CulinaryCalling 911 and staying with the guest
A guest is having an allergic reaction. The Massachusetts emergency procedure is short and fixed: call 911, describe the symptoms of the reaction and stay with the guest until help arrives. "Call 911" is the line the employee poster keeps prominently visible.
Free to startScenarios
- A guest has trouble breathing after eating.
- A guest with a known allergy says they ate the allergen and feels the reaction starting.
- A reaction starts at a table during a busy service.
The steps
- Recognize the symptoms of an allergic reaction.
- Call 911.
- Describe the symptoms of the allergic reaction you see.
- Stay with the guest until help arrives.
Safety rules that stop the station
- No one leaves the guest alone before help arrives.
To pass
- The employee poster, in the employee work area, keeps "Call 911" prominently visible.
- Approved allergen awareness training covers this emergency procedure: call 911, the symptoms of the reaction and staying with the guest until help arrives.
- The FDA tells a person with a known food allergy who starts having symptoms to stop eating the food, evaluate the need for emergency treatment such as epinephrine, and seek medical attention.
Official source
Food Allergen Awareness FAQs
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health sets in its Food Allergen Awareness FAQs (Q3 and Q5) the emergency procedure: call 911 and stay with the guest.
Making Synapses is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by the FDA, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health or any certification provider. Agency names are named only to describe the content.