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DHS home | People with disabilities | Publications & data | Design for Safety | Kitchens Design considerations in kitchens Worksite Redesign Technical Advisory Project Home kitchens are multiple use areas. First, identify all intended uses and users, and then design the kitchen with good natural light, ventilation, adequate space for movement and turning, visual access to other living areas of the house and adequate, appropriate storage.
The purchase, delivery, storage, preparation and clean-up related to food must be accommodated safely. Food storage should be adequate and flexible. Cabinets need to be cleanable and light-colored with safety-minded operation and hardware choices, such as recessed or flush drawer pulls that reduce pinch points. Full-extension drawer guides make retrieving and storing even heavy objects easier. Drawers and doors must operate without pinch points, overhead projections and other obstructions. Locked storage space must be provided for medicines, cleaning agents and confidential information. Countertops should be easily cleaned and light-colored. Post-formed countertops eliminate the hard-to-maintain joint created when the backsplash is a separate piece. Provide counters alongside all fixtures and appliances. All outside corners should be rounded or bull-nosed. Thoughtful selection and placement of appliances and fixtures can help prevent accidents. Range tops with controls on the side eliminate the need to reach across burners or pots. Disconnects that shut the stove down in one operation help staff to respond quickly to an emergency. Key-operated garbage disposals eliminate surprise operation. Elevated ovens or microwaves reduce back strain from bending over and support use by seated persons. Self-cleaning ovens, self-defrosting refrigerators and other labor-saving features should be selected. Kitchens are natural gathering places. The design must accommodate the vital need of the staff to remain visually connected to the residents' activity in the house, while also allowing residents appropriate access to the kitchen. Homes with seated or gait-impaired residents must have kitchens sized accordingly. Care needs to be taken to prevent range top burns and spills. Fitting clear shields to the backs of ranges in islands may be required. If residents are a risk in the kitchen, doors separating the kitchen from other living spaces may be needed. Egress openings and entries must be carefully evaluated in these cases to safeguard the health and safety of both staff and the residents. Often storage, distribution and recordkeeping associated with medications are done in group home kitchens. These tasks must be kept separate from food functions. Lockable storage, counter space, adequate task lighting and recordkeeping space must also be provided. Other essential elements in the design of a safe kitchen are adequate natural and artificial light, good ventilation, easily-serviced floor coverings (such as sheet vinyl or vinyl composition tile), B.C.-rated fire extinguishers (appropriately mounted, visible and easily reached) and rate of rise smoke detectors.
Abundant natural light |
