With an endless stream of restaurants, resorts and food service operations spanning the state, many Californians make a living working in this type of environment. If you are among them, you face specific work-related job hazards that can hinder not only your ability to work, but your overall quality of life. At Kampf, Schiavone & Associates, we recognize the hazards that place restaurant and food service workers at risk, and we have helped many clients who suffered injury in food service environments seek recourse and get back on their feet.
Per Restaurant Programs of America, working in a food service environment exposes you to certain types of injuries and hazards, and many of these are consistent throughout the industry in its entirety, from fast food establishments to high-end resorts. For example, you run the risk of suffering a serious burn working in a restaurant or food service environment, and this holds true whether you work behind the line in the kitchen, or out on the floor. Cooks and chefs can suffer burns due to hot cooktops, splashing grease and the like, while servers and bussers can suffer burns due to spills, hot trays, hot surfaces and so on.
You may, too, suffer injuries or illness related to chemicals or hazardous substances relating to your food service role. Certain cleaning solutions sometimes used in restaurants can cause harm if ingested, or if they come in contact with your eyes.
Slip-and-fall injuries are also common among restaurant and food service workers, and they can result from wet floors and collisions with other servers coming around corners, among related causes. While these are some of the most common injuries experienced by today’s restaurant and food service workers, this is not an exhaustive list of all potential risks. More about work-related injuries is available on our web page.
