Restaurant workplace accidents on the rise

Published on Oct 14

In its 2008/09 statistics, the HSE has reported a 45% increase in the rate of injuries in the hotel and restaurant sector in the last 10 years. This is compared to most other UK industries which have reported an overall decline in injuries in the last 10 years.

Compared to other industries, there is a higher rate of workplace accidents caused by contact with harmful substances, electricity and fire in restaurants and hotels. Slips and trips are also a major cause of workplace accidents in this industry, as they are in other industries.

When singer Lily Allen fell in a London restaurant earlier this year and was treated for whiplash as a result, it raised questions about the safety of restaurants as a place of work. With large numbers of people passing through, flooring can become worn or loosened, providing a trip hazard, there may be spillages on the floor which can cause slips and if lighting is dimmed, it can reduce visibility and cause problems walking, especially if staff are carrying stacked plates.

A waiter at a top London restaurant slipped and fell in the kitchen whilst walking through with a tray of drinks. The floor had not been properly cleaned and there was a patch of grease which caused the slip. He suffered from soft tissue damage to his foot and still suffers from pain two years later. He received £9,000 compensation after the restaurant admitted negligence.

The owners of a restaurant in Hull were also recently forced to pay £6,250 compensation after a worker slipped in the kitchen and knocked over a pan of hot cooking oil which burned her legs. In court it was found that the procedures the owners were following when draining oil from the deep fat fryer whilst it was still hot were extremely dangerous. The worker has been scarred for life and has trouble standing for long periods of time.

These workplace accidents emphasise the importance of having clean, non-slip floors and alerting workers to any potentially slippery areas through the use of signs.

Earlier this year, tennis player Serena Williams nearly missed the US Open after stepping on some broken glass in a restaurant. Restaurants do have a lot of glass about, with empty bottles, shelves full of glasses and glasses on tables at risk of being knocked over by diners. The disposal of bottles and broken glass needs to be handled carefully.

A restaurant worker was injured when she lifted a rubbish bag without knowing its contents. A large piece of glass pierced the bag and cut her leg. She needed seven stitches and also suffered from muscle damage. She had been given no manual handling training and there were no procedures in place for the disposal of broken glass, particularly for keeping it separate from ordinary rubbish.

Restaurants can be dangerous places for their workers and workplace accidents are all too common. This worrying trend of an increasing number of injuries suggests that many more workplace accidents will be reported in this sector in the future.