Workforce Management

Workplace Safety Concerns in Food Service

Chelsea Bikner
Workplace Safety Concerns
Reading time 3 Mins
Published on Jan 18
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Working in food service can be fun and exciting – the thrill of creating new menus, cooking gourmet meals on an open flame, and serving up the latest cuisine to your customers. Food service careers also come with their own set of workplace safety concerns that your restaurant will need to address. Like most other industries, understanding the dangers your employees might encounter and instituting preventative measures is key to keeping your workplace safe and your employees injury free.

Burns

According to the National Safety Council, about 12,000 restaurant kitchen burn injuries are reported each year. Whether the injury occurs while preparing or serving hot food, reaching over candles on the tables, or carrying hot plates, burn injuries can lead to scarring, trauma, and disfigurement. The simplest step you can take to help keep your staff burn-free is to ensure that they are always aware of their surroundings.

Ensure that all of your employees use proper protective equipment at all times. From oven mitts to aprons, proper equipment goes a long way to preventing injuries. Ensure that employees are properly trained to use equipment and that they don’t use equipment they haven’t received training for. Use splash guards to keep hot oils from deep-fryers splashing onto your cooks.

Slips, trips, and falls

Like in many other industries, slips, trips, and falls are common workplace safety concerns in restaurants. From wet floors to uneven surfaces and changing flooring types, your staff needs to keep an eye out to avoid injury-causing falls.

Immediately clean up any spills and use signage to warn employees of slick areas. Mirrors and two-way doors can prevent collisions that often lead to falls. Be sure that you keep walkways and storage areas clutter-free and apply slip-resistant coatings to tile floors.

Cuts

Knives, glassware, and mandolins may be essential tools in restaurants, but they also increase the risk of your employees getting cut. Cut injuries can cause significant damage and pose a serious threat to your employees’ safety.

To help avoid cuts and lacerations, knives should be properly sharpened and stored correctly. Ensure that your prep cooks and chefs use the appropriate knife for each job. Cutting boards should always be used to control the movement of food, preventing rolling and slippage during prep. When using machinery with blades, like food processors and mandolins, ensure that you use safety guards.

Let Sheakley help keep your kitchen staff safe

The best way to avoid accidents is to build a culture of safety focused on prevention. Training conducted by safety managers and professionals to teach workers proper safety habits is key, but just as important is encouraging employees to speak up about potential safety risks in the workplace. Sheakley can help you develop better policies and provide assistance with developing safety programs to help you achieve your safety goals. Our experts are here to keep your employees and your business safe. Sheakley’s Workforce Management Services experts provide complete safety resources for your company.

Get your free safety consultation today with an expert from Sheakley. Stay up-to-date on all things Sheakley by subscribing to our blog and following us on social media. What workplace safety concerns have you experienced in food service and what are you doing to prevent them? Join in the discussion by commenting below.


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