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Chapter 5: The 4 segments of the Hospitality industry in Ergonomics

Learning Objective:
 Discuss the segment of the hospitality industry in Ergonomics
 Cite the industry in ergonomics
 Assess the students at the end of lesson

What are the 4 segments of the Hospitality industry?

While many business niches are composed of only a handful of different
businesses, the hospitality industry applies to nearly any company that deals with
customer satisfaction and is focused on meeting leisurely needs rather than basic
ones.
With the broadness of this industry, some defining aspects are important to
understanding. The hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within service
industry that includes lodging, event planning, theme parks, transportation, cruise
line, and additional fields within the tourism industry.

A hospitality unit such as a restaurant, hotel, or an amusement park consists of

units such as facility maintenance and direct operations (servers, housekeepers,
porters, kitchen workers, bartenders, management, marketing, and human
resources, etc.).

The hospitality industry is a multibillion-dollar industry that depends on the

availability of leisure time, disposable income, and complete customer
satisfaction. There are four segments of the hospitality industry: Food and
beverages, Travel and Tourism, lodging, and recreation.

1. Food and Beverages

The food and beverage sector which is professionally known by its initials as F&B
is the largest segment of the hospitality industry.

The F&B industry is estimated to provide 50% of all meals eaten in the US today.
It comprises of establishments primarily engaged in preparing meals, snacks, and
beverages for immediate consumption on and off the premises. When a
restaurant is part of a hotel, services it renders can enhance the guest experience
by providing excellent food and first-class customer service.
It can symbiotically function as part of other businesses, such as in bowling alleys
or movie theaters.

2. Travel and Tourism

Travel and tourism deal with services related to moving people from place to
place. Buses, cabs, planes, ships, trains and so on are all part of the travel
industry.

Leisure travel is when a person spends money on lodging, food, and recreation
while taking a vacation trip, and business travel is when a person travels for work

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and spends money on lodging and food. Some people also spend on recreation
while on a business travel.
The major function of the tourism is to encourage people to travel. When people
travel, either for business or leisure, they spend money on hospitality.

3. Lodging
Lodging means accommodation for a period or a place to sleep for one or more
nights. Fancy hotels, youth hostels, elder hostels, campgrounds, motels and other
businesses that provide a place for people to sleep overnight are all in the lodging
industry.
Lodging businesses markets to other market segments such as business
travelers, leisure travelers, long-stay travelers, budget travelers, and special
travelers like people working with the government, airlines, and military.

4. Recreation
Recreation is any activity that people do for rest, relaxation, and enjoyment. The
goal of recreation is to refresh a person's body and mind. Any business that
provides activities for rest, relaxation and enjoyment, to refresh a person's body
and mind is in the recreation business.
Entertainment businesses which provide shows such as movie or theater,
attractions which are places of special interest of visits such as zoos and
museums, spectator sports and participatory sports are all parts of the recreation
business.
https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4082318.html

Importance of Ergonomics
Tired of having a sore back, tight shoulders, tension headache and fatigue by the
end of the work day? Habits formed in our daily activities like staring at the
computer, cradling the phone, slouching in a chair or even just carrying groceries
can create painful body conditions. These conditions can be helped or prevented
by incorporating good ergonomic techniques into daily routines and work sites.
Ergonomics is helping to fit a job to the person. That job can be a task at work or
at home. Here are some suggestions to help improve posture and ergonomics for
your daily tasks.

1. Use good ergonomic practices in the office. Keep your body in alignment
while sitting in an office chair. Sit up straight in your chair. Keeping your
shoulders and hips in line vertically.
Adjust your chair to have your feet on the floor, thighs horizontal, arms even with
the height of the desk and good lumbar support. Use a foot rest as needed, and
arm rests should be adjustable to allow shoulders to relax. When typing,
arms/wrists should not rest on arm rests or wrist rests. Keep monitor at eye level
with good lighting.

2. Keep your body in alignment while standing. Distribute your body weight
evenly to front, back and sides of feet. Focus on holding your stomach
muscles in.

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3. Follow the 20-20-20 rule. Every 20 minutes, look 20 feet away from your
computer screen for 20 seconds.

4. Get up and move with ―mini‖ breaks every 30 minutes. Stretch, stand or
walk. Sitting too long leads to slouching and poor posture, putting extra
pressure on your neck and back. Adjust positions to get out of your
traditional sitting at your desk mode.

