened?Minor (e.g. small cut or burn)Moderate (e.g. scald from boiling water, strain from lifting)Severe (e.g. deep knife injury, fall onto hot surface, gas leak)

• •

  Is this something that’s happened before (e.g. oil splashes, knife cuts)?

• •

  Do near misses happen often (e.g. slips during clean-down)?

• •

  Does the control rely on people staying alert all the time?

• •

  Minor (e.g. small cut or burn)

• •

  Moderate (e.g. scald from boiling water, strain from lifting)

• •

  Severe (e.g. deep knife injury, fall onto hot surface, gas leak)

Risks that are both likely and severe need urgent, stronger control measures. Risks that are rare and minor may need only basic controls — or just staff awareness.

How to decide on appropriate control measures

Good control measures should:

• •Reduce the likelihood of the hazard happening
• •Reduce the harm if it does happen
• •Fit naturally into how your kitchen runs (or they won’t stick)

Here’s how to choose smart, proportionate controls:

Question to AskIf Yes, Then Consider… Can this hazard be removed altogether?Remove broken equipment, fix leaking pipes, replace open shelving with lidded storage Can the layout or space be improved?Widen prep space to avoid overcrowding, separate clean and dirty zones, mark walkways with tape Is the issue around visibility or awareness?Add signage for hot surfaces or wet floors, use “hot behind” calls during service Does this rely on staff doing something right every time?Train staff on safe lifting, blade handling, fryer safety. Use reminders on the wall for key checks Is the risk highest at peak times?Reschedule stock movement for quiet times, assign clear roles during rush periods to reduce accidents Can you reduce exposure time?Use timers to avoid long exposure near ovens or fryers, pre-cut heavy items in advance Can a safer product or process be used?Switch to chemical-free cleaners, use mandoline guards, provide heatproof gloves Can you change the timing?Schedule deep cleans or deliveries outside of prep/service windows Examples

Hazard: Spilled oil near the fryer Current measures: Mop when noticed

Likelihood: High — happens during busy service

Severity: Moderate to high — slips near hot oil are serious

Better control options: - Place anti-slip mats near the fryer zone

• •Assign staff to check and clean the floor between lunch and dinner rush
• •Keep dry cloths on hand to wipe spills quickly — not just rely on a mop bucket

Hazard: Cutting large prep items with dull knives

Current measures: Informal — staff sharpen when they remember

Likelihood: Moderate

Severity: High — a slip while forcing a cut can cause deep wounds

Better control options: - Create a weekly knife sharpening schedule

• •Train junior staff on proper blade care and cutting technique
• •Introduce colour-coded knives with matching cleaning and maintenance protocols

Don’t just guess what control measures to use. Ask your chefs and KPs. They’re usually the first to spot patterns (like regular near-misses or tasks that feel unsafe). They’ll also be more likely to follow through if they’ve helped shape the solution.

Step 5: Review your risk assessment

Risk assessments aren’t one-and-done. Your kitchen will change over time and when it does, your risk assessment needs to reflect those changes.

As a rule of thumb, you should set a reminder to review your kitchen risk assessment every 12 months. When Pilla subscribers create a kitchen risk assessment, they set a recurrence frequency of one year so that the risk assessment appears in their to-do list automatically. if you're not using Pilla, then you will need to find your own reliable way of reminding yourself in one year.

But there are occasions where you might need to review it sooner if there are significant changes in your kitchen. These could include:

• •New equipment - A new fryer, oven, or slicer introduces new hazards or changes existing ones.
• •Layout changes - Moving stations or equipment can create new trip hazards or alter fire escape routes.
• •New staff - Especially if they're inexperienced. You might need stronger controls until they’re fully trained.
• •An accident or near miss - Any incident in the kitchen should trigger a review to make sure your precautions are working.
• •Significant maintenance issues - For example, if a ventilation system fails or surfaces become harder to clean safely.

The point of the review is to keep the document useful. If the risks in your kitchen have changed, your plan to control them should change too.

Final Thoughts

A good kitchen risk assessment isn’t about ticking boxes. It’s a tool to help you run a safer, more consistent kitchen - where your team knows what the risks are and how to manage them.

Keep it simple, keep it relevant, and make sure it actually gets used. Set a time each year to review it, update it when things change, and treat it like any other important kitchen system: part of how you run the place well.