Restaurant kitchens often have a high staff turnover. Many workers leave after fallouts with colleagues or bosses, and others just decide to opt for an easier way to earn money.
But, all too often, there’s another reason a restaurant might need to hire a new staff member – because one of their current employees can no longer work due to a workplace accident. Here are some of the accidents that happen far too frequently to hard-working kitchen staff:
Serious cuts
It only takes a minor lapse of concentration for a knife or another cutting implement to cut into a finger or hand. Most such injuries are minor, but occasionally they do enough damage that the injury victim will need surgery and weeks off of work to recover.
Scalds and burns
Restaurant work requires that hot pans of food and liquids be moved about and the contents to make their way onto hot plates that then get transported from one room to another. When people are busy or not paying attention, spillage could occur with nasty consequences for anyone whose skin meets dangerously hot food, liquid or other material.
Slips and falls
When things get spilled onto the floor, someone needs to mop that floor. If the mopper does not make the slippery surface apparent with a cone or they do not dry it well enough, the situation could cause someone to slip and injure themselves.
Lifting strain that causes back injuries
Kitchens receive bulk deliveries, and some of those boxes are heavy. The constant time pressure means that no one else may be available to help lift, and people may try to do it alone and get injured.
Most restaurant employers seek benefits via workers’ compensation insurance if they need time off work due to one of these injuries. You may need legal help to get the full amount that you’re owed and to help you navigate any employer retaliation that may occur as you try to rightfully claim your benefits.
