Free safety assessment

Free restaurant workplace safety assessment

A restaurant workplace safety assessment, also called a restaurant risk assessment, reviews the kitchen, delivery area, dining room and closing shift for hazards to employees: slips, burns, cuts, powered equipment, cleaning products and repeated handling. Use this free self-assessment guide to choose the tasks to review, screen fifteen hazard areas and build a basic assessment from your answers. It is a starting draft: your team completes it with the people who do the work, and a qualified person checks it.

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Restaurant kitchen safety assessment photo: a cook wiping down the fryer station at closing, with soapy water across the tile floor and a mop bucket nearby

Include the rush period and the closing shift

A dry, quiet kitchen before opening can hide what happens during service. Ask cooks, dishwashers, cleaners and delivery workers where the work gets difficult. Review product labels and the manufacturer's safety data sheets for cleaning tasks, and check equipment instructions and the energy-control steps that apply when workers clean, unblock or service powered equipment.

How to do a restaurant safety assessment

1
Describe the job
Choose your workplace type and state, then write one task you want reviewed.
2
Flag your concerns
Choose the hazard areas that need review, or say you are not sure yet. Add who could be exposed and the controls already in use.
3
See your basic assessment
Enter your work email and phone number to see your starting draft on screen, with review questions, open areas and an action register. A free account lets you download it as a PDF.
4
Complete the workplace review
Walk the job with the people who do it, check the missing facts and record controls, owners, dates and evidence. A qualified person checks the finished assessment.

Restaurant safety assessment checklist: 15 hazard areas

Use these areas as a starting screen, not as proof that a hazard exists or is controlled. Flag the ones that apply to the task, then add anything the list misses.

1
Machinery and stored energy
Slicers, mixers, grinders and dish machines: blade guards, unexpected startup, and how each one is switched off and unplugged before cleaning.
2
Vehicles and material movement
Deliveries at the back door, hand trucks on ramps, and carts moving through a busy kitchen or dining room.
3
Slips, trips and falls
Grease, ice and wash water on kitchen floors, mats that curl up, walk-in cooler thresholds and step stools used to reach high shelves.
4
Electrical hazards
Cords near sinks and steam tables, damaged plugs on countertop equipment, and power strips running warmers, fryers or chargers.

The first four areas are open to everyone. Enter your email to read the rest of the guide.

Free basic assessment

Build your basic assessment

Three short steps. The draft is built from your answers and this page's guide, with no AI involved.

1Workplace, state and task
2Hazard areas
3Review

Step 1 of 3Workplace, state and task

State

One task to review

Describe one real task: what is done, where and with what.

Department or area (optional)

The full guide

Jobs to include in your restaurant assessment

Start with these task groups. Use one worksheet per task, and add any task this list misses.

Preparation and cutting
Knives, slicers, moving parts, access and cleaning methods.
Cooking and hot-liquid handling
Hot surfaces, steam, oil, splashes and moving full containers.
Dishwashing and cleaning
Wet floors, repetitive handling, heat and cleaning chemicals.
Deliveries and cold storage
Loads, difficult reaches, cold exposure and access.
Waste handling
Sharp objects, contaminated waste, spills and manual handling.
Equipment cleaning and servicing
Unexpected startup, electrical hazards and the isolation steps that apply.
Service and public interaction
Crowded routes, staff movement, aggression and communication.
Closing and nonroutine work
Reduced staffing, lone work, chemical tasks, security and emergencies.

Hazard areas

5
Chemical hazards
Degreasers, sanitizers, oven cleaners and drain products: dilution, labels on spray bottles, splashes to the eyes and products that must not be mixed.
6
Lifting and repeated strain
Cases of produce and drinks, stockpots, full bus tubs and trash bags, plus repeated chopping, plating and reaching into deep sinks.
7
Noise and vibration
Dish machines, exhaust hoods, ice machines and loud dining rooms that make warnings and orders hard to hear.
8
Heat, cold and physical agents
Fryer oil, grills, ovens and steam from dish machines and kettles, plus time in walk-in freezers and in hot kitchens during summer.
9
Biological hazards
Broken glass, blood from cuts, needles found in restrooms or trash, and pest droppings in dry storage.
10
Fire and emergencies
Fryer and grill fires, grease buildup in hoods and ducts, gas appliances, and back doors blocked by deliveries or trash.
11
Confined or restricted spaces
Grease traps, spaces under counters and any basement storage or crawl space that staff or contractors enter.
12
Violence and lone work
Late closing, cash handling, alcohol service, upset customers and employees who lock up or take out the trash alone.
13
Work organization and contractors
Rush periods, split shifts, short staffing, new or young workers, and hood-cleaning or pest-control contractors working after hours.
14
PPE and exposure-control gaps
Cut-resistant gloves for slicing, heat-resistant gloves and aprons near hot oil, slip-resistant shoes, and eye protection for cleaning chemicals.
15
Additional job-specific hazards
Anything cooks, servers, dishwashers or delivery staff raise that this list misses, such as a new menu item, new equipment or a changed layout.

