Assessing the kitchen ergonomics of selected restaurants in the Accra Metropolis

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.