Restaurants need to pay close attention to federal and state workplace rules since fines and penalties for violations can be significant. What steps can you take to prevent injury and illness in your restaurant?

1) Have a drug-free workplace policy. Some 70 percent of people who use illegal drugs hold full-time jobs, the experts say. There were an estimated 6.3 million illicit drug users and 6.2 million heavy alcohol users among the 81.8 million people in America's work force in 1997.

The problem is particularly serious among workers in the restaurant, construction and transportation industries. Some 19 percent of food preparation workers, waiters, waitresses and bartenders use drugs, for instance.

2) Create a culture that says, “Safety is important!” Consultant Steven Simon uses the following analogy to explain safety culture. He says that the basic elements of any stew are the meat and vegetables, (an appropriate example for the restaurant industry!) which he equates to essential safety elements such as training and equipment. The culture is the broth, and no matter how excellent the meat and vegetables; no stew can survive a “rancid broth.”

There are many elements that can spoil a workplace culture and undermine safety: everything from mistrust to perceptions, to lack of employee involvement. Simon says that there’s no single recipe for cooking up culture change. Workplaces vary greatly and the process to change the culture must reflect those differences.

3) Prevention is your best bet. Employee training and awareness materials can help you identify risks, prevent accidents, and comply with regs in your operation. Train employees in exposure to “general hazards,” including basic safety, machinery, electrical safety, back injury prevention, slips and falls, cuts, burns, and safety responsibility. Besides an employee safety orientation, consider a training checklist that includes the following:

a) Kitchen safety-Demonstrate the proper use and safety procedures of kitchen equipment such as knives, cooking utensils, slicers, cutters, and other equipment.

b) Restaurant Sanitation & Personal Hygiene- Emphasize training in personal hygiene, cleanliness, pest rodent, and bacteria control, and food temperature requirements.

c) Conduct a root cause analysis to reduce unsafe acts and behaviors.

d) Restaurant Hazard Communications- does your restaurant meet OSHA/EPA standards for hazard communications? Do you have chemical labels and material safety data sheets?

e) Bus Persons, Dishwashers, & Janitor Safety- Have you reviewed safety procedures with these workers?

f) Robbery & Employee Theft- Review restaurant security procedures, robbery prevention, how to handle a robbery, and facts about employee theft with key employees.

g) Restaurant Accident Investigation- Do your supervisors and managers know what to look for in an investigation, witness statements, and fact-finding process?

h) Customer Accidents- Is your restaurant staff trained to handle customer exposure due to slips/falls, food illnesses, foreign material in food, etc?

i) Back Injury Prevention- a major cause of employee injury; provide knowledge and training in prevention.

4) Poster and recordkeeping requirements
All employers need to post the federal or (where required) a state poster with information for employees on their safety and health rights. Call OSHA at (800) 321-OSHA or download and print a poster from OSHA’s web site. This poster is available in English or Spanish. Because of their safety record, eating and drinking places (SIC 58) are currently exempt from OSHA injury-and-illness recordkeeping rules.

Currently the Restaurant Industry utilizes education, training, planning and prevention to combat these issues. Related safety trends affecting the industry include smoke-free environments, safety in food handling, bioterrorism, recruitment and retention, ergonomics safety, and the shrinking labor pool. For more information concerning these issues and for specific regulatory requirements please visit the following sites:

Nation’s Restaurant News (new window)

National Restaurant Association
International Food Safety Council The NRAEF's works to promote the importance of food safety education. Learn more about how your organization can get involved in the fight against foodborne illness.

International Hotel and Restaurant Association (new window)

Provides a list of industry links to Trade Associations, State Restaurant Associations, Industry Publications, Food and beverage sites, business assistance, government resources, current industry news, foodservice industry websites, industry suppliers, an miscellaneous sites.

A source for information on Restaurants, Nightclubs, Bars and Convenience Stores.

TheRestaurant Association Information for hospitality professionals and food connoisseurs.

www.restaurantville.com
If your food service operation carries workers’ compensation coverage, you are required by most states – including Texas – to publish and enforce specific safety and drug-related policies. Failure to comply with the rules can result in heavy fines and penalties. Check out the following topics for information on establishing your policies – and the penalties for failing to comply.

2001 The Year in Review.(lengthy review of the restaurant industry for 2001)(Industry Overview)

2001 The Year in Review.(lengthy review of the restaurant industry for 2001)

From Nation's & Restaurant News, December 17 2001 by Ron Ruggless

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