5. Increase your awareness of posture and ergonomics in everyday settings.

Be mindful when you are lifting, sitting, preforming repetitive motions and
working in awkward body positions. Practice safe body postures. Use your
legs for lifting, bending your knees rather than your back.

6. Do regular exercise to help promote good posture and prevent injury.

Walking, biking and swimming are good low impact exercises. Move,
move, move! Incorporate movement into your daily schedule by parking far
away from buildings and taking the stairs rather than the elevator.

7. Maintain overall relaxed posture in head, neck, shoulders and back.

Clenching muscles can lead to stiffness and tightness causing increased
pain and limited movements overall.
Incorporating ergonomics and lifestyle changes into your workplace and life can
increase productivity, decrease fatigue and decrease muscle soreness. If your
injury or pain keeps you from functioning and enjoying everyday life at work, home
or during leisure activities, ask your doctor if rehab services may be right for you.
https://www.bvhealthsystem.org/expert-health-articles/the-importance-of-ergonomics

TIPS to Prevent Awkward Postures You may not feel pain or discomfort
when in risky postures, but the potential for injury is still present.
Be aware of your posture when you work. Your posture depends on:
 The height of the work surface
 Where materials are stored
 Space available in your work area
 How you organize your work area
 How you position your body
• How you hold objects To reduce your risk of injury, PRACTICE THESE TIPS . . .
Example of awkward wrist, elbow, and shoulder posture Many of the ways we
work – such as lifting, reaching, or repeating the same movements – may strain
our bodies and lead to injuries.

Ergonomics prevents these types of injuries by fitting the job to the person using
proper equipment and work practices.
This results in the safest way to work and prevents workplace injuries. The high
number of sprains and strains (musculoskeletal injuries — MSIs) in the hospitality
industry concerns employers, workers, and WorkSafeBC.

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Employers must provide equipment and establish safe work practices to reduce
the risks of sprains and strains (MSI).

Employers must also instruct workers in these safe work practices. Workers must
follow employers’ instructions to protect themselves.

Working together, employers and workers can prevent many sprain and strain
type injuries (MSIs).

Risk Factors Many jobs have risks that can lead to sprain and strain injuries
(MSIs). If we are aware of the risk factors, we may be able to change how we do
our jobs and prevent injuries.

This pamphlet explains some of the risks of tending bar, and provides tips on work
practices to prevent injuries.

Prevention is the best policy. Our bodies function best in comfortable (neutral)
postures. Awkward body postures increase the stress on ligaments and joints.
This can lead to fatigue and discomfort and increase the risk of injury.
Awkward postures can happen when you:
o Reach above shoulder level
o Reach below knee level
o Reach across deep counters
o Twist to reach sideways Awkward postures for bar staff can occur when:
o Pouring
o Stocking the bar
o Reaching across the counter
o Accessing glasses or bottles on high shelves
o Use a step stool to reduce the distance you must reach when accessing
high shelves or cupboards.
o Store frequently used glasses and liquors between shoulder and hip height,
and close to where they are needed.
o When lifting, keep the load close to your body.
o Set up your work area so that frequently used items are kept close to your
body.
o Turn your feet to point at your work to prevent twisting your back.
o Keep your elbows close to your body when dispensing drinks.
https://alrichhospitalitystaffing.com/foremployees/workSafeBC_pdf/barstaff.pdf

Examples of Ergonomic Hazards in the Workplace

Common examples of ergonomic hazards in the workplace are easy to avoid, if
you know what to look for. Once you improve the ergonomics of your workplace
environment, you’ll boost worker well-being and safety.
What Is an Ergonomic Hazard in the Workplace?
Ergonomic practices address the intersection between people and the made
environment. The goal is to design and arrange space, objects, and systems so
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that the user experiences the safest, most natural, and most efficient movement
and body position possible.
An ergonomic hazard is any interaction with the made world that causes the user
discomfort or strain. There are three primary types of ergonomic hazards: objects,
environments, and systems that result in poor posture or unnatural,
uncomfortable, or awkward movements.
When you’re looking for ergonomic hazards in the workplace, consider
workstations and desks; all tools, equipment, and machinery workers use to do
their jobs; and the physical processes workers perform.
The Link Between Ergonomic Hazards in the Workplace and Safety
While no employer wants their workers to be uncomfortable, it’s important to
understand that ergonomics isn’t just about comfort; it’s directly linked to safety
and injury prevention. Poor ergonomics contributes to muscle strain, muscle
imbalances, and fatigue.
Many muscle strains result from performing the same motion over and over again.
These become repetitive stress injuries, which are some of the most common
workplace injuries. Ergonomics alone won’t eliminate this type of injury (even if
you do a movement correctly, if you do it too often, you’re bound to get tired or
overuse your muscles and connective tissue). However, proper ergonomics will
significantly reduce fatigue and strain.
Several common work activities pose repetitive stress ergonomic hazards.
Examples include typing and mousing, which can result in carpal tunnel
syndrome.
According to Nolo.com, other work-related actions that cause repetitive
stress injuries include:

