This article was written for SLTN and appeared in the June issue of their magazine.
Hotels, restaurants, pubs, cafés and catering businesses have both a legal and moral responsibility to protect their staff, customers, and visitors from harm. A strong health and safety culture within any business will reduce the likelihood for accidents but at the same time increase staff morale and customer confidence, protect the reputation of the business and lessen the potential for enforcement action, criminal penalties and costly civil injury claims.
The hospitality sector is a fast paced and physically demanding environment for staff to work in. Staff routinely work long hours in busy kitchens, in packed bars and dining areas and other environments where injuries can easily occur. Common hazards include slips, trip and falls, burns, manual handling, cuts from knives and handling other sharp objects, fire, and exposure to hazardous chemicals. It is vital that employers take practical steps to identify these hazards and to ensure they are adequately controlled.
One of the most common causes of accident in the hospitality industry is slipping on wet or greasy floors in bar areas and kitchens. To reduce the risk businesses should ensure that floor areas are regularly cleaned, warning signs are displayed where floors are wet and to ensure that staff wear suitable footwear. Good housekeeping is one of the cornerstones in maintaining a safe working environment.
Fire safety should be a major concern, commercial kitchens feature gas and electrical equipment operating at high temperatures, naked flames, hot cooking oils, and grease. Employers are legally obligated to carry out a fire risk assessment but consider carrying out the assessment when the kitchen is fully operational to give a ‘worst case’ scenario and build your fire risk assessment on the findings from this rather than on the sanitised environment when the kitchen is cleaned, quiet and waiting for the first service of the day to begin. Staff training is essential so they know what actions they must take not only to prevent a fire occurring, but what to do should one happen.
Food safety is another important factor in health and safety management for a hospitality business. Staff must follow strict hygiene rules and procedures which include, safe storage of food and temperature controls, cleaning protocols, avoiding the potential for cross contamination, ensuring high standards of personal hygiene. Careful and considered management of food allergens is also vitally important.
Manual handling injuries are a frequent cause of injury in the hospitality industry. Staff might be handling heavy deliveries, lifting items of furniture, moving items in areas where movement is restricted, or being asked to move items which may be beyond their physical capability to safely do so (which may be temporary resulting from injury or pregnancy). Again, these activities should be carefully risk assessed with appropriate control measures being implemented which should including staff training.
Hospitality staff often face the pressures from working long hours, dealing with demanding customers and alternating shift patterns and as such employers must consider the metal health and wellbeing of their staff. Stress and fatigue can affect both mental and physical health which can increase the likelihood for accidents. Employers can support staff wellbeing by encouraging regular breaks, maintaining fair working hours and creating a supportive work environment where staff feel comfortable in discussing their concerns.
Effective management of health and safety in the hospitality sector is essential not optional. By taking the time and effort to consider measures aimed at reducing risk and the likelihood of harm operators of hospitality venues will create a safer, healthier, happier and more supportive working environment for their staff which in turn will make for a better experience for the customer.
If you have any questions on any issues raised in the above article, please contact Gary Foggo.