Restaurant Workers’ Compensation Injuries: Common Claims & Safety Tips

Key Takeaways

Preventing restaurant worker injuries can reduce workers’ compensation claims, workplace disruptions, and staffing shortages.

• Know the common injuries: Cuts, burns, slips and falls, sprains and strains, and equipment-related injuries are common in restaurants.
• Respond quickly: Report and document injuries promptly, coordinate medical care, and plan for a safe return to work.
• Choose the right healthcare partner: Occupational healthcare providers can support timely treatment and help reduce unnecessary ER visits and workers’ compensation costs.
• Build a safer workplace: Keep floors dry and clear, maintain equipment, store supplies safely, improve traffic flow, and provide regular safety training.

Navigating Restaurant Workers’ Compensation Injuries as an Employer

In 2019 alone, more than 93,000 full-service restaurant workers experienced nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses. Restaurant employees work in one of the most time-intensive and unique workplaces. They operate around wet floors, sharp tools, hot equipment, heavy supplies, and cleaning chemicals, often while moving quickly and performing repetitive tasks. These conditions can make injuries difficult to avoid without the right safety measures.

Taking a more active role in preventing common restaurant worker injuries can reduce medical costs, staffing disruptions, lost productivity, and workers’ compensation claims.

Since 2007, WorkPartners USA has helped employers manage restaurant workers’ compensation injuries and understands how quickly everyday hazards can become costly workplace incidents. By referencing our extensive experience in medical case management, we’ll break down the most common restaurant workplace injuries and explain how employers can respond effectively and support employees through recovery.

What Are Some Common Restaurant Workers’ Compensation Injuries? 

Understanding the injuries that can easily happen is the first step toward improving workplace safety. Here are some common injuries we’ve observed at restaurants:

1. Cuts and Lacerations 

Employees at a restaurant are in regular contact with slicers, graters, knives, broken glass, and other sharp items. Even worse, they’re often rushing as they handle these. The associated injuries from this situation range from small cuts to grave lacerations. The risk of restaurant staff suffering cuts magnifies when:  

• Food preparation is rushed
• Damaged knives are used
• Guards aren’t used on slicers
• Broken glass is handled poorly 

2. Slips, Trips, and Falls 

These are common restaurant worker injuries, often caused by greasy or wet floors. Employers should address hazards such as:

• Food debris
• Liquid spills
• Cluttered walkways
• Loose mats
• Uneven flooring
• Poor lighting

3. Burns 

To little surprise, fire is a prevalent cause of restaurant workers’ compensation injuries. Equipment such as fryers, ovens, stovetops, grills, and hot food must be handled with the appropriate gear and equipment.   

4. Strains and Sprains 

These injuries often occur when employees spend long periods:

• Pushing carts
• Moving supplies
• Lifting boxes
• Carrying heavy trays
• Standing for extended periods
• Performing repetitive movements

Employers can help restaurant employees avoid strains and sprains by providing carts, mechanical assistance, and better storage solutions. Ergonomic training and team lifting practices can go a long way.

5. Equipment-Related Injuries 

Improper use of restaurant equipment can lead to serious injuries. Common sources of risk in restaurants include:

• Food processors
• Meat slicers
• Compactors
• Fryers
• Mixers
• Dishwashers

Employers can reduce these risks by training employees to use each piece of equipment safely and ensuring guards and other safety features are in place.

How Should Restaurants Respond to Workplace Injuries? 

Your response to a workplace injury can affect the employee’s recovery and the claims process. Encourage employees to report injuries promptly and follow a clear process to:

• Ensure the employee’s safety
• Determine whether there’s a need for emergency medical attention 
• Document the incident 
• Report the injury properly
• Coordinate medical care
• Communicate work restrictions 
• Support the safe resumption of duties 

Remember that the claims process is simpler when you file a First Report of Injury (FROI). For Minnesota, also note:

• Lost-time injuries (disability exceeding 3 calendar days): Supply your insurer with the FROI within 10 days from the disability’s first day or when you found out about it (whichever is later). 
• Grave injuries or deaths: Report to the Department of Labor and Industry within 48 hours and send the FROI within 7 days of the incident. 

How Can Restaurants Prevent Workplace Injuries?  

Preventing injuries is just as important as responding to them properly. Use these practical safety measures to reduce workplace injury risks: 

Ensure Floors Are Dry and Clean 

Ensure employees can quickly access cleaning products for spills. Assign specific cleaning tasks to some employees to clarify responsibilities during busy times. 

Keep Tools in Good Condition

Ensure that all tools, from ladders and carts to slicers and knives, are well-maintained and functional. If any tools are damaged, set them aside until they can be repaired.   

Safely Store Supplies

Avoid storing heavy items in places that require workers to reach with difficulty. They also shouldn’t have to lift anything heavy above a comfortable height.  

Improve Traffic Flow 

Since restaurant kitchens are often crowded, keep pathways clear. Minimize the possibility of employees crossing paths with sharp objects, hot containers, or heavy items.   

Train Before Assigning Risky Chores

Sometimes, restaurant workers need to perform high-risk tasks, operate specialized machinery, or handle hazardous chemicals. To avoid any issues, take a preventative approach and train restaurant workers on proper equipment handling techniques and best practices.

Build a Robust Safety Program 

Put together a holistic program that includes:

• Hazard-specific training
• Regular safety audits
• Maintenance of equipment
• Procedures for injury reporting 
• Supervisor involvement 

Also, track injury patterns by looking at the type and frequency of injuries, affected body parts, shifts, work areas, and equipment involved. Monitor repeat injuries, lost work time, and near misses to identify patterns and address their root causes.    

How Occupational Health Partners Can Help

Keeping restaurant injury claims to a minimum protects your business’s finances and reputation. One way to do this is to respond quickly to minor injuries before they become more serious. Consider connecting with a doctor-led triage team immediately after an incident.

A triage team can provide clinical guidance on the severity of the injury and recommend the appropriate next steps. For example, licensed occupational physicians at WorkPartners can address up to 90% of restaurant injuries with first aid, when appropriate.

This can help avoid unnecessary emergency room (ER) visits and may reduce OSHA recordable injuries and workers’ compensation claims. In fact, working with WorkPartners can help reduce workers’ compensation costs by up to 50%.

If additional treatment is needed, our physicians can monitor recovery, coordinate care with other providers, and help plan a safe return to work (RTW).

Conclusion 

While you may not be able to completely prevent restaurant workers’ compensation injuries, you can minimize them through awareness and a comprehensive safety approach. Improving kitchen traffic flow, inspecting tools regularly, keeping floors clean, providing training, and building a strong safety program can go a long way.    

Partner with WorkPartners USA for Better Workplace Safety and Fewer Claims  

WorkPartners’ occupational physicians understand how quickly a restaurant injury can become more serious. We assess incidents remotely and recommend the appropriate next steps, helping employees receive timely care while reducing unnecessary claims. We also offers ability testing programs and employee engagement assessment software to help restaurants identify risks and prevent future incidents. 

For a safer restaurant workspace, contact us now. For consultations, call (651) 323-8654 or write to info@workpartnersusa.com.  

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