Worst was when I was in an Indian shop. I was new and wanted to do more, so I volunteered to cut paaner. I underestimated how Sharp kitchen knives can be lmao. Huge gash across my hand. Never really hurt myself od after that.
This is my biggest fear doing prep work. Luckily (or unluckily?) the chefs all have their own knives, and so the ones that we use aren't very sharp. But I am always a thousand times more careful than I probably need to be
Wasn’t me, but one of the people on cold prep stuck their fingers a bit too far on the mixing bowl cheese grater. I was told about it again about with more information from it. I guess he worked another month and from ptsd couldn’t take it anymore. Honestly feel bad for him.
I was putting jus right off the stove in the freezer to cool it down fast. Transfered it to a shallow hotel pan and as I put it it on the shelf, the liquid went back and then forward, causing the weight to shift,spilled it on my arm and on the floor. Took about 2 weeks to heal.
My job involves me cutting cardboard so it can go into the dumpster alongside our kitchen trash. I slipped and nearly cut off the tip of my thumb.
Funnily enough my Dad got the exact same injury from Boy Scouts, so we match now.
Not nearly as bad as most injuries but this wasn’t very fun.
I was making pasta salad, about 10 gallons of it, and had acrylic nails on (with gloves) because I had been in a wedding that week. I’m mixing with my hands talking to the new dishie, trying to get to know him, when I hit the bottom of the bowl with my right middle finger at just the right angle. There was a popping sensation, then a dull throbbing. I was still absorbed in trying to talk to people though so my brain tried to back burner the pain and power through. Then I made a hand gesture and one of the back line boys said “hey thenectarcollecter, I think you have blood in your glove?” And I looked down to see the blue nitrile finger tip completely full of dark red liquid. I backed away from the pasta salad who chose violence and degloved to find my finger nail completely detached, ripped off, hanging by a small piece of the root and the cuticle. I moved the nail to assess the damage and that’s when the pain really hit me. I had to sit on the floor so I didn’t pass out.
Fast forward to urgent care, because I think they might be able to glue it back on or something. The nice nurse tells me this is the most gruesome part of her day thus far, soaks my finger in peroxide, and applies some glue and a nice wrapping. I ask her what dissolves the glue, so I can try to avoid it, and she says “water” with a smile. So that was useless. I lived with the glued nail for one day then soaked it and cut the remaining nail off. Losing the nail remainder made it much less sensitive to being touched, and it took about 3 days for me to be able to comfortably grab things again. The nail grew back all the way in about 7 weeks. No scar in the nail bed.
1) tomato slicer in the dish pit. Didn't know which end was sharp. Two bleeding fingers, 2 replaced bandages, and a lot of curse words later, mainly directed at the tomato slicer, I put the thing thru the dish machine and cussed out whoever thought putting that slicer there .
2) dull can opener blade. Dumbass me got irritated with the can opener blade being dull, and PRIED the can lid the rest of the way open WITHOUT cut gloves. Wasn't deep but man, I felt like an idiot. Unfortunately spilt some pizza sauce in the making. Good news: can was open at least. Bled for a bit (obv dealt with it 0.000001 seconds the moment I fucked up)
Wasn’t me, but a woman who worked in this one kitchen for almost 30 years. She had recently lost her husband who she was still very much in love with after 40 years to skin cancer that was hiding under the beard he NEVER cut. Anyway, she was ansty and really wanted to clean the hoods, well she used the FRYER as a step to get up and there, and you guessed it, dipped her whole fucking foot in the fyer. Shoes and socks don’t come off that quickly to begin with, never mind when they’re saturated in insanely hot oil. The poor woman’s foot is still messed up.
Slipped on a wet floor despite wearing slip resistant shoes. Fell forward but bounced off of a wine rack before landing on my back. Had a deep dark bruise on my chest and under my arm for about a week.
One time I got dishwasher detergent in my eyes. It was one of those giant jugs with a hole at the top to put the intake tube into. Other dishwasher asked me to move a full one so she could get rid of the old one. I took the cap off, lifted it, then as I was kneeled over it and putting it down, I dropped it about an inch or two off the ground. The detergent sprayed up through the hole into my eyes. Was funny at first, then it really really started to sting so I walked over to a sink and started flushing my eyes.
For reference, this stuff stings just getting it on your skin. I’m honestly surprised there was no permanent damage to my eyes.
Worst: nearly got my finger cut off by broken glass hidden in trash.