Choosing controls

Consider eliminating or substituting the hazard first, then suitable engineering controls, administrative arrangements and PPE. The right combination depends on the job and the requirements that apply to it; PPE alone does not resolve every risk.

Elimination — remove the hazard or the task that creates it.
Substitution — use a less hazardous material, product, method or piece of equipment.
Engineering controls — separate people from the hazard with guards, barriers, ventilation or layout changes.
Administrative controls — change how the work is done through procedures, scheduling, instruction, signs and supervision.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) — protect each worker with equipment chosen, fitted and maintained for the task.

Ideas to discuss for this workplace:

Find and fix the source of recurring grease or wash water instead of relying on repeated cleanup alone.
Review the cleaning method, the layout of the work area, product instructions and how the task fits with work happening nearby.
Check the result during closing. Slip-resistant footwear and task-specific PPE can be part of the wider plan where appropriate.

For each action, record the hazard, the people exposed, existing controls, the additional action, its priority and the basis for it, the responsible role, a target date, verification evidence and any remaining questions. Do not close a finding just because a document was created.

What a photo can support, and what needs checking

What a photo can show

Visible spills and blocked walkways; how the work area is laid out around hot equipment; and visible storage and container labels.

What needs checking in person

Whether a cleaning product suits the task, its dilution and its safety data sheet; energy control while powered equipment is cleaned; and heat exposure and what really happens on the closing shift.

What this assessment covers

This is an employee safety assessment. Food hygiene, HACCP and health-department requirements need their own processes.

Before you start

Describe the preparation, cooking, service, delivery and closing tasks. Bring the cleaning products you use, the equipment instructions, worker concerns and any changes to staffing or layout. Include young or newly assigned workers when you review whether a task suits them and what training they need.

Free written guide

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Read the rest of this guide here: the jobs to include, hazard areas 5 to 15, choosing controls, what a photo can and cannot show, and how to prepare. Downloads need a free account.

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Blank risk assessment worksheet

Restaurant risk assessment worksheet

One task per copy: the jobs to include, all fifteen hazard areas with their questions, the hierarchy of controls, the action register and the sign-off. Ready to print in English or Spanish.

Needs your work email and phone number on this page, and a free OSHA Scan account with the same email.

Illustrative example

What a task review can look like

Grease and wash water collect near a fryer during closing. The team records the source, the route people use and the cleaning task. It reviews where the spill comes from, the cleaning method and the layout of the area, assigns corrections and checks them during closing. Footwear can be part of the controls, but the recurring spill still needs attention.

Observe: closing-time cleaning near a fryer. Review: discuss hazards and existing controls with the people doing the job. Verify: assign an owner and check the correction during real work.

An illustrative example written for this page, not a customer case. The example scan shows how OSHA Scan's AI points out visible details for a person to check; it is a second set of eyes, not a finding.

Example report

Illustrative — not live scan data

Example restaurant safety assessment photo: closing-time cleaning at the fryers with a wet, soapy floor and a mop bucket at the edge of the aisle

Compliance score

Lower means more potential hazards found

Score uses visible confirmed findings only. Not a safety certification.

2 confirmed · 0 need review · 0 positive

1 High1 Medium3 locked

1Wet, soapy floor across the aisle beside the fryers
High
Possibly related to walking-working surfaces (29 CFR 1910.22(a)(2))
Observed condition: Wash water covers the route between the fryers and the sink area while the cook is still working, so anyone crossing it could slip.
Corrective action: Squeegee the water to the drain, keep people off the wet section until it is dry, and look at why wash water spreads this far at closing.
High confidence
2Mop bucket and handle left at the edge of the aisle
Medium
Possibly related to housekeeping (29 CFR 1910.22(a)(1))
Observed condition: The bucket and its handle sit where people step around the end of the fryer line, adding a trip point in a narrow kitchen aisle.
Corrective action: Park the bucket out of the walking route when it is not in use, and store the handle upright.
High confidence

Additional illustrative previews; excluded from counts and score.

