Working in catering and hospitality is not considered a ‘dangerous’ occupation – but four people working in the sector are injured every day as the result of a slip or trip.
During 2008/09 there were more than 1600 slips and trips within the catering industry, with more than 500 causing a major injury and just over 1000 leading to adsence from work for three days or more.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has launched the latest phase of its ‘Shattered Lives’ campaign in a bid to encourage managers to do more to stop them happening.
After attending a HSE workshop, cooks and catering managers at Solutions SK (a company of Stockport Council) had a presentation on slip and trip hazards and heard how risks could be reduced simply by changing the way they mopped.
Using two stages – mixing detergent to the correct amount with hot water and leaving it for a minute on the floor is more effective at removing grease than mopping it off immediately.
Peter Brown, HSE’s Head of the Division for Work, Environment, Radiation and Gas said:
Making improvements doesn’t need to cost the earth and we are encouraging people to visit the Shattered Lives website, where they will be able to get simple and cost effective solutions to help manage slips, trips and fall hazards in their workplace.”