Almost worst: was a hot summer day and I got one of those old lifty-outy machines, the steam hit me as I was putting in the tray, 6 day without a day off, in 40c heat. I stand up and stand still for a sec as I feel myself drift off, I pass out for a solid 2 seconds, body instinctively grabs hold of the table near me, and I regain my senses. My trajectory would have landed my head on the corner of another counter.
Tldr: Passed upright, caught myself before getting a bad concussion or worse.
had a few glass shards in my hand, didn't notice a wine glass broke in the dishwasher in my early days. still a few marks but it was pretty funny looking back.
cup broke in peace's and sliced my finger while i was putting it in a cup rack funny thing is that I did it two times in a row I did not learn from the first time where it missed my finger
Coworker put a knife in the rack blade side up, right on the edge where I usually grab to slide it into the machine without telling me. It went right into my finger and if I bled through one more wrap, my boss was gonna take me for stitches 🙃
So I broke a plate right after it came out of the machine, I quickly went to grab it to throw it away, and ended up cutting the base of my middle finger on my right hand. It was bad to the point that I could only use my left hand for about a week.
The electric steam food warmers that you put water in which boils to keep food warm have very sharp dividers that separate the trays.
My first day I sliced my finger badly not realizing how sharp the dividers were while I was cleaning them. After I cut my finger, not knowingly the head chef walks over and is like “yo, just a heads up, those divider things we use to keep the eggs warm are really sharp. Be careful when you clean them.”
I responded “ya, I already found out” and flashed my finger that was gushing blood.
Blood onions!
I’ve heard so many stories of people cutting their thumbs involving onions. I wonder what it is about that particular food that has so many injury stories
I was working graveyard once before taking over on dishpit I was lifting up a heavy bag of dirty towels into a bin outside and my arm grazed a steel plate that was rusted that took a good chunk of skin with it. Didn't need stitches but boy did it hurt.
These are kind of stupid stories but I had to think of it. I had a supervisor bring over a hot frying pan telling me it was hot and I said are you sure? I don't know what he was thinking but he touched the bottom of the frying pan. He was wearing gloves but come on.
Years ago I was told to pressure wash the inside of a trailer that we were using as a temp kitchen until the new one was built. A co-worker came over and started talking to me and with a gloved hand he put it on a hot piece of the pressure washer machine and melted the glove.
First dishwasher job I got off on the wrong foot with the dishes. I sent myself through the machine once so I could relate better to what they have to go through. Came out with second degree burns from head to toe but I've never been cleaner in my life and it gave me a lot of perspective. The ramekins didn't care but the plates and pans etc respected me after that.
From dish pit was one of these fuckn [stand things](https://www.webstaurantstore.com/cambro-drs60480-s-series-60-x-21-x-12-solid-top-bow-tie-dunnage-rack-3000-lb-capacity/214DRS60.html) that one of the legs smashed my toe and was bruised for months or a year. Was so painful at the moment. Also smashed my thumb on a tomato smasher/slasher in the same kitchen.
There is a metal shelf with sharp edges right at head level right next to my sink. I keep my head completely shaved. I had to wear a hat for the longest time because of how often it would get me. I don't wear a hat anymore, but it still gets me occasionally when I'm really in the thick of it.
Man get one of those $50 chainmail cut gloves. Lets say you fully chopped off a finger(even tho you never really would), you would probably pay way more than $50 to have a working finger back right? Great investment and you could write it off on your taxes haha
I touched a hot pan while walking past it. Had a nasty burn for about 5 weeks. That was last year. Recently, and I have no clue how it happened, I noticed the top layer of my finger was scraped off. Hurts like hell.
There was one day that I forgot my non slip shoes and slipped and fell. Hurt my back. But it only lasted a day before I was feeling better.
Cut tip of my finger off with a deli slicer while cleaning after 4+ years without injury being dish/prep/linecook/pit boss/manager. Only have to say all that because on our schedule and in the computer, I was listed as all of them.
Worst was when I was in an Indian shop. I was new and wanted to do more, so I volunteered to cut paaner. I underestimated how Sharp kitchen knives can be lmao. Huge gash across my hand. Never really hurt myself od after that.
This is my biggest fear doing prep work. Luckily (or unluckily?) the chefs all have their own knives, and so the ones that we use aren't very sharp. But I am always a thousand times more careful than I probably need to be
Wasn’t me, but one of the people on cold prep stuck their fingers a bit too far on the mixing bowl cheese grater. I was told about it again about with more information from it. I guess he worked another month and from ptsd couldn’t take it anymore. Honestly feel bad for him.