 Overhead work
 Auto mechanical work
 Driving
 Stocking shelves
 Massaging clients
 Butchering
Poorly designed or maintained tools and equipment may require workers to
perform awkward movements or to contort their body in order to perform a task.
Repeated day after day, this causes excessive fatigue and may result in an injury.
Fatigue is another of the most common causes of workplace injuries.
A desk setup that contributes to poor posture will cause neck and back strain and
stress. According to Andrew Mohler, writing for Spine-health.com, ―The stress
from poor posture can lead to back pain by causing problems with your muscles,
discs, and joints.‖ This will eventually lead to injury.
These examples highlight that many issues associated with poor ergonomics
develop over time. Considering that we spend upwards of one-third our lives at

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work, proper ergonomics in the workplace is critical to long-term well-being and
injury prevention.
How to Prevent Ergonomic Hazards in the Workplace
Now that we are familiar with some examples of ergonomic hazards in the
workplace, we can get to the important work of preventing them.

The Work Environment

In a perfect world, every workstation and desk would be custom designed for the
person who is using it. But this is unrealistic. A better approach is to give your
workers the tools and education they need to make sure their work area fits them.
Include ergonomics as a topic to cover in safety moments. Hire an ergonomics
expert to give a presentation to your staff and work with employees one on one.
Provide workers with the resources they need to change elements of their
workspace that are causing problems.

Tools and Machines

Make sure all tools and machines are ergonomically designed. Go through your
entire tool and machine inventory and see where you can improve. You may be
surprised by how non-ergonomic some traditional designs are, and what better
alternatives exist.
Consider the humble utility knife. Slice® has taken this tool’s ergonomics to the
next level with the Ergo Pull™, featured on the Smart-Retracting Utility Knife.

Ergo Pull allows the user to pull and hold the slider back to keep the blade
exposed. This pulling moves in the same direction as the cut. The position of the
slider, when engaged, results in a solid, balanced grip with less rotational hand
strain. Traditional designs require the user to rotate their hand awkwardly.

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Not all employees are right handed. Asking lefties to use tools designed for their
non-dominant hand is sure to cause discomfort. Slice tools address this issue with
all tools, including all three utility knife models. If the blade is oriented for right-
handers, remove it, flip it around, and, ta da! You’ve got a tool for a lefty. Bonus:
this process doesn’t require any extra tools. Use this same process to change the
handedness on the Slice box cutters, pen cutters, and industrial knives.

Physical Processes
Be aware of the actions your workers must perform, and make sure each person
knows how to (and is able to) perform these actions correctly.
For example, warehouse workers move boxes. Be sure that yours know how to
lift, carry, and put down boxes correctly. This sounds like an overly simple safety
topic. However, some of the most common injuries are caused by improper lifting
technique.
This video covers 10 rules for proper lifting:
If you have a work environment where workers are asked to perform physical
processes, like assembly line work, be sure that they can perform every step
easily and comfortably.
What tasks do your workers perform? Have you taught them the best way to do
these tasks? Does the equipment they interact with allow for efficient, natural
movement?
Comfortable Employees Are Happier and Injury-Free
Safe, injury-free, comfortable employees are happy employees. Happy employees
are more productive, more efficient, and have fewer absences. Looking carefully
around your environment, identify examples of ergonomic hazards in the
workplace so you can prevent the issues associated with them and keep your
employees happy and healthy.
https://blog.sliceproducts.com/examples-of-ergonomic-hazards-in-the-workplace

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Hotel ergonomics: the essentials for staff welfare
When we talk about ergonomics, many will think of specially-designed desk
chairs, tilting computer screens or even non-conventional keyboards made with
user ability in mind. But ergonomic design and equipment isn’t just necessary for
people who sit at a desk all day.

