Workplace Safety Tips for Restaurants

You’re the owner of a franchise location or perhaps even a standalone restaurant, but nowhere in “Business 101” did anybody teach you about limiting the number of accidents on the job! Between managing sales, marketing, accounting, customers, employees and even your menu items, it’s no wonder you overlooked this precautionary step!

Here are some quick tips for promoting a safer workplace:

Review Safety Guidelines for Equipment: Machines and tools within the kitchen often come with instructions and safety guidelines, but you can’t rely on everyone to read them on their own. Review workplace machines and tools often. These reviews should never be reserved for “new employees only” – a quick review for all never hurt anyone and will remind employees of general safety practices they may have become too careless with over time.

Provide Training: Whether it’s how to operate the meat slicer or how to lift a heavy box properly, providing employees with the proper workplace training can limit the number of accidents on the job, therefore limiting the number of workers compensation claims.

Slippery When Wet: We all know that wet surfaces are dangerous, but we don’t always remember to prevent having a wet surface in the first place. If there’s a spill, immediately clean it up. If you absolutely need to mop floors during business hours, dry the floor immediately afterwards. Do not leave wet areas unattended – slipping or falling is one of the most common injuries in the hospitality industry!

Avoid the Heat: The kitchen is a hot place! Always have pot holders and/or gloves within close reach. Have fire extinguishers readily available too – inside and outside of the kitchen!

Store Things Properly: Whether you’re putting knives into a knife block or hanging them on a magnetic strip, always put them back where they belong. This goes for all objects that can accidentally get in the way and injure someone, such as buckets in walkways or hazardous chemicals outside of the supply closet.

The abovementioned tips certainly promote a safer restaurant, but accidents can still happen to the best of us, and when they do you’ll want to make sure that you have a PEO on your side, or at the very least a great workers compensation policy!

To read more about workers compensation policies, click here.

To learn more about the benefits of working with a PEO and limiting your workplace risk, click here.

Our team is also available to answer any questions you may have.