Health and Safety

The hotel and catering industry is both large and diverse in character. It employs over two million full and part-time workers and embraces a wide range and scale of catering activities; from large scale food processing to individual cook to order catering. Health and safety statistics show that accident rates in the catering industry have continued to rise since the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) first came into force in 1986/87. Statistics show that the rate is high when compared with other parts of the services sector. Accidents give rise to unnecessary pain and suffering. They also place an enormous financial burden on the catering industry.

In addition to the worrying news about accident trends, the industry also needs to be aware of a range of health and safety legislation which came into force on 1 January 1993. H&S is an issue which the catering industry cannot afford to ignore. Every working day in Great Britain two people are killed and over 6000 are injured at work. The catering industry is a significant contributor to these statistics.

The main causes of accidents and ill health in the catering industry are related to slips, trips, and falls, lifting and manual handling, contact with hot surfaces and harmful substances, dermatitis, and work related upper limb disorders. Statistics have proven that it is mainly poor management practices that are responsible for these accidents which cause money, time, and effort. The number of major injuries within the hotel and catering industry has been rising and will likely continue to rise. Most of these accidents can be prevented with a combination of good management, better training and supervision.

Catering staff are as much at risk of accidents at work as factory workers. People who work in the hospitality industry face a number of significant workplace hazards such as back pain and back injuries, hearing damage, because bar staff can be exposed to very high levels of noise. Slips and trips, because kitchen and bar spills are sometimes not cleaned up quickly enough and burns from hot oil in fryers or steam. Cuts and bruises from knives and falling objects. The hospitality industry employs more than 125,000 young people, many of them on a casual basis. Because of their inexperience, young workers are more vulnerable to Health and Safety hazards.