In fact, in hotels, ergonomics can be the difference between happy, healthy staff
or a challenging and costly high turnover of employees – not to mention worker
compensation claims.

―The goal of ergonomics,‖ explains Pamela McCauley, Ph.D., CPE – an expert in

the field who has conducted studies on hospitality environments – ―is to reduce
occupational risk factors, prevent injuries, reduce the occurrence of slips, trips and
falls as well as reducing soft tissue injuries and musculoskeletal disorders caused
by sudden or sustained exposure to force, vibration, repetitive motion, and
awkward posture.

―It’s very important to make sure that you have workplaces and equipment
designed to reduce those risks.‖

What are the issues in hotels?

If repetitive tasks and physical strain are the ingredients for potential injury, hotels
can be a hotbed of problems.

Housekeeping – an essential department for the running of any property – sees a

large portion of the issues. A 2002 study published in the Journal of Public Health
Policy showed that more than 75% of San Francisco hotel employees reported
work-related pain or discomfort. That same year, the American Journal of
Industrial Medicine published another study which reported that 62% of all
housekeeping injuries were identified as musculoskeletal disorders, such as
tendinopathy and arthritis.

Since then, much has improved, but there is still a long way to go. According
to 2010 research, housekeeping staff are still the most at risk, with around five
times as many injuries found in housekeeping staff than other job, such as cook,
server or dishwasher. And in a 2017 Study of Orlando hotel workers, nearly a third
reported 'severe pain' in the upper back and lower back, and over a quarter
reported the same kind of pain in their neck, upper arms, elbows and ankles.

Significant costs can be saved if properties invest in the right equipment and
practices. Photo: credit to Target Catering Equipment
Finally, more recently, in a 2017 study conducted in Malaysia, over 50% hotel
housekeepers found both the linen cart and vacuum cleaner were too heavy or

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broken, making their job harder and the potential for injury more widespread.
Simple issues such as inadequate equipment are still causing serious harm to
employees today.

It’s not just housekeeping, though. There are issues in the kitchens, too. Carrying
heavy items, slipping on wet floors or even just repetitive stirring of a pot on a hot
stove can make working in a kitchen unpleasant and – at its most serious – a
health risk.

How can ergonomics help?

The real cost of these injuries goes well beyond dissatisfaction at work, though. Dr
McCauley says that significant costs can be saved if properties invest in the right
equipment and practices.

―For starters, [by investing in ergonomics] you reduce the amount of workers
compensation costs associated with injuries,‖ she says. ―You also can improve
your employee morale and productivity.‖

Practically, this means some processes may need to change. In housekeeping,

for example, a simple solution such as having two housekeepers working
together, alternating bedroom and bathroom duties when servicing guestrooms,
will effectively cut the repetition in half and it makes the process more efficient,
therefore saving money too. Buying mops and vacuum cleaners with ergonomic
handles can significantly reduce the impact of repetitive and excessive strain on
wrists.

In the kitchens, the actual physical layout is an important factor to consider, says
David Pedrette from Target Catering Equipment. ―You might think that you would
work off the basic triangle principle that is applied to domestic kitchen. But in a
commercial kitchen, you just don't have one person doing all the work.‖ A
crowded kitchen can present more risk, and logistical problems too. In larger
operations, for example, it’s essential that an executive head chef can see
everything everyone is doing. ―[They need] to be able to stand in one place and
look and see what everybody's doing so that you can conduct like a conductor of
an orchestra.‖

Keeping cool in the kitchen

Pedrette also explains that simple additions to common equipment can make a
huge impact. ―Say you want to fill a pot with water. What do you do? You pick it up
off the hob, carry it across the kitchen, you stick it in the kitchen sink, you turn the
tap on, fill it up, then you have to carry it across the kitchen, put it back on the
range. What's the simple answer? Put a tap on the cooker.‖

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The biggest problem in the kitchen, though, is heat. While this not only presents
physical health risks, it also creates stress in an already high-pressure
environment. ―If you take the heat out of the kitchen, it becomes a more calm and
collected,‖ explains Pedrette. ―So you have to look at the type of equipment you
put in there.‖

Target install induction hobs in order to reduce heat, and Pedrette says the impact
is wide-ranging: ―It means that you can focus your mind, and you can start to
produce far more efficiently and a higher quality of product.

