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WorkSafeBC

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Resources for Young Workers by Industry - Restaurant & Hospitality

Construction | Forestry | Manufacturing | Restaurant & Hospitality | Retail

 

General | Cuts & Burns | Falls | Heat Stress/Hypothermia | Sprains & Strains | Other
The following links list tools, publications, and other resources to help prevent young worker injuries and illnesses in restaurants and hospitality. These resources may not meet all the requirements for health and safety in British Columbia. Please check the Workers Compensation Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, and related materials for specific WorkSafeBC requirements.

If you have any questions please E-mail us at or phone 604-276-3100 in the Lower Mainland, or toll-free in British Columbia at 1-888-621-7233 (621-SAFE).

General

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 Health and Safety for Hospitality Small Business (PDF 3 MB)
This guide is designed for small businesses in the hospitality industry including hotels, motels, restaurants, and other food service establishments. It can be used by owners, employers, managers, supervisors, and workers to help prevent workplace accidents and injuries.
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 Young Worker Safety Can't Wait - Safety Kit for the Tourism and Hospitality Industry (PDF 2 MB) 
This safety package addresses five key hazards faced by workers in tourism and hospitality. Information includes an overview for managers/owners, safety crew talk guides for supervisors, and handouts for workers.
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 Take Care: How to Develop and Implement a Workplace Violence Prevention Program (PDF 467 KB) updated
This guide enables employers and workers to implement a program to prevent violence in the workplace. It summarizes the relevant sections of the Regulation that deal with violence in the workplace, explains how to conduct a risk assessment, identifies the basic elements of a violence prevention program, and provides safe travel tips and sample documents.
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 Industrial Kitchen Posters
A series of 6 posters for Industrial Kitchens.
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 StartSafe Safety Tip Posters
A series of 5 posters for the restaurant and catering industries.
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 Washing Hands Saves Lives - Slideshow
Corrina Hellens, Occupational Health Nurse, demonstrates how to wash your hands properly to prevent the spread of infection.
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 HIV/AIDS, and Hepatitis B and C: Preventing Exposure at Work (PDF 827 KB)
This booklet is for employers and workers who are not expected to come in contact with blood and body fluids at their workplaces but who could have contact with these fluids in rare, isolated incidents that cannot be foreseen.
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 Dealing with "Latex Allergies" at Work (PDF 550 KB)
Describes what latex allergy is, who is at risk, and how you can protect yourself from latex allergy.

Guidelines for Latex Glove Usersspace
This document provides a description of the various types of reactions to latex, guidelines on the selection of gloves, and advice on the assessment and accommodation of the affected worker.
Source: CCOHS (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety)

WorkSafeBC Video -- Safety and the Young Workerspace
Promotes a positive attitude towards safety; includes a fast food accident scenario.
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC
* Available for loan from WorkSafeBC Library Services.

WorkSafeBC Video -- Retail: Kitchen Safetyspace
Reviews the common hazards that can cause cuts, bruises, slips and falls, and burns.
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC
* Available for loan from WorkSafeBC Library Services.

Preventing Injuries to Hotel and Restaurant Workers Focus Report (PDF 648 KB)space
This report describes how the hotel and restaurant industries impact the economy, provides accident statistics on the hotel and restaurant industries, and contains information on how to prevent common accidents. This report also deals with implementing a health and safety program and obtaining assistance and information from WorkSafeBC.
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC

Safety Sensespace
"An on-line health and safety induction package for secondary students undertaking work placements and work experience in hospitality and tourism as part of their school curriculum."
Source: Queensland Government, Department of Employment, Training and Industrial Relations

Food Service Workers Safety Guidespace
"Designed for staff in restaurants, catering establishments, hotels and fast food chains, this handy pocket guide outlines key hazards and safe working procedures to help reduce injuries."
Source: CCOHS (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety)

Interactive Cafespace
"An interactive Web site that looks at the hazards of working in a café, restaurant, or fast food outlet."
Source: Queensland Government, Dept. of Industrial Relations

Dare to Care Safety Checkspace
"Safe work practices fact sheets for a variety of jobs in the tourism and hospitality sector."
Source: OSSA (Ontario Service Safety Alliance)

Catering Information Sheetsspace
"Information sheets are available on a variety of health and safety issues in catering."
Source: Health and Safety Executive (UK)

