Top 3 Restaurant Injuries (You Can Avoid)

Restaurant Injuries

Restaurant Injuries

Employees don’t want to feel like they’re not safe when they head into work. But the conditions in your typical restaurant kitchen, such as open flames, cramped spaces, and high pressure, don’t necessarily make for a soothing workplace environment. Restaurant Technologies notes there are an average of four workers’ compensation claims per restaurant every year, costing an average of $45,000. We’ve covered the importance of restaurant safety, so today we thought we’d focus more on the most common injuries that are incurred in the restaurant industry—and how you can avoid them.

Cuts and Lacerations

With so many knives, glasses, and dishes flying around a restaurant, it’s almost inevitable cuts are going to happen. Let’s face it: we’ve all cut ourselves at one point or another when cooking at home. Add to that the high-pressure, high-speed environment of a professional kitchen and you’ve got a recipe for injury. Even items you might not even associate with cuts, like graters or blenders, can be cause for concern. Make sure your staff is properly trained on proper knife safety, where every item in the kitchen belongs, and how to properly dispose of broken glass. Employees should wear cut-resistant gloves, and remember to toss any glassware that’s chipped to prevent big breaks.

Restaurant Injuries

Slips and Falls

From the back of the house to the dining room all the way out to the sidewalk, there are plenty of opportunities for a slip-and-fall accident to occur at a restaurant. Your employees are likely the most susceptible, but don’t count your customers out—there are plenty of cases filed every year from patrons who fall in a restaurant, and they’re costly. To prevent injuries, make sure wet floors are always marked with a sign. In the winter, don’t forget to salt your walkways. Clean up grease spills properly and immediately. There is also equipment that can help you safely transport and dispose of fryer oil, while this oil-management system allows you to “add, filter, and dispose of cooking oil with the touch of a button.” Your staff should always be wearing skid-proof footwear, and implement rubber mats in the kitchen wherever possible to prevent an accident.

Burns

Whether from scalding oil, boiling water, stovetops or ovens, burns are a regular occurrence in a restaurant. Restaurant Technologies notes that 13 percent of injuries in a casual-dining or QSR establishment are burn-related. Train your staff on how to be proactive about preventing these types of injuries. Things like turning pot handles toward the center of the stovetop, turning off equipment when it’s not being used, and even automating the removal of hot oil (as we mentioned above) are simple steps that can be taken to save you a great deal of hassle.

Being cognizant of the most frequently occurring restaurant injuries is the first step toward making sure you’re well equipped to prevent accidents from happening. Investing in the proper training for employees is critical, so be sure to take the time to keep your staff up-to-date on safety measures. And if you need some extra cash to invest in automated equipment to make your establishment safer, turn to the loan pros at ARF Financial. We’ll work with you to determine exactly which product will suit your business needs best. Apply online today to lean how much you qualify for!