Watch Your Step: An Employer's Guide to Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls in the Food & Beverage Industry

Slips, trips and falls account for more than 22% of all claims in the food & beverage industry. These accidents account for more than 35% of claim costs paid by WorkSafeBC, nearly $19 million, over a five-year period. go2 has developed Watch Your Step to help you prevent these types of accidents in your facility.

The following list includes forms, checklists, and other documents that appear in this guide. You can download and customize these for your facility.

• Hospitality Safety Calculator
• Occupational Health and Safety Program Template
• What Is a Risk Assessment?
• What Causes Slips and Trips
• Risk Assessment Tool
• How to Choose Flooring
• Slips and Trips: The Importance of Floor Cleaning
• Physical Demands Job Analysis
• Job Description
• Pre-screening Questions
• Reference Check Questions
• WorkSafeBC Sample Worker Orientation Checklist
• Best Practices for Slips, Trips, and Falls
• Working Safely with Ladders (PowerPoint Presentation)
• Monthly Inspection Checklist

Food & Beverage Industry Occupational Health and Safety Program Template

Occupational health and safety (OHS) programs are a legal requirement, as specified in sections 3.1 to 3.4 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. Every food and beverage business must have an OHS program to help prevent accidents and injuries. An effective program will also help you deal with any incidents that do occur. Every workplace is different, so it is important for you to develop an OHS program that addresses the specific needs of your operation. This OHS Program Template can serve as a starting point. It contains the basic components of a program, which you can modify and add to as necessary to create your own unique program.

Injury Prevention Resources for Tourism & Hospitality - Food & Beverage

Here you will find an overview, including video demonstrations, of the key hazards facing restaurant and fast-food workers, and the safe procedures that can prevent accidents; health and safety guidelines for small businesses; downloadable safety posters geared to the restaurant sector; ergonomic tips; advice on installing ventilation systems; a safety guide for students undertaking food-service work placements; a review of effective orientation principles; frequently asked questions about slips, trips and falls; and accident-prevention bulletins on the safe use and cleaning of kitchen equipment.

Injury Prevention Resources for Tourism & Hospitality - Pubs, Bars, Nightclubs and Lounges

The resources collected here focus primarily on the exposure to noise by workers in this hospitality sector, with frequently asked questions about noise and hearing protection and recommendations on hearing conservation programs and noise control in the workplace.

Hazard Alert

Young worker seriously injured while clearing meat grinder.

What's wrong with this photo? (Kitchen Safety)

WorkSafe™ Magazine includes a photo that has been staged to show at least six hazards or dangerous work habits. How many can you spot in this photo?

Health & Safety Portal for Professional Cooks

WorkSafeBC provides videos, publications and other resources to help you with health and safety for apprentices.

The Heat is On - Commercial Kitchen Safety

Commercial kitchen workers, beware. To avoid getting hurt at work, read your manual, listen to your supervisor, and say no to unreasonable requests.

Supervising for Safety in the Kitchen

Managing safe work practices in the kitchen demands a thoughtful and systematic due diligence approach on the part of any food & beverage team leader.

Supervising for Safety Course by WorkSafeBC

WorkSafeBC offers you free 24/7 access to high quality safety materials. It also allows you to select the topics you want to explore and to proceed at your own pace.

Injury Prevention: Pub and Restaurant Safety

Here you will find the highlights of a University of Alberta study on the role that lifting heavy kegs or trays of food and glassware plays in injuries to workers' backs, shoulders and wrists. There are recommendations for educating staff on the proper techniques for heavy lifting as well as suggestions for simple yet effective changes to the workplace that can reduce accidents and injury.

Bartenders Sing the Sore-Back Blues

This article, based on a University of Alberta study of pub safety, examines the injury risks that bartenders and servers routinely encounter in the workplace.

Here are six kitchen-focused posters that promote safety in the workplace:

Save your fingers. Use the guards.
Don't defeat the safeguards.
Bend your knees to lift and ask for help.
Clean up spills and keep floors clean. Wear proper footwear.
Get help and use oven mitts.
Cleaners can burn too. Read the label and know the dangers.

Knife Safety (Video)

This 10-minute video provides basic orientation around knife safety in the restaurant and food services industry. It includes an overview of knife safety fundamentals including knife selection and inspection, management of cutting surfaces, knife techniques, safe handling and personal protective equipment.