Abstract:
The study sought to examine the ergonomic practices in kitchens of selected restaurants
in the Accra Metropolis. The sample for the study comprised 60 kitchen staff of the
selected from 10 restaurants using the purposive sampling technique. A descriptive
survey research design was used with mixed approaches of data analysis. Quantitative
data were analysed using frequencies and percentages with help of SPSS whilst
qualitative data were analysed descriptively. The study revealed that the layout of
majority of the selected kitchens confirmed to an ideal kitchen layout as discussed in
literature. The layout of the kitchen made it possible for the easy and smooth movement
of workers and objects within the working area as indicated by slightly over half
(54.0%) of the participants. It is observed that workers perform repetitive motions and
abnormally stretched some parts of their body and muscles when performing some tasks
as indicated by slightly below half (48.0%) of the participants. These actions and the
lack of some necessary equipment and gadgets for performing some tasks instead of
manual handling were deemed to pose ergonomic risks to workers with their attendant
health and safety implications. It is recommended that management should regularly
investigate risks in the kitchen, undertake regular assessment of risks to identify
potential hazards and adopt measures to eliminate them.
Description:
A Dissertation in the Department of TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY, Faculty of
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION, submitted to the School of Graduate Studies,
University of Education, Winneba in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
award of Master of Technology degree in Catering and Hospitality Education
DECEMBER, 2014
