San Diego is home to many of the best restaurants in Southern California, many of which offer a slew of employment opportunities. On a national scale, restaurants employ about 10 percent of the overall workforce.
The restaurant industry generally has a high rate of low-severity accidents. On average, injured restaurant employees are out of work for 30 days, reports Business Insurance.
According to Restaurant Technologies, a back-of-house design company that promotes safe restaurant workspaces only two percent of restaurant worker injuries are deemed severe, with workers’ compensation claims of $100,000 or more. California has the highest financial loss rate due to restaurant worker injuries – with a frequency rate of 31 percent, a severity rate of 28 percent, and an average cost incurred of $157,165.
Most common injuries among restaurant workers
Restaurant Technologies has identified four of the most common types of injuries back-of-house restaurant workers are likely to sustain.
These include:
- Cuts, lacerations, and punctures: Restaurant workers who handle knifes, slicers, mixers, grinders, blenders, and other sharp materials, are at risk of sustaining serious injuries. Cuts, lacerations, and punctures make up 22 percent of restaurant injuries. These injuries are usually attributed to poor training, lack of cut-resistant gloves, as well as careless mistakes related to fatigue and stress.
- Slips, trips, and falls: Slippery floors and debris are common causes of restaurant slips, trips, and falls. These accidents result in 20 percent of all restaurant injuries. Most slips, trips, and falls happen near sinks and fryer vats and are usually caused by liquids and grease.
- Sprains, strains and soft-tissue injuries: Tasks that involve lifting, bending, reaching, and carrying heavy objects can result in damage to bones, ligaments, and soft tissue. These make up 15 percent of all restaurant injuries.
- Burns and scalds: Anyone working near cooking equipment can be at risk of sustaining burns or scalds, which make up 13 percent of all restaurant injuries. Burns are usually caused by touching a stove, grill, pot, pan, heated cooking oil, or recently cooked food. Scalds are often caused by splashing or spilling boiling water.
Handling cooking oil is a common risk factor
Many of these injuries can be caused by handling cooking oil, which, according to Restaurant Technologies, is a factor in roughly 60 percent of restaurant-related workers’ compensation claims.
Dangerous tasks include lifting and carrying heavy jugs of oil, pouring oil into hot fryers, transporting and disposing of used oil, and pouring oil into rendering tanks.
Injured on the job? Contact a workers’ compensation attorney today!
If you’re a restaurant worker who sustained an injury on the job, it’s critical that you file a workers’ compensation claim. Whether your injury requires 30 days or months away from work, you may be eligible for coverage for medical expenses and lost wages.
Filing for workers’ compensation benefits in California isn’t an easy task. That’s why you need an attorney on your side who knows how the workers’ compensation system works. Contact McLaughlin & Sanchez today to get started.