Every year, tens of thousands of restaurant workers fall victim to workplace injuries. Many employees are forced to miss time from work due to injuries sustained on the job. Not only does this affect their personal well-being, but it also costs restaurants money with workers’ compensation claims and high insurance premiums.
As a restaurant owner, creating a safe and healthy workplace should be your number one priority. This will help keep your workers happier and more motivated, and it will contribute to your bottom line, saving your business money on restaurant insurance workers’ compensation claims.
With that in mind, it’s important that you take the right steps to create a safer workplace. Here are some tips to help you out:
1 – Don’t let employees lift heavy objects on their own.
Lifting heavy boxes without the assistance of another person or lifting devices can lead to strains, sprains, muscle damage, and a host of other serious injuries. Make sure you give your employees the tools and assistance they need to stay safe.
2 – Protect your employees against burn injuries.
About 12,000 restaurant workers suffer occupational burn injuries every year. In some cases, these burns can be quite severe. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to limit these injuries Keep range tops clean and uncrowded, make sure employees working near ovens aren’t wearing loose clothing, and educate your staff on kitchen safety.
3 – Cut down on slice and puncture injuries.
Cut injuries are probably the most common injuries reported in food service establishments. It’s pretty easy to get cut when working in a kitchen all day. Some of the steps you can take to reduce cut injuries at your restaurant include providing well maintained knives in all sizes for each task, train employees on proper knife safety, and place non-slip pads under cutting boards.
4 – Keep a clean workplace to avoid slips and falls.
Restaurant floors can be quite treacherous, especially in the kitchen. From food spills to water from the dish washing station, there are always hazards that can cause slips and falls. Make sure all spills are cleaned up quickly, your employees wear proper shoes, and non-slip matting is used in the right places.
With these 4 tips, you can reduce workers’ comp claims, create a safer workplace, and keep your restaurant insurance premiums to a minimum.
Want to learn more about Texas restaurant insurance? Call us today at (832) 271-0790 for more information.
