Occupational risks in the hospitality and restaurant sector: what are they and what are the solutions?

“They are occupational hazards.” Who has never said or heard this expression used casually in the event of an occupational illness or after a workplace accident? Not only fatalistic, this type of statement seeks to downplay the consequences of occupational risks, which nevertheless have a direct impact on businesses, whose operations and profitability are affected by every accident. Because the health of a business also depends on the health of its employees, risk prevention should be addressed with all the importance it deserves.

Hospitality and restaurants are no exception to the rule. Occupational risks are a daily challenge that establishments must face in order to avoid a deterioration in the working atmosphere, a poor employer brand image and absenteeism issues in a sector that is also experiencing staff shortages.

But what are these risks and how can they be addressed? In this new post, we will list them and provide ways to overcome them.

What are the occupational risks in hospitality?

The hospitality sector records high average numbers of days off work due to workplace accidents and occupational illnesses. Its employees are exposed to undeniable occupational risks, namely:

• Chemical risks due to the use of irritating cleaning products, storage errors involving these products or a lack of employee training.
• Stress related to managing conflicts with customers, seasonal peaks in activity and imposed deadlines.
• Customer aggression.
• Back and joint pain due to awkward postures when maintaining rooms, repetitive movements, manual handling of loads or unsuitable equipment.
• Same-level falls due to slippery or dirty floors, cluttered storage and circulation areas, or time pressure.
• Falls from height or on stairs due to a lack of equipment for carrying out tasks at height, or the presence of level differences or stairs without handrails or with steps lacking non-slip coverings.
• Falling poorly stored objects
• Electrical risk

What are the occupational risks in restaurants?

In a sector where, according to figures from the French Health Insurance (Ameli) (updated in March 2024), 36% of accidents are related to manual handling and 41% are due to falls, here are the main occupational risks to be identified:

• Same-level falls due to cluttered storage and circulation areas, insufficient lighting, time pressure caused by the “rush” during service, or damp floors made slippery by dirt or spilled liquids.
• Falls on stairs because they are unsecured, without handrails or with steps lacking non-slip coverings.
• Falling poorly stored objects.
• Cuts resulting from handling poorly maintained or poorly stored knives, manually drying glasses or insufficient staff training.
• Back and joint pain due to awkward postures caused by unsuitable workstations and a lack of manual handling aids.
• Burns: splashes of liquids, contact with hot dishes or utensils.

French legislation and occupational risks

As stated in Articles L4121-1 and following of the French Labour Code, the employer is responsible for ensuring the safety and physical and mental health of employees. They must therefore adopt the necessary measures to do so, including prevention, information and training initiatives, as well as implementing appropriate organisation and resources. To achieve this, they must assess the occupational risks to which employees are exposed and record them in the single occupational risk assessment document (DUERP).

How can you act to reduce or avoid occupational risks?

Every employer must act in accordance with the following nine general principles:

• Every risk must be avoided by eliminating the hazard or exposure to the hazard.
• Risks must be assessed in order to prioritise the preventive actions to be taken.
• Risks must be tackled at source.
• Work must be adapted to the employee (including workstation design, work equipment, and work and production methods) in order to reduce its effects on health.
• The current state of technical development must be taken into account.
• Anything dangerous must be replaced by something that is not dangerous or is less dangerous.
• Prevention measures must be planned by integrating technical aspects, organisation and working conditions.
• Collective protection measures must be applied as a priority. If they are insufficient, individual protection measures must also be taken. These include wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Appropriate training and information must be provided to workers.

If, after assessing the occupational risks present in your business, you are looking for PPE, we invite you to contact our team of Shoes For Crews experts. As a manufacturer of non-slip work shoes, we will be able to make a tailored proposal for your business.