Slips, Trips, Falls and Other Hazards In Restaurants

Name

Institutional Affiliation

Introduction

Problem under Investigation

Restaurant employees are usually exposed to wet floors or spills and clutter that may cause slips, trips, falls, and many other possible injuries. The dangers however do not only apply to the restaurant employees alone because in most cases, the visitors or clients also fall victims. In most cases, slips, trips, and falls may occur in the serving areas while workers work around ice bins, where ice may easily fall on the floor and cause puddles or when the employees work in a busy congested area. Moreover, walking or running on slippery or uneven floor surfaces, carrying dishes around blind corners or stairs and using single door entry from the kitchen area may further encourage potential hazard in restaurants. The research will focus on the issues of slips, trips, falls, and other occupational hazards in Moxies Restaurant.

Several injuries in the Moxies Restaurant are caused by slips, trips, and falls thus resulting into head injuries, back injuries, broken bones, cuts and lacerations. The effects of slips, trips, and falls have forced the restaurant to incur higher costs in terms of workforce compensation, a cost that is far above other forms of injuries.

Deleterious effects of exposure to slips, trips, falls, and other occupational hazards in Moxies Restaurant

Slips, trips and falls may be caused by several circumstances including wet spots, food debris, oil, polished floors, loose flooring, uneven walking surfaces and in the serving areas while workers work around ice bins, where ice may easily fall on the floor and cause puddles or when the employees work in a busy congested areas. Some of the major factors contributing to slips, trips and falls are wet or slippery services that normally increases the potential for a slip. Polished floors including marble and ceramic tile may be very slippery even when dry thus enhancing the probability of slipping. When the floor is moisturized using liquid such as water, food spills, rain, snow, and mud the chances of falling or slipping is normally high. Wet or slippery surfaces are common around coolers, freezers, dishwashing areas, cooking areas and at the kitchen entrance or exit thus making them high risk regions within the restaurant.

In addition, slips, trips and falls may be caused by changes in elevation or surface texture that are regarded as the major source of trip in Moxie restaurant. It has been deduced that even a little alteration on the walking surfaces may lead to a trip. Surface texture may include moving from a carpet to tile or even from a dry tile to a wet tile or failure to put caution signs that warn employees and other people of uneven floor surfaces, elevation changes or any potential trip risk.

Lastly, slips, trips and falls may be triggered with inadequate lighting such as moving from light to dark or vice versa that may temporarily cause vision problem thus causing slips and falls. An individual may, because of temporal vision challenge, slip on spilled food or even trip over some misplaced objects in the restaurant.

Risk Control Measures

There are safe work practices that ought to be followed to avoid slip, trip and falls hazards such as avoid running or walking too fast in higher risk areas and using extra caution when walking within the restaurant premises. Additionally, spills should be cleaned up immediately using appropriate cleaning agent to a completely dry finish if possible. Cleaning method should not spread the spill and cardboard should not be used in soaking up spills.

To avoid risks imposed by wet or slippery surfaces, the restaurant may install slip-resistant floor surface or apply anti-skid adhesive tape in the highly congested areas as well as using absorbent matting in entrance ways during inclement weather. Maintaining a high quality housekeeping in every area of work by employees such as using trash receptacles may also help in reducing slips. The restaurant may further put the caution signs to warn employees and develop a clear written procedures to handle spills. There may be frequent inspection aimed at identifying danger areas and imposing appropriate action as fast as possible. For better traction, proper footwear need to be won for better traction while handrails or stable objects may be used to hold on to in paths of travel.

Moreover, trip accidents caused by changes in elevation or surface texture may be reduced by limiting the difference in heights between flooring surfaces and marts to no more than quarter or half inch and further ensuring that mats do not either buckle or curl. Moreover, passageways and walkways ought to be put free of clutter and crowding and mirrors ought to be provided for blind corners. There also need to provide two-way doors for both entries, exit, and adhere to a set traffic pattern to avoid collisions.

Challenges preventing use of best practices

Management of Moxies restaurant does not take its employee training critical in preventing slips, trip, and falls. Training and installation of safety measures are very expensive for the restaurant.

Gaps in the Literature

Leemann, J. E., PhD. (2012). Home is where the hazards are: So why aren’t employers more concerned? ISHN, 46(5), 20-20,22. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1015208219?accountid=45049

Leemann explains on some of the causes of home hazards and points out at some specific areas where risks are rampant and gives suggestions on how to avoid them.

Chang, W., Courtney, T. K., Huang, Y., Li, K. W., Filiaggi, A. J., & Verma, S. K. (2011). Safety in fast-food restaurants. Professional Safety, 56(5), 62-69,2. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/865907052?accountid=45049

Chang et al describe how slips, trips and falls cause major injuries in the fast-food restaurants and explain that such kind of injuries in restaurant setting account for one of every three disabling injuries in US. They give in depth explanation on some of the causes of slip, trip and falls.

Grainger offers tips for preventing slips, trips & falls. (2012). Professional Safety, 57(10), 24. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1243068677?accountid=45049

This article provides a rough overview of injury facts 2012 in U.S and gives an account of the portion of injuries that were caused by slip, trip, and falls. It further describes many causes of slip, trip and fall injuries and provides ways of avoiding such kind of injuries.

Purpose statement: The purpose statement should say something in the lines of “I believe that there are many hazards associated with a busy environment in restaurants like slips, trips, and falls among others.Hypotheses: I believe the work culture and environment is geared more towards fast service and it is money oriented. More awareness regarding health and safety is needed in the service sector.

Methods

Methods will include conducting interviews and surveys with Moxies employees.

Participants: 10 full time employees of Moxies, both male and female, aged 19-35, who work as servers.Procedure: The principle investigator observed how employees conducted themselves on the floor and in the kitchen. The investigator will also note signs of stress and physiological issues these employees might be facing along with physical issues.Materials: noneAnalysis: Incident rates of employees not loading the dishwasher correctly. The frequency rate of slips, trips, falls or any other “near misses” like cuts, bruises