Getting technical
There’s plenty of digital technology out there that can help with ergonomics too.
―One of the areas where hotels have done a very good job is probably inside the
check in area,‖ explains McCauley. ―As now we're starting to see tablet devices
that are used, so you don't have the staff having to engage a computer quite as
much as they previously did.‖

Virtual reality is playing its part too, with kitchen design tools like Kitchen Kraft that
offer VR walkthroughs of the space before you commit to installing. Plus, clever
cooking gadgets that offer temperature control, timers and remote control mean
chefs can cook overnight without being present. As with many ergonomic
implementations, this too saves time, stress and ultimately money.
https://partner.booking.com/en-gb/click-magazine/hotel-ergonomics-essentials-staff-welfare

Merging Ergonomics, Safety in Hospitality Industry

ASSE members offer tips on how to merge the ergonomics approach to safety
with the\r\ndelivery of quality guest service.

Tips on how to merge the ergonomics approach to safety with the delivery of
quality guest service were given by members of the American Society of Safety
Engineers (ASSE) during a panel presentation Friday at the 2001 Las Vegas
International Hotel and Restaurant Show in Las Vegas.

"We believe that ASSE has the safety professionals with expertise that can
enhance safety practices and support quality guest services by sharing key and
updated information on new ergonomic initiatives and much, much more all aimed
at preventing workplace injuries and fatalities," ASSE member and Las Vegas
MGM Grand Hotel''s Safety Director Tim Jones said. "We believe that safety
professionals can indeed bring value to the hospitality industry."

Four ASSE members presented different perspectives on ergonomics and the

hospitality industry during their Friday panel presentation.

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Jones discussed merging the ergonomics approach to safety with the delivery of
quality guest service. John Cheffer gave an overview of the history of the
ergonomics regulation and legislation, as well as share how the ergonomics
approach to safety can lead to injury reduction and affect insurance claims and
premiums.

Fay Feeney discussed how food and housekeeping services can utilize the
ergonomics approach to operating procedures, training, and tools.

Completing the panel was Rob Bee, who presented the Disney experience of
applying the ergonomics approach to practicing safety.
ASSE has been very active in the national debate on federal ergonomic standards
and plans to participate in the three upcoming public forums to be held by OSHA
next month.

ASSE officials believe that cutting edge occupational safety and health
management programs are a strong component of any business and positively
contribute to an organization’s bottom line profits.
https://www.ehstoday.com/archive/article/21912228/merging-ergonomics-safety-in-hospitality-industry

OSHA, Unions and Ergonomics in the Hospitality Industry; Ergonomic

OSHA focuses on housekeeper injuries

An article in the Houston Chronicle describes OSHA’s enforcement focus on the
hospitality industry. A study published in the American Journal of Industrial
Medicine (subscribers to The Ergonomics Report™ may access our review of this
research) found that hotel workers — especially housekeepers — Hispanic
housekeepers in particular — have higher rates of on-the-job injuries.
Housekeepers are prone to repetitive stress injuries from such continual
work as changing sheets, washing bathroom floors and vacuuming,
according to nine researchers who studied three years of government-
required accident logs at five union-represented hotels.
More surprising, however, is that Hispanic housekeepers had a
proportionally higher rate of injuries than non-Hispanic cleaners, according
to the study.
The research was funded by the union Unite Here, which represents
hospitality employees, but the problem also has captured the attention of the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

The Chronicle article goes on to explain that although OSHA doesn’t have a
standard that specifically addresses ergonomics-related injuries, it does have the
General Duty Clause at its disposal (subscribers to The Ergonomics Report™
may access Where Is OSHA Headed With Ergonomics?, which provides a
detailed review of OSHA’s emerging approach to ergonomics under the Obama
administration). The article also provides perspectives from the hospitality
industry, and from an injured worker.

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Since the study came out last year, hotel companies have been working on
new ways to reduce injuries, said Joe McInerney, president and CEO of the
American Hotel & Lodging Association in Washington. Some have added
extra employees so housekeepers don’t have to do heavy lifting.
Celia Alvarez … described overwhelming pain in her hands, shoulders, back
and knees as she pulled and tugged to change sheets, pillowcases and
bedcovers during her 19-year career as a hotel housekeeper in Long Beach,
Calif. She’s already had knee and shoulder surgery and has operations
scheduled on her lower back and hands.
Read the full article …

Multiple embarrassing OSHA citations: the next union organizing tactic?