Profiles in Safety and Health: Eating and Drinking Places (PDF 280 KB)space
Eating and drinking places reported large numbers of workplace injuries and illnesses, primarily to teenagers and women who comprise most of the industry's work force. Sprains, cuts, and burns were leading work disabilities. This article examines characteristics of the eating and drinking places industry and analyzes its injury and illness record in detail.
Source: U.S. Department of Labour

Cuts & Burns

WorkSafeBC Hazard Alert -- Use Extreme Caution when Using Meat Slicers (PDF 100 KB)space
Identifies some of the factors that contribute to accidents involving meat slicers; lists safe work practices.
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC

Critical Injury - Hamburger Patty Machinespace
An information alert on the importance of properly guarding the moving parts of hamburger patty machines to prevent injuries.
Source: CCOHS (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety)

Critical Injury - Hot Oil/Grease Fryersspace
An information alert describing accidents in which workers were severely burned while changing oil/grease in deep fryers, and lists precautions.
Source: CCOHS (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety)

Potential Hazards -- Dough Mixersspace
An information alert on the importance of properly guarding the moving parts of dough mixers to prevent injuries.
Source: CCOHS (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety)

Microwave Ovens and Their Hazardsspace
An OSH answers document, using a question-and-answer format, explains the health effects of microwave radiation and safety precautions for microwave ovens.
Source: CCOHS (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety)

Falls

Prevention of Slips, Trips and Fallsspace
An OSH Answers document. Using a question-and-answer format, explains how falls happen, how to prevent falls due to slips and trips, and how to avoid falling at work.
Source: CCOHS (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety)

Heat Stress/Hypothermia

Preventing Heat Stress at Work BK30 (PDF 2 MB) (Updated: February 2007) space
This booklet provides a basic overview of job-related heat stress, how to recognize and treat heat stress, and how to prevent heat stress. Workers exposed to hot environments must be trained to prevent heat stress and recognize the early symptoms in themselves and co-workers.
The newly revised publication Heat Stress contains essential information on how to recognize, treat, and prevent heat stress.
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC
* Available in Chinese, Punjabi, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
* Available in print from Publications, Videos and Forms Distribution.

Heat Stressspace
Describes heat stress hazards and how to control heat stress.
Source: CCOHS (Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety)

Hypothermia, Surviving the cold (PDF 649 KB)space
This pamphlet provides a basic understanding of when and why hypothermia occurs, how to give first aid to victims, and how to prevent hypothermia from occurring.
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC

Sprains & Strains

Some of the tasks we perform at work--such as lifting, reaching, and repeating the same movements--can strain our bodies. In some situations, these tasks can result in an injury to the muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, blood vessels, and joints of the neck, shoulders, arms, wrists, legs, and back. This type of injury is called a musculoskeletal injury, or MSI.

Understanding the Risks of Musculoskeletal Injury (MSI) (PDF 2 MB) space
An educational guide for workers, on sprains, strains, and other MSIs
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC
* Also available in Chinese and Punjabi.

Ergonomic Tips for the Hospitality Industry space
The following are a series of 8 ergonomic pamphlets for the Hospitality industry including the accommodation, and food and beverage sectors.

MSI PREVENTION BULLETIN 5 - Floor Mopping (PDF 195 KB) space
This bulletin provides information for housekeepers, cleaners, and custodians regarding possible risk controls to eliminate or minimize musculoskeletal injury during floor mopping.
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC

MSI PREVENTION BULLETIN 7 - Floor-Cleaning Machines (PDF 182 KB) space
This bulletin provides information for housekeepers, cleaners, and custodians regarding possible risk controls to eliminate or minimize musculoskeletal injury during the use of vacuums, polishers/burnishers, and floor scrubbers to clean floors.
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC

Back Talk: An Owner's Manual for Backs (PDF 621 KB)space
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC
Updated: June 2007

Back Belts May Not Prevent Injuries at Work (PDF 132 KB)space
Source: WorkSafeBC WorkSafeBC

The Ergonomics pages on Safety at Work list several more resources concerning MSIs.

Other

Preventing Electrocutions of Workers in Fast Food Restaurantsspace
This NIOSH alert describes an accident in which an 18-year-old worker was electrocuted while kneeling to insert the plug of a portable electric toaster into an outlet on a floor that had been recently damp-mopped. It recommends safeguards and safe work practices to eliminate this hazard.
Source: NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)



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