ladder safety Archives - Atlanta Insurance

Restaurants are usually a frenzy of go, go, go as waiters take orders, cooks rush around preparing meals, and customers ask for extra pickles. With the high-pressure environment and near-constant multitasking, safety may sometimes take a backseat. But it’s essential to make safety a priority at your Atlanta restaurant – doing so can help you save money on your restaurant insurance (general liability, workers’ comp, and the like.) Safety helps everyone, employees and customers alike, avoid accidents. So here are our restaurant safety tips.

How safe is the food preparation area/kitchen of your restaurant?

The first area we’ll examine is the kitchen itself. Boiling water, sharp knives, slick floors…the kitchen is one rogue tomato slice falling on the floor away from a workers’ comp claim. Check out these tips – your kitchen staff will thank you.

Plan out the food prep areas so no one has to strain or overreach.
Train your staff on how to chop and dice so they can avoid stress injuries from the repetitive motion.
Provide uniforms, hairnets, and gloves as well as the right utensils to get the job done.
Make sure employers are wearing and using the approved tools and clothes.
Provide chairs, footrests, or stools if needed so your staff can avoid standing for too long.

Are your employees lifting safely?

You probably wouldn’t wish a thrown-out back on your worst enemy. Lifting light or heavy loads could cause strain or injury if not done properly. Arms, legs, back – there are a lot of things that could hurt. Try implementing these lifting rules at your restaurant so everyone knows how to lift loads properly.

Lift with your legs, not your back. That means you have to squat to lift the load.
Bring heavy loads close to the body. This helps with balance and reduces the chance of muscle strain.
Use tilt containers or get help when transporting fluids or heavy items.
Have your supervisors lead by example.

Will your employees (or guests) slip, trip, or fall?

Slips, trips, and falls are one of the leading causes of general liability claims. Guests could hold you legally liable if they get hurt on your premises. And if an employee gets hurt on the job, you’d have to file a workers’ comp claim. Check out these tips for preventing a slip, trip, or fall on your premises.

Make sure your staff is trained to mop up and clean spills ASAP.
Keep all walkways, the kitchen floor, supply room, and freezer clear of things that people could trip over. Provide clear paths and move obstacles out of the way – this is a restaurant, not an Olympic hurdling competition.
Enforce proper ladder safety and train your staff to use ladders safely.
Have your employees wear slip-resistant shoes.
Sweep and mop the kitchen floor each night.

Are you preventing cuts, burns, and lacerations?

The last thing you want is to hear a cry of pain coming from your kitchen. You don’t want to see any of your employees get hurt, so take these steps to prevent cuts and burns.

Teach safe cutting, slicing, and dicing and spend ample time training new employees.
Have refresher training for employees who have worked with you for a while.
Make sure everyone knows how to use the appliances safely.
Provide hand protection for cutting, slicing, dicing, and chopping food.
Don’t allow employees to wear loose clothing or long jewelry.
Set up a protocol for using hot cooking appliances, grease, and water.

Do you prevent kitchen fires at your restaurant?

Unfortunately, many restaurants have met their doom because of kitchen fires. There are many ways that a kitchen fire can start and get out of control. Since flames are probably not the decorative look you have in mind for your restaurant, use these tips to lessen the chances of fire.

Keep work areas clean and tidy.
Have functional fire extinguishers on-hand and readily accessible.
Train employees on how to use fire extinguishers.
Have a no-smoking policy and enforce it.
Create a fire-escape plan.
Practice said fire-escape plan by holding fire drills (they’re not just for school children.)
Teach all workers how to raise the alarm and call 911 in case of an emergency.
Regularly check and maintain all fire equipment (sprinklers, etc.)

Your restaurant is supposed to be a place for relaxing and enjoying delicious food. Yes, your employees might run around like crazy to make that happen for your guests, but don’t forget to make safety part of your day. It might be a lot to remember as everyone’s cooking, waiting tables, and sidestepping each other, but if you implement a little bit of teamwork and look out for each other, you can make safety a matter of routine and get lower restaurant insurance rates.

Looking to get a restaurant insurance quote in Atlanta? We can help with that. We’ll help you shop for the best possible rate for your restaurant insurance. All you have to do is fill out our quote form or give us a call today.

You and your coworkers might be super confident around ladders. You might use them all the time and scamper up and down without fear. But it’s important to remember that ladders, though they seem harmless enough, present risks to your safety. Falling from heights is always among the top ten causes of workplace injuries. To help you brush up on your ladder safety skills, become a pro, and avoid worker’s comp claims, we’ve come up with a dozen safety tips for you and your coworkers.

1. Wear the proper footwear.

It’s important that you wear nonslip shoes if you’re going to be climbing up and down ladders. If the soles of your shoes don’t have enough grip, you could find yourself in free fall before you even realize what happened.

Also, take the time to check the bottom of your shoes before going up. Mud, debris, or leaves stuck to your soles might cause your foot to slip. Clean your shoes off before climbing.

2. Always face the ladder when climbing up or down.

Always face the rungs when you’re going up or going down. This will help you keep your balance and have more security on the steps.

3. Take turns.

Only one person on the ride at a time, please. Ladders are only meant to hold one person. Adding a second person to the mix can throw off the balance and support, which might result in the ladder crashing down.

4. Watch the doors.

Don’t put a ladder near a door that could hit it if it opened suddenly. Make sure that all problem doors are locked or guarded if someone has to get on a ladder near a doorway. Also, don’t support or prop the ladder against a door – bad plan. If the door suddenly opened … well, no one wants to do a face plant, right?

5. Clear the area around the base of the ladder of items that could endanger the worker using it.

Make sure to keep the work area nice and tidy. Move anything that could cause a teammate harm out of the way.

6. Work in pairs.

There should be someone to hold the ladder to keep it steady whenever someone climbs. Don’t fly solo – employ the buddy system.

7. Never move the ladder while someone’s on it.

The ladder should only be moved when everyone has their feet safely on the ground. Seriously. Avoid the insurance claim and save money on your business insurance premiums.

8. Keep your center of gravity steady.

Balance is important when it comes to ladders. Your belt buckle should always be in the middle of the rungs to make sure that you’re centered and balanced. Don’t stretch or overreach over the side – you could lose your balance and make an unplanned descent to the ground.

9. Choose the right ladder for the job and set it up right.

Make sure that your ladder is the right size for the task at hand. The length of the ladder should be three feet over the roofline of the roofing surface if you’re doing roof work.

When you place the ladder against the wall or surface, it should make a 75˚ angle with the ground. You can use the 1:4 ratio trick to help you figure out if you’ve got the angle right. Place the base one foot back from the wall for every four feet of height from the ground to the place of contact.

10. Don’t step on the top rung or shelf.

The big “NOT A STEP” and “DO NOT STEP” signs are there for a reason. Don’t disobey the warnings. It might seem like you can balance on that top step, but it is definitely not worth the risk of falling.

11. Make sure the ladder is in good condition.

Never use a ladder that’s broken or in disrepair. Ladders that aren’t in tip-top shape can slip, break, or collapse while someone’s using them. And that would not be good. If you’re using an extension ladder, check all of the locks carefully and make sure they’re secure before using it.

12. Set up the ladder on a firm, solid surface.

Be sure to place the base on a steady, even surface so that it won’t wobble or slip.

13. Don’t leave a ladder set up and unattended.

When you’re done with the ladder, take it down and move it to a safe place. Don’t leave it propped up against a home or wall and walk away – that’s a general liability claim waiting to happen if someone gets hurt.

Ladders might not seem like the most dangerous of tools, but falls are a serious cause of injury among workers. It’s important not to skip the basic safety rules of using ladders on the job. Make sure everyone stays safe by training everyone in proper ladder use and enforcing safety skills in the workplace.

Need business insurance? We can help with that! We’ve got lots of experience helping business owners save money on their insurance rates – we can help you shop for your insurance. All you have to do to get started with your quotes is fill out our online form or give us a call today.

Save money on Atlanta restaurant insurance with these restaurant safety tips