Last year 1863 people received an injury that kept them off work for more that 3 days, a slip, trip or fall in the kitchen still remains the main cause of injury to Chefs, Kitchen assistants and waiting staff, as well as this number 640 were off work due to broken bones, this must be a worry to managers and owners as they often have to pay sick pay and the possibility of claims for compensation. Last year the cost to this industry was over £500 million, not taking in to account the human suffering.
People working in kitchens and food service are more likely to be injured through slips and trips than by anything else. Good kitchen management is a must in any kitchen, from a 5 star hotel to the local café, spillages must be prevented from dropping onto the floor, there are several ways that this can be achieved, adding drip trays is an ideal way to catch oil, grease and water from reaching the floor, the use of splashguards will also limit the amount of debris, use lids on pot and containers especially when being moved around the kitchen area. Any water taps or dispensers should be serviced regularly and maintained to stop any water from dripping onto the floor.
Effective floor cleaning is an essential part of any kitchen management, as well as good training and working practices. As most trip injuries as caused as a result of bad housekeeping, training should always show how to clean up effectively and the consequences if this ignored, try to organize all your work area so that everything has its own place. A good point to remember is that often people working in a kitchen environment don’t see where they are walking due to carrying plates, pans, and containers.
When planning a kitchen area try to use a good flooring type, The law requires that floors must not be slippery so they put people’s safety at risk (The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) regulation 1992). Try to find a good quality flooring one with better grip, it is always good to talk to the manufacturer and discuss your needs, i.e. cleaning, hygiene and surface roughness. Last as with all workplaces safety shoes must be worn, ones with rough soles are better, again ask the manufacturer which is best for the kitchen environment. If ‘anti-slip’ footwear is needed to properly control slip risks then the employer has to provide and pay for it.
Leave Your Response