Restaurant safety is extremely important as lack of compliance with safety measures and accidents themselves can be very costly. All OSHA food safety regulations should be followed. Properly training your staff and making sure your facilities and equipment are up to par is paramount when it comes to maintaining a safe establishment. Here we go over some of the basics of restaurant safety.
Slips And Falls
This is one of the most common restaurant accidents but there is much that can be done to prevent them. Requiring your staff to wear proper uniforms and non-slip shoes is an important first step. You’ll also want to ensure your floors are in good shape and don’t have rough edges or divots where someone can trip. Making sure all spills are cleaned up immediately and a wet floor sign is placed when necessary will also help to prevent slip and fall accidents.
Fire Safety
Make sure your business is following all fire safety regulations. Fire extinguishers should be readily available within your kitchen and throughout your restaurant. Emergency exits and escape routes should be well marked and your staff should be trained on what to do in case of fire. Make sure the wiring in your building is up to code and that your kitchen equipment is not outdated. Keep all wires away from places that can get wet and regularly clean around and behind your kitchen equipment.
Kitchen Equipment
Make sure your entire staff is aware of and properly trained on using each piece of kitchen equipment. Let them know the potential hazards involved with using them. You should also ensure your kitchen staff is well trained on knife safety. Investing in cut resistant gloves can greatly reduce knife related accidents. Safety glasses are also recommended for those cooking or doing prep work.
Natural Disasters
Depending on your geographic location, there will be certain natural disasters that your staff should be prepared for. Whether it’s a hurricane, tornado, flood or earthquake, your team should be prepared to keep themselves and your guests safe. Periodically training your staff and clearly posting your disaster plans will enable you to minimize your risk when these disasters occur.
Security Systems
Restaurant security, whether physical or digital is extremely important. Installing cameras and alarm systems not only help to alert you to potential theft, they can help to prevent it. Additionally, since most employee and financial information is now stored digitally, you’ll want to ensure you have the proper digital security to keep that information private. While this investment may not seem to show a return on investment, any restaurant owner that has dealt with a break in will surely tell you different.
