Restaurant, food service, and food manufacturing workers have a higher risk of slip and fall accidents than workers in most other occupations. In fact, according to Liberty Mutual’s Workplace Safety Index, 45% of workers’ compensation claims in restaurants are due to falls. Many factors contribute to the high risk, including spills, improper footwear, tripping over flooring material, dim lighting, and walkway obstructions. Although adequate housekeeping can significantly reduce slip and fall accidents, the fast-paced, chaotic nature of many restaurant kitchens can make it difficult to keep floors clean, dry, and clear at all times. If you work in the restaurant or food service industry, the tips below can help keep you on your feet. Contact a Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Today.

Safety Tips

Floor Mats: In addition to clean, dry floors, well-maintained mats are an essential component of any commercial kitchen. As they are frequently subjected to spills, high traffic, and cleaning products, food service mats need to be replaced often. It’s also important to get the right mat for the job. The mats used in industrial plants are designed to provide foot comfort and traction, and not much more. Food service mats, however, should provide additional slip and fall protection against substances such as ice, grease, and oil. Each mat should also be well suited to its area of use. For example, mats in high traffic areas should be low profile or have a ramp to prevent tripping over edges. Thick mats with holes, on the other hand, are good for allowing spills to drain onto the floor underneath.

Footwear: Proper footwear is essential for food service and restaurant workers. Slip and fall accidents make up nearly half of all workers’ compensation claims in the food service industry. Considering that the food service environment typically consists of slippery floors, hot surfaces, boiling liquids, and knives, shoes with excellent traction and support are vital to the safety of all employees. The two most important components of a safe shoe are the quality of the materials and the design of the sole. Soft, durable materials are best, and tread patterns should not run in the direction of travel as this may accentuate forward motion.

High Cost of Slip and Fall Injuries: According to the National Safety Council, the average slip and fall injury costs up to $28,000. These calculations include medical expenses, workers’ compensation benefits, paperwork, lost wages, and an increase in insurance premiums. Tens of thousands of restaurant workers are treated in hospital emergency rooms for slip and fall injuries every year. The majority of the accidents are blamed on wet or greasy floors. Continue reading

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces workplace safety regulations across the country. It is the employer’s responsibility to adhere to these regulations, but they don’t always take heed. Unfortunately, when employers violate these regulations, workers can get seriously injured and even die. An employee injured on-the-job is generally entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and other associated costs.

Although employees may be eligible for Massachusetts workers’ compensation benefits if they are injured at work, the main goal is to prevent injuries from happening in the first place. Employees often trust in, and rely on, OSHA to keep a close eye on their work environments. However, this is simply not always possible. OSHA does not have the funding to look into every accident or violation claim. To prevent major violations from slipping through the cracks, the agency implemented its Severe Violator Enforcement Program (SVEP) to protect employees from exceptionally dangerous work hazards.

SVEP was created to replace OSHA’s Enhanced Enforcement Program (EEP), which had proven quite ineffective. The goal with SVEP is to hold the most severe violators accountable. Possibly due to the failure of EEP, this new program has been receiving criticism from some stakeholders who claim that it continues to overlook the worst violators while simultaneously placing employers on the list that shouldn’t be on there. However, the 2013 self-review of SVEP found the program to be effective.

In order for an employer to be placed on the SVEP list, several criteria must be met. For starters, a) the violations have to be deliberate or repetitive, or failure to resolve the violations must result in hospitalization of at least three employees, or the death of one or more employees, b) there must be at least two serious injuries, such as falls or amputations, that resulted from the employer’s failure to comply with regulations, c) or there must be at least three violations and failure to correct the discharge of harmful chemicals. Continue reading

Every day in the United States, overexertion in the workplace results in thousands of trips to the doctor or emergency room. Overexertion can occur in any type of occupation, from seemingly benign office positions to highly physical construction jobs. Long-term effects can lead to temporary or permanent disability and, consequently, the inability to perform job duties. Even when physical symptoms are not debilitating, victims of chronic conditions often experience some level of depression.

The National Safety Council reports overexertion as the leading cause of workers’ compensation claims in the United States. Some of the most commonly recognized examples of overexertion include carpal tunnel syndrome and musculoskeletal disorders, often referred to as repetitive stress injuries. However, two examples of overexertion that are regularly overlooked are fatigue and dehydration.

Fatigue as a Workplace Hazard

Federal and state laws require employers to provide certain periods of rest for employees, depending on the length of the shift and the type of work performed. Without these necessary breaks, the impact of both mental and physical fatigue can become a workplace hazard. One of the most dangerous effects of fatigue is the inability to think clearly and react quickly and appropriately. This is especially important in occupations that require operating heavy machinery and driving, and for medical professionals and emergency personnel responsible for making life altering decisions. Research shows that employees who work in shifts have are six times more likely to be involved in a fatigue-related accident.

Certain causes of fatigue may be out of an employer’s control, such as detrimental sleeping patterns or the unhealthy lifestyle of an employee. However, the risk of fatigue is commonly increased by certain work-related factors including:

• Excessive mental of physical exertion without appropriate access to food, hydration, or rest during the workday
• Work scheduling that goes against the body’s natural bio-rhythms
• Excessive and continuous cold or hot work environment
• Monotonous or strenuous workload

Employers have a responsibility to provide a safe, healthy work environment. It is important that employers are consistently aware of potential cases of fatigue among employees, as well as any contributing factors. Workplace practices should be managed to minimize the onset of fatigue and maximize healthy work habits. Continue reading