Slips on Greasy Floors are the Main Cause of Injury in Commercial Kitchens

Copyright (c) 2011 Alison Withers

Injuries to staff from trips and slips in their workplaces cost companies in the UK around £512 million per year, according to the Health and Safety Executive.

Kitchen workers, both in commercial and in large institutions, are most vulnerable because of the nature and often the pace of the work and slips and trips account for the majority of injuries in the catering trade.

It is inevitable that steam and grease can be deposited in a large, busy kitchen but there are ways to minimise the risks in order to protect staff and avoid the disruption and costs to the business of a worker being absent recovering from a serious injury.

The focus has to be on adequate protective clothing and footwear, safe working methods and the construction and state of the floor and clutter-free pathways from one area to another.

Two case studies highlighted by the HSE illustrate what can happen.

In the first case study a 17 year-old was pressured into coming into work in a busy restaurant train earlier than the start of their shift because the restaurant was busy. There was no time to return home to collect work jacket and shoes and the worker was given a short-sleeved shirt and a pair of worn and badly-fitting shoes to wear during the shift.

Making matters worse the floor was greasy and the contaminated areas had been covered with cardboar. The worker tripped and, while trying to regain balance, slipped with the result that their arm plunged into a fryer unit, full of hot oil, causing severe burns to their arm, parts of the chest and neck.

The second accident involved a female employee of a high street retail chain's restaurant, who fractured her skull after slipping in the dishwashing area of the kitchen. She has been unable to return to work since the accident.

The floor's state, both its state of repair and the suitability of the surface, is a major consideration in a busy kitchen. But if replacing the floor is too costly there are several measures that can be taken to minimise the risk until replacement becomes affordable.

Kitchen steam contains dissolved grease, adding to the slipperiness when it comes to rest on surfaces, particularly the floor. Prevention measures include not letting things boil over and contaminate the floor, avoiding contaminating the floor with dry materials (like plastic bags or flour dust), as these materials can create a very slippery surface and choosing the timing of routine floor cleaning so that people are not put at risk and hygiene is not compromised.

Spillages should be cleaned up immediately and the floor should be dried after washing. Floors should be regularly inspected for holes, damage or unevenness that could cause case people to trip and walkways should always be kept clear of obstacles.

A regular kitchen deep clean carried out by a specialist commercial cleaner is also a worthwhile investment. No matter how thorough the kitchen's regular cleaning regime a certain amount of grease build-up cannot be avoided in a busy kitchen, especially in corners and around the feet of heavy equipment.

The frequency of kitchen deep cleaning depends on how busy the kitchen is and also the type of food being cooked, but ideally a thorough deep clean should be carried out at least once a year if not every six months.

It will also help to keep records of regular maintenance and cleaning done by a specialist cleaning company, if there ever is an accident in the kitchen, to demonstrate that attention has been paid to the health and safety of those working there.