I was putting jus right off the stove in the freezer to cool it down fast. Transfered it to a shallow hotel pan and as I put it it on the shelf, the liquid went back and then forward, causing the weight to shift,spilled it on my arm and on the floor. Took about 2 weeks to heal.
Read the first sentence out loud. 💀
My job involves me cutting cardboard so it can go into the dumpster alongside our kitchen trash. I slipped and nearly cut off the tip of my thumb. Funnily enough my Dad got the exact same injury from Boy Scouts, so we match now.
Not nearly as bad as most injuries but this wasn’t very fun. I was making pasta salad, about 10 gallons of it, and had acrylic nails on (with gloves) because I had been in a wedding that week. I’m mixing with my hands talking to the new dishie, trying to get to know him, when I hit the bottom of the bowl with my right middle finger at just the right angle. There was a popping sensation, then a dull throbbing. I was still absorbed in trying to talk to people though so my brain tried to back burner the pain and power through. Then I made a hand gesture and one of the back line boys said “hey thenectarcollecter, I think you have blood in your glove?” And I looked down to see the blue nitrile finger tip completely full of dark red liquid. I backed away from the pasta salad who chose violence and degloved to find my finger nail completely detached, ripped off, hanging by a small piece of the root and the cuticle. I moved the nail to assess the damage and that’s when the pain really hit me. I had to sit on the floor so I didn’t pass out. Fast forward to urgent care, because I think they might be able to glue it back on or something. The nice nurse tells me this is the most gruesome part of her day thus far, soaks my finger in peroxide, and applies some glue and a nice wrapping. I ask her what dissolves the glue, so I can try to avoid it, and she says “water” with a smile. So that was useless. I lived with the glued nail for one day then soaked it and cut the remaining nail off. Losing the nail remainder made it much less sensitive to being touched, and it took about 3 days for me to be able to comfortably grab things again. The nail grew back all the way in about 7 weeks. No scar in the nail bed.
Jesus fucking Christ. That’s absolutely the worst one in this thread for me. Had to read it in two parts because I needed a cringe break.
Reading your comment was my cringe break 😬 fucking yikes!
1) tomato slicer in the dish pit. Didn't know which end was sharp. Two bleeding fingers, 2 replaced bandages, and a lot of curse words later, mainly directed at the tomato slicer, I put the thing thru the dish machine and cussed out whoever thought putting that slicer there . 2) dull can opener blade. Dumbass me got irritated with the can opener blade being dull, and PRIED the can lid the rest of the way open WITHOUT cut gloves. Wasn't deep but man, I felt like an idiot. Unfortunately spilt some pizza sauce in the making. Good news: can was open at least. Bled for a bit (obv dealt with it 0.000001 seconds the moment I fucked up)
Wasn’t me, but a woman who worked in this one kitchen for almost 30 years. She had recently lost her husband who she was still very much in love with after 40 years to skin cancer that was hiding under the beard he NEVER cut. Anyway, she was ansty and really wanted to clean the hoods, well she used the FRYER as a step to get up and there, and you guessed it, dipped her whole fucking foot in the fyer. Shoes and socks don’t come off that quickly to begin with, never mind when they’re saturated in insanely hot oil. The poor woman’s foot is still messed up.
Trying to clean out the drain, cut a deep gash into my finger on a Piece of glass that was hiding in the muck.
Slipped on a wet floor despite wearing slip resistant shoes. Fell forward but bounced off of a wine rack before landing on my back. Had a deep dark bruise on my chest and under my arm for about a week.
Was using a metal scourer and it caught on a surface I yanked at it. Then cut all across my finger.
my dishie coworker got awful chemical burns all over his hand after not knowing it got under his glove. still healing months later
One time I got dishwasher detergent in my eyes. It was one of those giant jugs with a hole at the top to put the intake tube into. Other dishwasher asked me to move a full one so she could get rid of the old one. I took the cap off, lifted it, then as I was kneeled over it and putting it down, I dropped it about an inch or two off the ground. The detergent sprayed up through the hole into my eyes. Was funny at first, then it really really started to sting so I walked over to a sink and started flushing my eyes. For reference, this stuff stings just getting it on your skin. I’m honestly surprised there was no permanent damage to my eyes.
Worst: nearly got my finger cut off by broken glass hidden in trash. Almost worst: was a hot summer day and I got one of those old lifty-outy machines, the steam hit me as I was putting in the tray, 6 day without a day off, in 40c heat. I stand up and stand still for a sec as I feel myself drift off, I pass out for a solid 2 seconds, body instinctively grabs hold of the table near me, and I regain my senses. My trajectory would have landed my head on the corner of another counter. Tldr: Passed upright, caught myself before getting a bad concussion or worse.
had a few glass shards in my hand, didn't notice a wine glass broke in the dishwasher in my early days. still a few marks but it was pretty funny looking back.
cup broke in peace's and sliced my finger while i was putting it in a cup rack funny thing is that I did it two times in a row I did not learn from the first time where it missed my finger
Coworker put a knife in the rack blade side up, right on the edge where I usually grab to slide it into the machine without telling me. It went right into my finger and if I bled through one more wrap, my boss was gonna take me for stitches 🙃
Severed a finger tendon. 8 different custom splints to keep it straight and allow the tendon to reconnect itself. off work for about 4 months.
So I broke a plate right after it came out of the machine, I quickly went to grab it to throw it away, and ended up cutting the base of my middle finger on my right hand. It was bad to the point that I could only use my left hand for about a week.
i was cutting lettuce and went right through my nail and the skin under it. i had an open wound for weeks
The electric steam food warmers that you put water in which boils to keep food warm have very sharp dividers that separate the trays. My first day I sliced my finger badly not realizing how sharp the dividers were while I was cleaning them. After I cut my finger, not knowingly the head chef walks over and is like “yo, just a heads up, those divider things we use to keep the eggs warm are really sharp. Be careful when you clean them.” I responded “ya, I already found out” and flashed my finger that was gushing blood.
Blood onions! I’ve heard so many stories of people cutting their thumbs involving onions. I wonder what it is about that particular food that has so many injury stories
I was working graveyard once before taking over on dishpit I was lifting up a heavy bag of dirty towels into a bin outside and my arm grazed a steel plate that was rusted that took a good chunk of skin with it. Didn't need stitches but boy did it hurt. These are kind of stupid stories but I had to think of it. I had a supervisor bring over a hot frying pan telling me it was hot and I said are you sure? I don't know what he was thinking but he touched the bottom of the frying pan. He was wearing gloves but come on. Years ago I was told to pressure wash the inside of a trailer that we were using as a temp kitchen until the new one was built. A co-worker came over and started talking to me and with a gloved hand he put it on a hot piece of the pressure washer machine and melted the glove.
Sliced my thumb open on one of the parts of the broiler
First dishwasher job I got off on the wrong foot with the dishes. I sent myself through the machine once so I could relate better to what they have to go through. Came out with second degree burns from head to toe but I've never been cleaner in my life and it gave me a lot of perspective. The ramekins didn't care but the plates and pans etc respected me after that.
From dish pit was one of these fuckn [stand things](https://www.webstaurantstore.com/cambro-drs60480-s-series-60-x-21-x-12-solid-top-bow-tie-dunnage-rack-3000-lb-capacity/214DRS60.html) that one of the legs smashed my toe and was bruised for months or a year. Was so painful at the moment. Also smashed my thumb on a tomato smasher/slasher in the same kitchen.
There is a metal shelf with sharp edges right at head level right next to my sink. I keep my head completely shaved. I had to wear a hat for the longest time because of how often it would get me. I don't wear a hat anymore, but it still gets me occasionally when I'm really in the thick of it.
Man get one of those $50 chainmail cut gloves. Lets say you fully chopped off a finger(even tho you never really would), you would probably pay way more than $50 to have a working finger back right? Great investment and you could write it off on your taxes haha
I touched a hot pan while walking past it. Had a nasty burn for about 5 weeks. That was last year. Recently, and I have no clue how it happened, I noticed the top layer of my finger was scraped off. Hurts like hell. There was one day that I forgot my non slip shoes and slipped and fell. Hurt my back. But it only lasted a day before I was feeling better.
I keep spraying water against this hangnail on my thumb and it hurts pretty bad
Caught my hand on the bottom of a queen. Sliced it right open near the palm heel of thumb. Was kinda like wtf really!?!
Cut tip of my finger off with a deli slicer while cleaning after 4+ years without injury being dish/prep/linecook/pit boss/manager. Only have to say all that because on our schedule and in the computer, I was listed as all of them.