ServSafe Kitchen Safety & Emergency Procedures — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the correct procedure for a grease fire in a commercial kitchen?
- Cover with a lid or use a Class K fire extinguisher — never use water (Correct answer)
- Throw water on the fire
- Open windows to let smoke out
- Leave the fire to burn itself out
Correct answer: Cover with a lid or use a Class K fire extinguisher — never use water
Grease fires should be smothered with a lid or extinguished with a Class K extinguisher. Water causes grease fires to spread explosively.
Question 2: What is the minimum handwashing time recommended by food safety standards?
- 20 seconds with soap and warm water (Correct answer)
- 5 seconds with cold water
- 10 seconds with sanitizer only
- 30 minutes with antibacterial soap
Correct answer: 20 seconds with soap and warm water
Food safety standards require a minimum of 20 seconds of handwashing with soap and warm water to effectively remove bacteria and contaminants.
Question 3: When should food service workers wash their hands?
- Before handling food, after using the restroom, after touching raw meat, and when switching tasks (Correct answer)
- Only at the beginning of their shift
- Only when hands are visibly dirty
- Only before serving food to customers
Correct answer: Before handling food, after using the restroom, after touching raw meat, and when switching tasks
Handwashing is required at multiple points including before food handling, after restroom use, after touching raw proteins, after sneezing/coughing, and when switching tasks.
Question 4: What is the correct way to take a food temperature reading?
- Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the food (Correct answer)
- Touch the thermometer to the surface only
- Hold the thermometer near the food
- Estimate based on cooking time
Correct answer: Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the food
Temperature should be taken by inserting a calibrated thermometer into the thickest part of the food, where it takes longest to reach the correct temperature.
Question 5: What is the 'danger zone' for food temperature?
- 41°F to 135°F (5°C to 57°C) (Correct answer)
- 0°F to 32°F
- 135°F to 200°F
- Below 0°F
Correct answer: 41°F to 135°F (5°C to 57°C)
The temperature danger zone is 41°F to 135°F (5°C to 57°C), where bacteria multiply most rapidly. Food should not remain in this range for more than 4 hours total.
Question 6: How should raw and cooked foods be stored in a refrigerator?
- Raw meats on lower shelves, cooked and ready-to-eat foods on upper shelves (Correct answer)
- All foods mixed together on any shelf
- Raw meats on the top shelf
- Cooked foods on the bottom shelf
Correct answer: Raw meats on lower shelves, cooked and ready-to-eat foods on upper shelves
Raw meats should be stored on lower shelves to prevent their juices from dripping onto and contaminating cooked or ready-to-eat foods stored above.
ServSafe Kitchen Safety & Emergency Procedures
What is the correct procedure for a grease fire in a commercial kitchen?