That’s the headline of an article appearing in Lexology, a web publication serving
business lawyers. The author, Howard A. Mavity, refers specifically to the
Houston Chronicle article reviewed above:

A recent Houston Chronicle article posted on UNITE/HERE’s website

illustrates the next costly step in this "organization by harassment" strategy.
The May 12 article described the high rate of ergonomic injuries suffered by
hotel employees, especially housekeeping employees, and their
disproportionate impact on Hispanic workers.
The article relied on a UNITE/HERE study, which was in turn praised at the
April OSHA "Hispanic Workers Summit." That event morphed into an
unabashed organizers event where the message was, "a union will solve all
of your safety issues – especially if you are a Latino worker." If this not-so-
coincidental cooperation of OSHA and UNITE/HERE concerns you, your
instincts are sound.
Mavity shares some strong opinions about what he sees as unions’ use of
ergonomics as an organizing tactic:

Starting today, and continuing into the foreseeable future, you can count on
unions to use OSHA’s interest in ergonomic enforcement. That’s because as
many as 80% of workplace injuries fit into OSHA’s broad definition of
ergonomic or musculoskeletal disorders (MSD’s). Unions will undoubtedly
file multiple OSHA citations, which they will then use as effective campaign
issues to show employees that they need the union to protect them.

The article goes on to describe organizing tactics in detail, and provides

guidance to hospitality businesses regarding how they can protect themselves
from OSHA citations, as well as union organizing efforts. Accessing this article
requires registration on the lexology.com web site (free): Read the full article …
No matter how you feel about unions or corporations, defining a battle that uses
ergonomics as a focus is not likely to be good for the future of workplace
ergonomics, nor for the future of the ergonomics profession as a whole. In my
opinion, the more ergonomics is used as a safety related battle ground, the less
potential it has to improve human performance and well-being. Ultimately, when
used as a divisive political issue, ergonomics gets painted with a negative brush,

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and the significant value we can and should bring to companies gets lost in the
furor.

Ergonomics fuels unique guitar business

Enough of that serious stuff. Regular readers know that I have an interest in
musical instruments. I own an odd assortment of them, most of which I can’t play
at all, a couple of which I can produce sounds pleasant enough that you may not
be compelled to cover your ears (my wife may differ on that point). So, I was
interested to see this article in the irondequoitpost.com featuring a guy that says
he designs electric guitars with better ergonomics (I haven’t seen one, so can’t
really judge).

Irondequoit, N.Y. — Combining art with ergonomics, Greg Bogoshian designs and
crafts custom-made guitars in his Irondequoit home.

Bogoshian, a 37-year veteran at Xerox, works in engineering design. His career

and love for music has helped him create Rock Beach Guitars, the custom-
making company he operates out of his basement workshop.

Bogoshian tweaked the typical guitar design, creating a body that will aid those
that may have back or shoulder problems, like himself. He has had four shoulder
and two back surgeries, which push him into pain when playing a store-bought
guitar. The curves in his guitar are made to be able to sit evenly on a person’s lap.

―You should never have to battle the guitar,‖ he said.

This also reminded me of a site I became aware of some years ago, Building the
Ergonomic Guitar — "Guitar Designs. Ergonomics. Guitar Making" — which is run
by Rob Irizarry (Rob posted a question in our Ergoweb Forums). I just visited the
site and am very impressed with the progress he’s made and the innovative
designs they showcase and discuss on this social site. If you’re at all interested in
guitars, this is definitely worth a visit.

https://ergoweb.com/osha-unions-and-ergonomics-in-the-hospitality-industry-ergonomic-guitars/

