Cherry Hill Workers’ Compensation Lawyers: Restaurant Workers Slip and Fall

The National Safety Council estimates that there are nine million slip and fall accidents every year, or more than 25,000 per day. Restaurant workers need to be aware of these figures because, in their industry, a slip and fall injury is the second most common type of workplace injury that occurs on the job.

The Hazards of Cooking Oil

The manual handling of oil is the most dangerous job in a restaurant and almost two-thirds of Workers’ Compensation claims by restaurant employees are related to cooking oil. In an ideal situation, the oil is handled by an automated closed loop system and no one has to manually deal with it, but the expense of such a system is beyond many employers. This results in workers having to take care of the pouring of oil into fryers, draining and disposing of used oil, and transporting hot oil. If this is the case, an employer should offer quarterly training programs addressing the proper safety procedures for the handling of cooking oil at each stage of its usage so that staff has been educated on the hazards of using cooking oil.

Slip and Fall Precautions and Prevention

The average time away from the job after a slip and fall accident is 418 days, well over a year. From the time the injury occurs, to medical care and time at home for recovery, it all adds up. For this reason, it is in both the employer’s and employee’s interest to implement the right measures to ensure a safe workplace. Some important safety tips are listed below:

• Proper Footwear: Employers can institute a policy for the use of safety shoes and have an option for deducting the cost from payroll.
• Proper Signage: Wet floors should be clearly marked to avoid slip and fall accidents. All staff should be alerted to any kind of oil spill.
• Proper Maintenance: Cleanliness is essential to maintaining a safe work environment. Specially designed kitchen cleaners that cut through grease and grime should be used regularly to keep surfaces clean.
• Grip Mats: Strong grip mats with anti-slip surfaces can be used to decrease the amount of surface area prone to slipperiness.
• Proper Handling of Oil: Never leave hot oil unattended and cover oil vats when not in use.

Cherry Hill Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at DiTomaso Law Fight for Maximum Compensation for Victims of Workplace Injury in South Jersey

Most workplaces follow proper safety protocols, but some do not. If you work in the restaurant industry and suffered a slip and fall accident at work, the Cherry Hill Workers’ Compensation lawyers at DiTomaso Law will fight on your behalf for the best possible outcome. Call 856-414-0010 for a free consultation or contact us online. We will determine the best course of legal action for you.