Question:
My employer is requiring us to cook in masks even though we don’t have an open kitchen. Can he do that? And how is it even possible?
– Line cook
Answer:
Kitchens are hot, uncomfortable places to work, and they have only gotten more uncomfortable with new guidance from OSHA, which has trickled down to many states and municipalities through their health departments. These guidelines recommend PPE for all workplaces, including kitchens. The OSHA guidance, recently released, says, in part:
“Select and implement appropriate engineering controls (e.g., physical barriers/shields to separate workers, enhanced ventilation), and administrative controls (e.g., staggering work shifts, limiting breakroom capacity, practicing social distancing, replacing in-person meetings with video-conference calls, ensuring workers wear appropriate face coverings, such as cloth face masks, to contain respiratory secretions), and providing and ensuring workers use appropriate PPE, identified through hazard assessments and in accordance with OSHA’s standards at 29 CFR 1910, Subpart I, and OSHA and CDC guidance on use of PPE. (Note: cloth face coverings are not PPE, because they protect other people from the wearer’s respiratory secretions, rather than protecting the wearer).”
While in a traditional closed kitchen environment, you are distanced from guests, and COVID-19 is not known to be transmissible through food, wearing masks or other face coverings can help protect you and your co-workers. This is important as businesses begin to reopen in earnest and then some close again as the virus spreads among staff.
With the benefit of age, I’ve seen new health and safety regulations take hold and cooks argue that they can’t do their jobs in those conditions—wearing gloves to handle hot pizzas, keeping their knives in sanitizing solution when not in use, keeping dish towels off of shoulders and so on. Yes, masks are annoying and uncomfortable. Yes, they are the new reality for now. Brian Lofink, executive chef of Terrain in Glen Mills, Pa., says: “It takes a shift or two to get used to, but it’s worth the small sacrifice when considering the health and safety of my co-workers and guests. I also would suggest getting some anti-fog cream for the glasses-wearing community.”
While a face covering may be recommended or required, depending on your state or municipality as well as company policy, it may not need to be a mask. Operators should consult with their local health department or restaurant association. Some cooks, for example, prefer face shields as they can be as effective as masks but allow for tasting on the line without needing to remove or pull down the mask.
More on workplace protections for cooks here.