Why is First Aid so important in the hospitality industry?
Having a well trained team of staff and a robust set of risk management and Health and Safety policies in place and adhered to, will ultimately make your restaurant a safe place to eat in and work at. However, regardless of how well you manage risk in your hospitality setting, your employees are going to experience cuts, burns and trips because, well, they’re human and they’re working in busy kitchens, meaning they come into daily contact with hazards such as sharp knives, hot oil and boiling water, which is where First Aid comes in.
Similarly, your front of house staff are working with the general public who may have allergies to be mindful of, and health conditions like diabetes which need careful monitoring. In short, sometimes, your employees and customers are going to need First Aid. So, deliver it well - it will make a difference.
So, what are the requirements you need to be aware of?
According to Health & Safety Regulations 1981, businesses are required to:
“Provide adequate and appropriate first aid equipment and facilities and people so your employees can be given immediate help if they are injured or taken ill at work.”
So, what does this look like? If you have five or more employees, this must take the form of a written Health & Safety policy which separately documents:
-
Risk assessments, which take into account any hazards or risks present
-
Fire safety
-
First aid
Surprisingly, there’s no obligation to provide first aid to anyone you don’t employ but, naturally, no responsible hospitality business would ever leave a customer without care, and the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) recommend that you make provision and have processes in place.
Other statutory requirements which must be in place include:
-
A named first aider who has been trained and has a certificate to evidence their training
-
A stocked first aid kit which is monitored by an appointed employee. This doesn’t have to be the named first aider mentioned above, but it may make sense for this person to carry out this role as they’ll know which items may need to be restocked. As a minimum, you’ll need one kit which takes into account the number of employees and customers on site at any one time. For larger businesses in multi-level premises, it may make sense to have one kit per floor.
-
If you have more than ten employees, you must, by law, have an accident book or have your own robust recording system in place
What common risks and hazards might you face?
The bottom line is the hospitality industry is about people - people you employ and the people who visit your venue. While you can take steps to reduce incidents, nothing and no one is infallible and accidents happen.
While in this article, we’re not going to tell you how to treat injuries, here are just some of the things which commonly result in people needing first aid.
Trips and falls
Whether you have beautiful stepped lawns, or work in a quaint building with uneven wooden floors, slips, trips and falls are one of the most common causes of injury in the hospitality industry. In these instances, you’re unlikely to be able to change the structure of your building or re-landscape your outside area, so what can you do to minimise the risk?
-
Have clear signage warning staff and guests to watch their step
-
Keep floors clean and dry
-
Keep clutter to a minimum in staff areas to prevent injury from falls
-
Ensure all staff know who the first aider is so that first aid can be provided as soon as possible
Choking
Another common risk faced by restaurant workers is when a customer chokes on their food. We know that choking can be impossible to predict, but you could take some preventative steps, such as making sure staff are warning customers if their food is hot - as this makes it less likely that they’ll put it in their mouth and suddenly gasp.
When serving food to children, remember that fruits such as grapes and strawberries can be a choking hazard, so it’s better to slice them into smaller pieces.
Burns and scalds
Minor scalds caused by liquids or steam from boiling water in pans, and burns received as a direct result of contact with hot surfaces, is also a common reason your employees will need to seek First Aid. By ‘minor’ we mean reddening of the skin which doesn’t cover more than 5% of your skin’s surface. You can measure what 5% looks like by looking at the palm of your hand which is roughly equal to 1%. If the skin is broken, or covers more than 5% of the surface, this counts as a serious burn and hospital treatment is needed.
While it’s difficult to prevent all risks, safe handling policies for your kitchens may remind staff to exercise extra care when lifting heavy pans or working hobs and ovens.
Cuts and bleeding
This is most likely to occur when staff are using a knife, or picking up glasses and plates. First Aid treatment will hopefully only require cleaning and a detectable blue plaster or bandage. Training in knife skills may be useful for new staff, and a training policy that all staff should be shown how to safely deal with cleaning up broken glass and crockery should help reduce this type of injury.
Food Poisoning
Poisoning, as a result of food that has not been cooked properly, is out of date or has become contaminated, can cause food poisoning. This can be a risk for everyone, but is particularly dangerous in young children and older people. Your restaurant’s storage and temperature checks play an important part in preventing food poisoning, so it’s imperative to make sure your employees receive training and updates on food safety standards.
First Aid restaurant training for front of house staff
Incidents that happen in the kitchen can happen to customers in your restaurant area and vice versa. However, it’s more likely that your front of house staff will have to provide first aid for medical emergencies such as:
-
Diabetic episodes
-
Anaphylaxis
-
Asthma `
The prevalence of allergies has increased enormously over the years, and it’s thought that around 44% of adults in the UK have some form of allergy. While all allergies should be taken seriously, food based allergens are perhaps the most likely for restaurant staff to play their part in managing. It’s imperative that staff - especially customer-facing staff - understand which questions to ask to ensure all customers have a safe and enjoyable visit to your restaurant.
This begins with training, so staff can learn more about the 14 main allergens, how to prevent cross contamination, how to administer step-by-step first aid, and provide the very best care to that customer while you’re waiting for emergency paramedics to arrive. It’s worth noting that anaphylaxis may, in some cases, lead to cardiac arrest which is why First Aid in the Hospitality Industry is so important. Your staff could save lives.
Staff wellbeing policies and other training to evolve with your needs
Sometimes, the right training can highlight things you didn’t even know you needed. Stress and anxiety are widely experienced by many people, but sometimes, feelings, thoughts and worries can stick around and impact an employee’s health and their ability to function properly both at home and in the workplace. This is why it’s so important to have training in place. By showing trusted employees how to provide early, effective interventions and signpost colleagues to sources of support, you can improve overall morale and productivity.
Why we don’t want you to give first aid in the workplace
As a training provider, we know this must sound strange but the last thing we want you to do is put your first aid training into practice. Allow us to explain…
First aid is only necessary when something you don’t want to happen happens, so the key message from us is that prevention through learning will reduce the risk of injury or illness to employees and customers.
Are you ready to book the right first aid training for your hospitality business?
Throughout this article, we’ve highlighted the importance of first aid training and the most common risks faced by restaurants. But, it’s important to note that not all restaurants are the same, and your risks and requirements ultimately depend on your premises, their location, the individuals who make up your team and the customers they help attract with their skills and experience.
If you’re ready to give your employees first aid knowledge and training to help care for themselves and others both at work and home, our training courses are available when you need them. If you’re interested in finding out how CPL Learning can support you towards creating a safer workplace, get in touch with us today.