Understanding the risks and implementing proper safety practices can significantly reduce incidents, create a safer working environment, and reduce workers’ compensation claims.
A Familiar Story
Consider this chain of events: Tina cuts her finger at the food prep area. She contaminates the product she’s working with. Her work is delayed while she bandages her finger. Steve, who is busy taking orders, stops what he’s doing to throw out the contaminated food and disinfect the prep space. Once Tina is ready to start working again, she takes time to find more product in the walk-in and locates a cutting board and knife, only to realize the cut has bled through the bandage. The bleeding won’t stop and it becomes clear Tina needs stitches. She leaves for the urgent care clinic and doesn’t return until her next shift. You receive a call from your manager who tells you about Tina’s injury and, aware that Tina will incur at least one bill from the urgent care clinic, you report the claim to your insurance company.
Even minor cuts can affect your business in a big way. The good news? We’ve worked to identify how these cuts and lacerations happen so you can prevent injuries in the future!
Common Restaurant Worker Cut & Laceration Causes
Commercial Slicers
Surprisingly, it isn’t your employee’s use of the slicer that you should worry about. Most injuries occur while cleaning the slicer, reaching across the slicer while the blade is in motion, and even slicing food products that are not intended to be sliced with a commercial-grade slicer (think bread loaves). Follow these tips to avoid commercial slicer-related injuries:
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- Train your employees on safe work procedures while using the slicer.
- Protective gloves should be mandatory while using and cleaning the slicer.
- Power off the slicer before cleaning.
Knives
Knives are frequently used by restaurants for many reasons and are another common culprit for cuts and lacerations. Consider the following to help reduce knife-related injuries:
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- Remember the gloves used with the slicer? Your employees should wear them when using knives too!
- Don’t submerge knives in the sink. Knives should be cleaned separately from other kitchen items to avoid injuries caused when reaching into the dishwater.
- Contrary to intuition, dull knives are more dangerous than sharp ones as dull blades require more force to cut. The more force needed to cut, the increased likelihood of slipping and causing injuries. Regularly sharpening knives should be a critical maintenance task as part of your restaurant to-dos.
- If you own a franchise restaurant, work with your franchisor to establish guidelines for safe knife use and storage.
Other Laceration Causes
Review the below list of other common causes for cuts and lacerations at a restaurant and ensure you have a plan in place to proactively avoid injuries.
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- Sweep up broken glass instead of using your hands to pick it up.
- Don’t compress trash bags. Something sharp, like an aluminum can lid might be on top!
- Whenever possible, avoid using box cutters to break down cardboard.
- Avoid distractions like chit-chatting with other employees while using sharp objects.
- Only cut on designated cutting surfaces. Using an unstable surface such as plates or countertops can cause knives to slip.
What to Do in Case of an Injury
Even with the best precautions and training in place, cuts and lacerations can happen. And when they do, it’s essential to have a first aid kit readily available. Ensure all staff know where the kit is and how to respond to injuries. For cuts and lacerations, immediately apply pressure to stop the bleeding, clean the wound to prevent infection, and seek medical attention if necessary. The work area should be cleaned and sanitized after an injury, and any food in the immediate vicinity of the injury should be thrown out.
With knowledge about how cuts and lacerations occur, paired with common sense procedures to avoid accidents, restaurant owners can cut out cuts to avoid costly and time-consuming workers’ compensation claims. Prioritizing safety isn’t just good for employees—it’s also good for business.
