What do you think is actually the most dangerous thing in a professional kitchen?
In terms of severity, you might say a knife, or a pan of hot oil, or maybe a deli slicer – and you would probably be right. But reframe the question in terms of what causes the most injuries, and you will likely get a different answer.
Unsafe cutter boxes or dispenser blades are a major source of lost time injuries. Whenever a staff member cuts themselves, there’s a risk that they need to go away to receive treatment, leaving the rest of the team understaffed. That’s a real risk for modern professional kitchens, and it’s one that the team at Yeovil District Hospital was eager to prevent by investing in the Speedwrap Pro.
“A cut in the kitchen isn’t just an inconvenience,” explains Mathieu Eke, Yeovil District Hospital’s Head of Facilities. “Depending on the injury, you could lose a member of the team while they receive treatment and then have to manage the operational impact of their absence. If equipment can help us reduce that risk while making the job easier, that’s a real benefit.”
Safety first
When it comes to improving safety in the kitchen, the benefits of a concealed safety blade are hard to ignore.
With most cutterboxes or traditional dispensers, users risk accidental nicks and cuts every time they cut another length of film or foil. Sharp blades sit exposed, meaning in a busy shift it is often just a matter of time before an accident happens.
The Speedwrap Pro® from Prowrap makes this problem a thing of the past. Its patented safety blade is fully concealed during day-to-day operations, only unsheathing when the lid is pressed closed to make a cut. That eliminates the risk of cuts, removing a significant source of LTIs from the kitchen.
For Yeovil District Hospital’s Head Chef, Derek James, that combination of safety
and usability has made a real difference on the ground.
“We use cling film, foil and parchment constantly, so the dispenser needs to work with the chef, not slow them down,” he said. “The Speedwrap Pro delivers a neat cut, keeps the product under control, and, most importantly, keeps the blade concealed, keeping our staff safe.”
Mathieu Eke adds: “The concealed blade is such a simple feature, but from a health and safety perspective it makes complete sense… we’ve switched all of our cling film, foil and baking paper dispensers to Speedwrap Pro, and they’ve been brilliant.”
Cleaner, leaner kitchens
However, it is not only the safety blade that has helped improve safety in the kitchen at Yeovil District Hospital. The Speedwrap Pro’s BioCote® antimicrobial protection inhibits microbial growth across the dispenser’s easy-clean surface to support the high standards of hygiene and food safety that are essential in busy hospital kitchens.
The ease of cleaning the Speedwrap Pro underlines another of its benefits. The dispenser, available in 300 and 450mm sizes, is designed for simple, intuitive everyday use, with refill rolls slotting seamlessly in to shave valuable seconds from every film or foil change. Combined with the one-press operation provided by the safety blade mechanism, Yeovil District Hospital has quickly found that even relatively small changes can soon add up to significant efficiency gains.
“Modernising a hospital catering operation isn’t only about major kitchen equipment,” adds Mathieu Eke. “It’s also about reviewing the products our teams use every day and asking whether there is a safer, smarter and more sustainable way of doing things. Wrapex is helping us achieve exactly that.”
Simon Garrett, Head of Foodservice at Wrapex, said: “It’s great to see Speedwrap Pro products making such a difference to the busy kitchens at Yeovil District Hospital. The Speedwrap Pro is built for the pressures that catering teams face day in, day out, and with its unique safety blade it saves them time, money, and protects against preventable injuries.”
To learn more about the Speedwrap Pro, and Prowrap’s portfolio of professional wrapping solutions for kitchen staff, visit www.prowrap.co.uk.
