Food Preparation Workers
Perform a variety of food preparation duties other than cooking, such as preparing cold foods and shellfish, slicing meat, and brewing coffee or tea.
Technology Tools
Key Tasks
- Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, or silverware.
- Assist cooks and kitchen staff with various tasks as needed, and provide cooks with needed items.
- Take and record temperature of food and food storage areas, such as refrigerators and freezers.
- Distribute food to waiters and waitresses to serve to customers.
- Carry food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas.
- Store food in designated containers and storage areas to prevent spoilage.
- Remove trash and clean kitchen garbage containers.
- Weigh or measure ingredients.
- Operate cash register, handle money, and give correct change.
- Vacuum dining area and sweep and mop kitchen floor.
- Inform supervisors when equipment is not working properly and when food and supplies are getting low, and order needed items.
- Wash, peel, and cut various foods, such as fruits and vegetables, to prepare for cooking or serving.
- Prepare a variety of foods, such as meats, vegetables, or desserts, according to customers' orders or supervisors' instructions, following approved procedures.
- Package take-out foods or serve food to customers.
- Distribute menus to hospital patients, collect diet sheets, and deliver food trays and snacks to nursing units or directly to patients.
- Assemble meal trays with foods in accordance with patients' diets.
- Stock cupboards and refrigerators, and tend salad bars and buffet meals.
- Use manual or electric appliances to clean, peel, slice, and trim foods.
- Load dishes, glasses, and tableware into dishwashing machines.
- Portion and wrap food, or place it directly on plates for service to patrons.
- Add cutlery, napkins, food, and other items to trays on assembly lines in hospitals, cafeterias, airline kitchens, and similar establishments.
- Cut, slice or grind meat, poultry, and seafood to prepare for cooking.
- Butcher and clean fowl, fish, poultry, and shellfish to prepare for cooking or serving.
- Place food trays over food warmers for immediate service, or store them in refrigerated storage cabinets.
- Prepare and serve a variety of beverages, such as coffee, tea, and soft drinks.
- Mix ingredients for green salads, molded fruit salads, vegetable salads, and pasta salads.
- Receive and store food supplies, equipment, and utensils in refrigerators, cupboards, and other storage areas.
- Make special dressings and sauces as condiments for sandwiches.
- Keep records of the quantities of food used.
- Stir and strain soups and sauces.
- Scrape leftovers from dishes into garbage containers.
- Check and log refrigerator, freezer, and cooler temperatures.
Skills
Knowledge
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Abilities
Work Activities
Work Context
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in an environmentally controlled environment (like a warehouse with air conditioning)?
92%
Spend Time Standing
How much does this job require standing?
86%
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
80%
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
How often does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats or life-jackets?
80%
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
79%
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?
78%
Time Pressure
How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
73%
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?
72%
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities
How important is it to coordinate or lead others (not as a supervisor or team leader) in accomplishing work activities in this job?
65%
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
65%
Spend Time Walking or Running
How much does this job require walking or running?
61%
Health and Safety of Other Workers
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
59%
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
How important are continuous, repetitive, physical activities (like key entry) or mental activities (like checking entries in a ledger) to performing this job?
57%
Physical Proximity
To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks physically close to other people?
57%
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
56%
Frequency of Decision Making
How often is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
54%
Consequence of Error
How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not easily correctable?
53%
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
50%
Telephone Conversations
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
50%
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
48%
Duration of Typical Work Week
Number of hours typically worked in one week.
46%
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
How much freedom does the worker have in determining the tasks, priorities, or goals of the job?
44%
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers
How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
44%
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings
How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?
40%
Degree of Automation
How automated is the job?
38%
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body
How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?
38%
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?
32%
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?
32%
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.)
29%
Written Letters and Memos
How frequently does your job require written letters and memos?
28%
How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?
25%
Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People
How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
24%
Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?
24%
Level of Competition
To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
24%
Exposed to Disease or Infections
How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
20%
Public Speaking
How frequently does your job require public speaking (one speaker with an audience)?
20%
Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance
How much does this job require keeping or regaining your balance?
20%
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
18%
Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling
How much does this job require kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling?
17%
Conflict Situations
How frequently are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
16%
Outdoors, Under Cover
How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (like in an open shed)?
15%
Spend Time Sitting
How much does this job require sitting?
15%
Exposed to Contaminants
How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
9%
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
9%
Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles
How much does this job require climbing ladders, scaffolds, poles, etc.?
9%
Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection
How often does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection?
9%
Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?
8%
Work Schedules
How regular are the work schedules for this job?
8%
Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People
How frequently does this job require the worker to deal with physical aggression of violent individuals?
7%
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working in an environment that is not environmentally controlled (like a warehouse without air conditioning)?
7%
Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions
How often does this job require working in cramped work spaces that requires getting into awkward positions?
6%
Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions
How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions?
5%
Exposed to Whole Body Vibration
How often does this job require exposure to whole body vibration (like operating a jackhammer or earth moving equipment)?
5%
In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment
How often does this job require working in an open vehicle or operating equipment (like a tractor)?
5%
Exposed to High Places
How often does this job require exposure to high places?
4%
Exposed to Radiation
How often does this job require exposure to radiation?
4%
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or operate enclosed equipment (like a car)?
4%
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Some college, no degree
Doctoral degree
Interests
Realistic
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, t
Conventional
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or hum
Social
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Enterprising
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertis
Artistic
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts,
Investigative
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the f
Work Styles
Work Values
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