Food workers prevent chemical hazards by storing chemicals away from food, labeling every container, using the correct concentrations, and wearing protective equipment when handling cleaning products. These steps sound simple, but chemical contamination is one of the most preventable hazards in food service, and it usually happens because of small shortcuts: an unlabeled spray bottle, a sanitizer mixed too strong, or a jug of degreaser stored on a shelf above prep ingredients.
Common Chemical Hazards in Kitchens
The chemicals most likely to cause problems in a food service setting are the same ones used every day. Ammonia-based cleaners, chlorine sanitizers, drain cleaners, oven cleaners, and grill degreasers are all standard in commercial kitchens. OSHA specifically flags ammonia and chlorine solutions as sources of skin, eye, and nose irritation for food service employees. Drain cleaners and oven cleaners are caustic, meaning they can burn skin on contact.
Beyond cleaning products, other chemical hazards include pesticides used for pest control, machine lubricants on slicers or mixers, and even sanitizer residue left on food-contact surfaces. Any of these can contaminate food if workers skip a step or mix something incorrectly.
Store Chemicals Separately From Food
The most fundamental rule is physical separation. Chemicals should be stored below and away from food, utensils, and equipment. If a container of degreaser leaks on a high shelf, gravity turns it into a contamination event for everything below it. The 2022 FDA Food Code goes further: it prohibits storing food, equipment, utensils, linens, or single-use items in any container that previously held toxic chemicals. That means you can’t rinse out a bucket that once held industrial cleaner and repurpose it for food storage or clean towels.
Dedicate a specific area, ideally a locked cabinet or closet, for all chemicals. Keep pesticides separated from cleaning products within that space, since mixing those categories creates its own risks. The goal is to make it physically difficult for a chemical to end up near food by accident.
Label Every Container
When a worker pours sanitizer from a large jug into a smaller spray bottle, that spray bottle becomes a “secondary container,” and it needs a label. OSHA requires that workplace labels include the product name and information about its hazards, whether through words, pictures, or symbols. The label doesn’t need the manufacturer’s address or full hazard statements like the original container, but it does need enough information so that anyone picking up that bottle knows what’s inside and what risks it poses.
Unlabeled bottles are one of the most common causes of chemical accidents in kitchens. A clear spray bottle of sanitizer looks identical to a clear spray bottle of water. Label containers immediately when you fill them, not after you finish using them for the first time.
Mix Sanitizers to the Correct Concentration
More is not better with sanitizers. Chlorine bleach solutions used on food-contact surfaces like cutting boards and countertops should not exceed 200 parts per million (ppm). For washing raw fruits and vegetables, concentrations can go up to 2,000 ppm, but most operations won’t need more than 200 ppm even for dirty produce. Using too much sanitizer leaves chemical residue on surfaces that then transfers to food. Using too little means the surface isn’t actually sanitized.
Test strips are the simplest way to verify concentration. They cost very little and take seconds to use. Dip one into your sanitizer solution, compare the color to the chart on the package, and adjust if the reading is off. This should happen every time a new batch of sanitizer is mixed and periodically throughout a shift, since solutions weaken over time.
Keep Safety Data Sheets Accessible
Every chemical in your workplace has a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) that explains what it is, what hazards it presents, and what protective equipment you need when handling it. OSHA requires employers to make these sheets immediately accessible to employees without leaving their work area. That can mean a physical binder in the kitchen or a computer terminal, as long as there’s a backup method for accessing the information during a power outage or emergency.
Employers should designate someone to maintain this collection. If an SDS is missing for any product, that person contacts the manufacturer to get one. Workers should know where the binder or terminal is and how to find information in it before they need it in an emergency, not during one.
Wear the Right Protective Equipment
The SDS for each chemical specifies what protective equipment to use, and those recommendations vary. Handling a diluted surface sanitizer might only require gloves. Mixing concentrated oven cleaner or working with caustic degreasers typically calls for chemical-resistant gloves, safety goggles, and sometimes a respirator. OSHA notes that corrosive chemicals can cause severe burns if splashed on skin or in the eyes, which is why goggles matter even for tasks that seem routine.
Glove type matters too. Latex gloves that work fine for food handling may dissolve or break down when exposed to certain solvents. OSHA publishes guidance on which glove materials resist which chemicals. If you’re unsure, the SDS for the product will list recommended glove types.
Leave Pesticide Application to Professionals
Federal law requires that anyone applying restricted-use pesticides be a certified applicator. The EPA maintains a specific certification category for pest control in food handling establishments, and for good reason. Pesticides applied incorrectly near food prep areas can leave residues on surfaces, contaminate stored ingredients, or create airborne exposure for workers.
Food workers should report pest problems to management rather than attempting to handle them independently. If a pest control company treats the facility, workers need to know which areas were treated, what chemicals were used, and how long to wait before using those areas again. Any food, utensils, or equipment left exposed during treatment should be considered contaminated and either discarded or thoroughly cleaned.
Use Food-Grade Lubricants on Equipment
Slicers, mixers, and other machinery with moving parts need lubrication, and during normal operation there’s always a chance that lubricant will make minor contact with food. That’s why equipment in food preparation areas requires food-grade lubricants formulated to meet FDA standards. Non-food-grade lubricants contain compounds that are toxic if ingested. Check the label or registration of any lubricant before applying it to equipment that touches or sits near food.
Build Chemical Safety Into Your HACCP Plan
A HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) plan isn’t just for biological hazards like bacteria. Chemical hazards need their own monitoring procedures, critical limits, and corrective actions. For example, a critical control point might be verifying sanitizer concentration before each shift. The critical limit is 200 ppm for chlorine on food-contact surfaces. If the reading falls outside that range, the corrective action is to remix the solution, re-test, and document what happened.
The FDA recommends that monitoring be continuous when feasible, and that all records be dated and signed by the person doing the monitoring. When a deviation occurs, the plan should spell out three things: what caused the problem, what happens to any food that may have been affected, and what corrective steps were taken. Having this written in advance means workers don’t have to improvise during a stressful moment.
Know What to Do During a Chemical Exposure
Even with good systems in place, spills and splashes happen. The first step is always removing the person from contact with the chemical. Take off any clothing or jewelry that touched the substance, because chemical burns continue as long as the source stays against the skin.
For eye exposure, flush the affected eye with cool water for at least 15 minutes. Tilt the head so the contaminated eye is lower, preventing chemicals from washing into the unaffected eye. Remove contact lenses while rinsing and discard them. For skin exposure, flush with cool water for at least 15 minutes, using soap if the substance is oily. Don’t brush away dry chemicals with bare hands.
If someone inhales chemical fumes, move them to fresh air immediately. Chemicals that contact the eyes, nose, or mouth can cause internal damage to organs like the kidneys and liver even when the external injury seems minor, so any direct exposure to those areas warrants prompt medical attention.