Whether the fryer oil and surfaces are cool before the station is wiped down
Full detail — severity, the OSHA standard it may relate to, and the suggested fix — is included in the complete report.
Footwear worn on the closing shift
Full detail — severity, the OSHA standard it may relate to, and the suggested fix — is included in the complete report.
Label and safety data sheet for the floor-cleaning product
Full detail — severity, the OSHA standard it may relate to, and the suggested fix — is included in the complete report.

3 more findings in the full report

See every finding, fix, and OSHA reference

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AI-generated analysisThese findings are potential hazards flagged by AI from a single photo. They are a starting point for your own review — not an official OSHA determination. Verify conditions on site with a qualified person before acting.

Observe, review, verify

Animation of a restaurant task review: observe the task, review the details that need checking, then verify on site

Paused

Find your state's guide

How OSHA coverage is arranged differs by state. Each OSHA Scan state guide explains the arrangement there and links to official information.

Official sources

Use these official pages to complete the review. OSHA Scan is not affiliated with or endorsed by OSHA or any government agency.

Frequently asked questions

What is a restaurant safety assessment?

A restaurant safety assessment reviews the work your employees do in the kitchen, dining room, delivery area and storage, and at closing. It lists the hazards in each task, the controls already in place and the actions still needed. On this page it is a free self-assessment your team completes, not an on-site assessment by a consultant or by OSHA.

How is a restaurant safety assessment different from a risk assessment, a JHA or a safety audit?

The terms overlap. A restaurant safety assessment and a restaurant risk assessment both review tasks and areas for hazards and controls; a risk assessment also weighs how likely and how serious harm could be. A job hazard analysis (JHA) breaks one job, such as cleaning the slicer, into steps and lists the hazards and controls for each step. A safety audit checks the restaurant against set requirements or a program.

How often should a restaurant safety assessment be reviewed?

Review it on a schedule your team sets, and again when the menu, equipment, layout, cleaning products or staffing change, after an injury or near miss, and when staff raise a concern. Include busy service periods and the closing shift, not just quiet times.

Does OSHA require a restaurant safety assessment?

There is no single universal OSHA form for one. Specific standards apply to restaurant work: the PPE standard requires a workplace hazard assessment for protective equipment and a written certification of it (29 CFR 1910.132(d)), and the Hazard Communication standard covers labels, safety data sheets and a written program for hazardous chemicals, such as some cleaning products (29 CFR 1910.1200). State Plans can add their own requirements.

What should a kitchen safety assessment check first?

Start with the tasks staff repeat every shift near heat, blades, wet floors and cleaning products, such as frying, slicing, dishwashing and floor cleaning at closing. Then review deliveries, storage and less frequent jobs like cleaning hoods, grease traps or the walk-in.

Does a restaurant risk assessment cover more than kitchen fire safety?

Yes. It covers cuts, burns, slips, powered equipment, cleaning products, lifting and repeated strain, dealing with the public and nonroutine tasks, as they apply to your employees. Fire and emergencies are one of the fifteen hazard areas on this page.

Can a cafeteria or hotel kitchen use this assessment?

Yes. Adapt the job list to your actual equipment, staff and food-service operation. A hotel can also use the hotel risk assessment for housekeeping, maintenance and front-desk work.

Should cleaning products be included?

Yes. Identify the exact products and how workers use them, then record contact, exposure, storage and control questions using the product label and the manufacturer's safety data sheet.

Does it replace a food hygiene inspection?

No. It focuses on employee safety. Food handling, HACCP and health-department requirements stay in their own processes.

What is free on this page, and what needs my details?

Everyone can read how it works, the first four hazard areas, the example, these answers and the sources. Your email unlocks the rest of the written guide. To see your basic assessment, answer the three builder steps and enter your work email and phone number. Downloading the assessment as a PDF, or the blank worksheet in English or Spanish, needs a free OSHA Scan account. No credit card is needed.

Is this an official OSHA inspection or certification?

No. It is an educational starting draft. OSHA Scan is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or certified by OSHA or the U.S. Department of Labor. A qualified person should complete and check the workplace assessment.

Reviewed by OSHA Scan Editorial

This content is produced by the OSHA Scan Editorial team and reviewed with AI assistance. It is general safety information, not legal or compliance advice. OSHA Scan is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or certified by OSHA or the U.S. Department of Labor.

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