Running a restaurant comes with many challenges and risks. Many scenarios could be financially devastating for restaurants or and even force them to close their doors for good. Accidents are bound to happen so be sure to secure liability insurance for restaurants and have a concrete risk management plan in place to address the following common sources of risk.
Create a Safe Workplace
Prevent injuries from happening in the first place!
Punctures, cuts, and lacerations are common injuries for those working in a restaurant. To reduce the risk of cuts:
- Find the right kitchen layout for your restaurant.
- Train kitchen staff on how to properly handle knives and sharp equipment
- Provide cut-resistant gloves to protect hands and fingers
- Place non-slip mats under cutting boards
As you know, the kitchen is full of dangerous equipment that can easily cause burn injuries. To minimize the risks of burns:
- Require employees to wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and long sleeves.
- Keep the area near hot equipment free of clutter or debris to minimize the risk of someone bumping into stoves and ovens.
Repetitive activities over a long period of time as well as lifting heavy objects can cause muscle injuries. To protect employees against sprains and muscle strains:
- Show employees how to properly lift heavy objects, keeping the back secure
- Follow the suppliers’ height guidelines when stacking boxes
- Keep heavy objects on lower shelves so they’re easier to access
Slips, trips, and falls make up over 25 percent of all workplace injuries. Help prevent these incidences by:
- Regularly inspecting floors for wet spots or slick patches
- Have a frequent floor degreasing schedule for fryer and grill areas
- Keep a mop and bucket handy for quick clean-ups
- Require employees to wear closed-toe slip-resistant shoes
Take Food Poisoning & Allergies Seriously
An occurrence of food poisoning or an allergic reaction will severely damage your restaurant’s reputation.
Reduce food and allergy incidents by:
- Training employees on how to handle food properly
- Ensuring employees wash their hands frequently
- Keeping the kitchen area clean and organized to avoid cross-contamination
- Properly design your menu and make sure it clearly states which items might contain common allergens, like eggs, dairy, and nuts.
Liability insurance for restaurants can cover the costs associated with food poisoning claims.
Be Mindful of Alcohol-Related Incidents
If you serve alcoholic beverages, your restaurant may be held liable if an intoxicated customer causes property damage or harm to themselves or other people (even if the incident happened outside your business’ property).
To avoid any alcohol-related incidents be sure to:
- Comply with your state’s standards on the server training required for bartenders
- Make sure that all drinkers in the restaurant are of legal age
- Train bartenders to spot the signs of intoxication
- Have a policy against serving alcohol to patrons who are clearly drunk
Don’t Discount Cyber-Related Attacks
Restaurants may seem like an unlikely target for cybercriminals, but just like many other businesses, restaurants store a lot of information that is vulnerable to hackers, such as employee payroll information and customer credit card details.
Protect employee and customer information with the following:
- Create a system of managing all documents and records including contracts, receipts, billing statements, etc.
- Use a cloud-based POS system to ensure all your information is backed-up and secure.
- Provide access to sensitive information only to the appropriate people.
About Bozzuto & Co. Insurance Services, Inc.
Bozzuto & Company Insurance Services has provided business and personal insurance solutions to clients throughout California since its founding in 1981. Our experienced staff understands the unique needs that each person has when insuring their lives and their businesses, and we pride ourselves on our deeply personal customer service. We are happy to help you through every step of the insurance selection process. Contact us today at (800) 400-6394 to learn more about what we can do for you.
FOLLOW US:
