Food-service workers perform various tasks, ranging from food preparation to delivery to serving the food in restaurants. They are vital workers who keep the food supply running, but they are also at serious risk of injury when they are not adequately protected from harm while on the job. In California and throughout the U.S., food service workers face risks to their health and safety from many different hazards.
Like in any other industry, food-service workers may be able to seek financial relief when they’re harmed in a workplace accident. A serious injury can potentially prevent the worker from performing their job task and earning their income, threatening their livelihood. Workers of all industries who have sustained harm through a workplace accident can investigate their rights for compensation and find help from a skilled workers’ comp lawyer.
The various tasks that food-service workers spend their day doing can potentially lead to serious injury if the necessary precautions and training are not done thoroughly. Some of the most common injuries a food-service work may sustain include:
Food-service workers spend most of their time on their feet and often carrying heavy loads. The quick movements and continuous changing of their position while rushing from place to place with a heavy cart, tray, and other loads can lead to a sprained ankle. A sprain results from your joints moving the wrong way and stretching or even tearing ligaments.
Strains are caused when you twist or pull a part of your body too far, causing the tendons to stretch or break. Tendons are the muscles that connect your bones to your larger muscles, and they are easy to tear because they are not very elastic.
Kitchen staff are surrounded by heat from the stoves, fryers, open flames, and more. This type of environment can quickly become dangerous if the staff isn’t given proper equipment or is working with faulty appliances. However, it’s not just the kitchen staff at risk for burns. The servers are also at risk of burns. They constantly carry hot plates and food they have to transport from the kitchen to the table. Without the proper equipment, hot food can severely burn a server.
People who work in the food-service industry are constantly handling liquids. Workers are constantly handling sauces, soda, water, condiments, and all kinds of liquids. Slipping because of a spilled liquid can have severe consequences. A hard fall or slip can cause nerve damage, bone fractures, and even head trauma.
Sharp surfaces are everywhere on any given day for restaurant workers. Workers are constantly managing knives or broken glass. People handling sharp objects are responsible for being safe and smart, but management is also responsible for caring for their staff and ensuring they are safe when handling sharp objects.
Working in a high-risk industry should not mean that your injuries should be dismissed under the assumption of risks. While employers and insurance adjusters may argue that certain hazards are inherent within the specific profession, that shouldn’t negate the fact that employers should have done everything possible to protect their employees from harm. However, they will likely argue this strategy in court, and it can be challenging to develop a counter-argument.
KCNS Law Group has years of experience helping injured workers in California protect their right to workers’ comp benefits. Our attorneys understand the tactics insurance adjusters and employers can use to try and limit their payout and will know how to build strong count-arguments to support your claim. When you work with KCNS Law Group, you can be confident that there’s someone in your corner to defend your rights.
You can consult one of our attorneys today by calling (818) 937-9255 or filling out our contact form.
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