Health & safety in hospitality: The most common accidents

Those who are employed in hospitality and leisure will know what a tiring
sector it can be to work in. Whether public-facing or not, it can be very hands-on,
often with long hours in faced-paced environments. To some extent, under such
circumstances, the odd bump or bruise might be expected. However, if those
accidents are caused by employer’s failing to keep
staff safe, it’s not something you should be
tolerated.
The HSE states that the accommodation and food
services sector has a lower statistically significant
amount of work-related illness, but a higher
statistically significant work accident rate.
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Approximately 434,000 injuries caused up to seven days of absence in each
case in 2016/17 alone, it said. A further 175,000 caused a period of absence
over seven days.
So, what is causing this higher than average injury-rate? According to Boutique
Hotelier, the most common injuries in the hospitality sector are slips, trips and
falls.
Slips, trips and falls
The most common cause of non-fatal injuries, 29%, fall under this category.
This is hardly surprising, given the environment, with most hospitality venues
serving drinks, the likelihood of spillages is high, in addition to regular
deliveries, leading to increased chances of trip hazards. The problem arises
when the spills and trip hazards aren’t addresses immediately, turning the risk
into a cause.
This is when an accident becomes a work accident, as a failure to follow or
implement a process (i.e. the workplace is at fault for not having a necessary
routine to address the spill or trip hazard before an accident materialised).
Prevention:
Key elements of prevention of
slips, trips and falls include:

 Signs for slippery areas;

 Danger tape to highlight any
potential trip hazards, such as steps
or uneven flooring;
 Non-slip footwear;
 Signs to signal any recent
spills;
 Adequate lighting;
 A process in place that has spills tended to immediately.

Lifting/handling
Lifting/handling accidents account to 22% of all non-fatal injuries. These injuries
tend to revolve around muscle strains. Back pain, neck pain, arm pain, and leg
pain can all result of a lifting or handling injury and usually occur over a stretch
of time where workers are frequently handling heavy goods. However, it’s also
possible for injuries to occur from a one-off heavy item lifting situation.
Workplace’s are recommended to provide training for handling heavy goods, as
well as relevant lifting apparatus where needed.
Prevention:
Employees are often the best eyes and ears for potential risks!

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Prevention of lifting/handling injuries include:

 Training on how to lift heavy goods;

 Using apparatus to help lifting, where available
 Have a system in place for employees to report instances where they feel
lifting equipment should be in place for a task.

Struck by an object
Being struck by an object accounts for 10% of hospitality workplace injuries.
Such injuries can cause a varying degree of problems, from minor cuts and
bruises to more serious results like concussion or even blindness.
Items falling from a high shelf, moving loads with machinery, and dropping tools
are all common causes of these accidents.
Prevention:

 Make sure that any objects

that aren’t on ground level are secure;
Be sure that these items won’t be
easily knocked. Heavier items should
be stored near the ground, and lighter
items higher up. Self-standing items
should be secured or stable;
 When using machinery to
move loads, such as when operating
a pallet truck or trolley, stick to designated routes;
 Avoid working or moving under a moving load;
 Inspect lifting apparatus to ensure everything is working.

Fall from height

At 7% of all non-fatal workplace accidents, falling from a height covers falling
from ladders and scaffolding, or any other structure or platform that isn’t at
floor-level. Although falling from a height is the fourth most common non-fatal
work accident, they are the third highest contributor to fatal injuries, at 20%.
Health and Safety Executive conducted a study within the food and drinks
sector of 150 falls from height. The most common places to fall from where
ladders (40%), vehicles (17%), machinery (10%), platforms (10%), stairs (8%),
roof (7%), scaffold (4%), warehouse racking (4%).
Prevention:

 Where possible, control points and work should be designed to take place
on ground level where possible;
 Permanent safety features should be installed if working at a height is
frequent, such as steps or railings;

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 Minimize the risk of falling from a ladder climbing slowly, and avoid sudden
movements;
 Ensure the type of ladder or scaffolding is correct for the job at hand;
 Do not overreach when on a ladder or scaffolding.

Acts of violence
Accidents which occur as a result of violence account to 7% of accidents at
work. Generally, employees who deal with face-to-face roles are at risk of
violence, from customers or even other employees.
The injury caused by acts of violence can vary wildly, but that doesn’t mean
they cannot be prevented.
Prevention:

 Regular staff meetings can be effective in highlighting problems faced day-

to-day at work;
 Detailed records of previous incidents will help to identify patterns, causes,
and areas of concern;
 Physical security measures, such as CCTV and security locks;
 Wider counters can help protect staff in customer-facing roles.

Accidents happen, it’s a fact of life. But a workplace should have measures in
place to reduce the risk as much as feasible possible to protect its employees.
There has been a downward trend in self-reported workplace non-fatal injuries
in the lead up to 2010/11, but it hasn’t risen or dropped significantly in recent
years. With the right prevention methods, these common workplace accidents
can hopefully be prevented enough to see another decrease.

https://www.shponline.co.uk/leisure-and-entertainment/health-safety-in-hospitality-the-most-common-accidents/

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