When you work at a restaurant, you may know that the working environment could potentially have safety hazards. However, your employer has to minimize these hazards as much as possible.
Several different situations can pose a risk to restaurant employees.
What are common safety hazards?
The Houston Chronicle says that slippery floors can cause you to incur an injury. Your colleagues may spill beverages or sauces as they put orders together. Some people may also need to move hot liquids, such as used oil, out of the kitchen. You may slip and fall if someone spills these liquids but does not wipe them up.
Additionally, you may need different kinds of equipment to do your job. You could sustain a wound if you do not receive the proper training and if the operating manuals are not accessible.
What steps are necessary to prevent injuries?
Restaurant owners have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their employees. FSR magazine says that each restaurant should have a safety plan. This plan should clearly lay out each hazard you might face as you do your job. It should also include steps to reduce these hazards. Your employer, for example, might emphasize that each employee receives safety training on a regular basis. The plan could also include regular safety inspections.
Additionally, the safety plan should explain how the restaurant will handle injuries. The document should outline how you can report wounds so that the managers know that an accident occurred.
You may have reported hazards to your employer before you sustained your injury. If the restaurant owner did not fix the situation, your employer may be responsible for your wounds.