Workplace Safety and Professional Conduct
What you must understand
Safety covers manual handling, slips and trips, burns and scalds, knife safety, chemical safety, and fire procedures. Know correct lifting: bend the knees, keep the load close, avoid twisting, and ask for help with heavy loads. Understand spill procedures: clean immediately, use a wet-floor sign, and report hazards. Know how to carry hot plates and warn guests. Understand knife handling: carry blades down and away, never catch a falling knife, and store knives safely. Know chemical rules: never decant into unlabelled containers, never mix cleaning products, and wear gloves. Understand professional conduct: punctuality, uniform standards, honesty, confidentiality, and reporting harassment or bullying.
Traps in questions
Questions often test the falling knife rule (step back, never catch) and the response to a spill (clean and sign immediately). Another trap is lifting with a twisted back or carrying a load that blocks your view. Watch for options that mix bleach and ammonia-based cleaners, or that store chemicals near food. Also beware of covering up a mistake; honest reporting is always the professional answer.
Worked example
You see a broken glass near a guest's table. Strong response: stop service in that area, warn the guest, sweep and dispose of the glass safely, and check for small shards before resuming.
Rule of thumb
If a task feels unsafe, stop and ask - no order is worth an injury.