Six Ways to Reducing Injury Risks in a Restaurant’s Kitchen

Your restaurant is nothing without your kitchen. Within the kitchen, your staff tracks, prepares and ships out orders to customers. The kitchen is the moneymaker. It’s what keeps people coming back.

As a hub of activity, your kitchen needs to operate smoothly. Its operations affect the function of the entire restaurant. If someone gets hurt in the kitchen, then the injury could interrupt the steady flow of service.

If the injured party is an employee, you may have to offer workers’ compensation. If the injured party is a customer or other party, then you could face a liability risk from that injury.

In these cases, you need to have proper restaurant insurance. Business liability insurance can help shore up kitchen injury claims from third parties. Workers’ compensation helps protect injured employees as they recover.

However, it is always your duty to reduce the risk of injuries in your kitchen. Follow these six steps to keep your kitchen safe:

• Monitor who goes into the kitchen: Don’t allow customers or unauthorized parties in the kitchen. Make sure that the only people who enter and operate the kitchen are employees or suppliers.
• Keep orderly preparation lines: The preparation line ensures that food leaves the kitchen efficiently. It also ensures that there is smooth movement of employees throughout the kitchen.
• Make it a positive environment: Don’t routinely rush your employees to get food out. There will always be times where business is heavy and rushing is unforeseen. However, rushed service increases the risk of kitchen mistakes and injuries. Make sure that your employees know how to work as a team.
• Clean up messes: Don’t let spills or other messes accumulate. They can inhibit movement and pose fall risks to employees. Be sure that you check around appliances for leaks or other spills.
• Store items: Keep dangerous appliances like knives and industrial preparation supplies stored away. Only allow professional employees to use them. Also, don’t allow supplies and food to accumulate in common areas.
• Keep fall risks low: Most kitchen employees are on their feet in the kitchen. Reduce the risk of slip and fall injuries. Place warning signs at steps and wet floors. Clean up messes quickly. Also make sure that appliances and cords don’t protrude into walkways.

By keeping your workspace safe, you can reduce the risk of workers’ compensation claims. You can also reduce the restaurant’s business liability risks.

Buschbach Insurance Agency, Inc. can help you find the best restaurant insurance for your establishment. Go online to learn more about our business insurance options. Call us today at (708) 423-2350 for more information.