SFM recognized as breastfeeding supportive employer

Bloomington MN mayor Gene Winstead with SFM's Jody Rogers and Mickey Willard
Bloomington Mayor Winstead with Jody Rogers and Mickey Willard

SFM was recently recognized by the City of Bloomington as one of eight local employers who are supportive of breastfeeding mothers in the workplace. 

Senior Vice President, Human Resources Jody Rogers and HR Business Partner Mickey Willard accepted the award from Mayor Gene Winstead at an August Bloomington City Council meeting.

The award is part of the city’s Breastfeeding Awareness Month social media campaign to raise awareness of breastfeeding in the workplace laws, and encourage more employers to increase support of working mothers. 

SFM was nominated by one of its employees for providing a room for mothers to pump at work, ability to occasionally bring children to work when daycare or school aren’t options, and flexible work hours.

“I am proud that we received this nomination from one of our employees and that our moms feel taken care of and valued by SFM,” said Rogers. “SFM genuinely cares about its employees, and we are passionate about providing a family-friendly environment.”

Willard echoed her sentiments. 

“SFM truly affords people the opportunity to have a family and a career. Our continued support of working parents is evident with this award. SFM promotes family first, and supporting new moms with their breastfeeding goals after they return to work is a great example of how we do this,” said Willard.

Several SFM mothers were interviewed by the City of Bloomington for the following video that they hope will encourage more employers to follow suit. 

Other Bloomington employers recognized include Edmentum, HealthPartners, Minnesota Gastroenterology, P.A., NorthMarq, Prime Therapeutics, TRIA Orthopaedic Center and UMB Bank. 

View more news about SFM

Preventing and responding to burns in kitchen environments

If you cook often, you’ve probably been burned once or twice in your own kitchen. Now, imagine working in a kitchen where the pots are bigger, the heat is stronger and the pressure is higher. It’s easy to see why food service workers are at high risk for burns. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 6,910 workers in the accommodation and food services industry lost time from work in 2017 due to burns caused by heat.  

Common causes of burns in professional kitchens

Food service employees can get burned in a number of ways, including:

  • Spilling hot water or hot oil on the skin
  • Being engulfed by burning-hot steam
  • Slipping and falling while carrying something hot
  • Pulling a hot item out of the microwave without the proper protective equipment or lifting its lid too soon
  • Touching a hot oven rack

How can kitchen workers prevent burns?

Follow these tips to prevent burns in restaurant and other kitchen environments:

  • Use personal protective equipment, including forearm protection
  • Use two people to handle awkward pans
  • Use a cart to move hot objects
  • Pay close attention to the task at hand
  • When working with fryers, fill baskets no more than halfway, shake off excess ice crystals before placing fryer baskets in hot oil and follow directions when adding or disposing of fat or oil
  • Use caution when preparing hot drinks or using machines that dispense hot liquids, keeping your hands out of the areas where liquids are dispensed
  • Never use a wet towel as a potholder
  • Clean up spills immediately and wear slip-resistant shoes to prevent slips and falls

This video from WorkSafeBC features food service workers talking about how they prevent burns and scalds:

Additional resources on preventing kitchen worker burns

This is not intended to serve as legal advice for individual fact-specific legal cases or as a legal basis for your employment practices.

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