Tourism and Hospitality Management of Health and Safety

Tourism and Hospitality Operation Management

Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………3

Health and safety issues in business………………………………………………………………….3

Health and safety at workplace….…………………………………………………………………….3

Hazards in a restaurant…………………………………………………………………………………….4

How issues can be managed?…………………………………………………………………..6

References……………………………………………………………………………………………………….8

Appendix………………………………………………………………………………………………………….8

Introduction

The meaning of health and safety in the Cambridge Dictionary that is ‘the laws, rules, and principles that are intended to keep people safe from injury or disease at work and in public places’ and that is a really good definition. That is why the health and safety laws are based on different principles that can save people’s lives. There are many health and safety responsibilities in small, medium or large business to protect employees, customers, visitors and even the business at all. That is why it is so important for the tourism and hospitality industry and for types of businesses such as hotels, restaurants, different events, transport and so on. Moreover, there are different health and safety issues at the workplace which are essential for good business.

Health and safety issues in business

In general, for the employer is essential to take the right precautions to reduce the risks of workplace dangers and provide a safe working environment. To spot the future accidents at the workplace, employers need to assess the risk. Starting with finding hazards, thinking who might be harmed and how, how accidents could happen and to categorize it upon the potential harm or adverse health effect. Identifying the risk ones, employers need to control it to reduce this risk.

The business at all has so many benefits of good health and safety laws and practices. It could avoid the employee’s illnesses, diseases, and accidents. For example, injuries can lead to the companies’ losses and that is not helpful for it. That is why it is so important to prevent this types of issues. Because as Maguire says ‘it is far better not to have to wait for an accident to occur in order to prevent any similar ones happening’ (2006, p.1).

This proves that for the tourism and hospitality industry health and safety are vital. Not only for visitors safe but also for the staff. Due to the fact that in the few decades’ problems with terrorist acts, local wars and natural disasters have an influence on tourism. (Kovari et al., 2011)

Health and Safety at the workplace

Health and safety management is important for people in the workplace. According to Hughes (2016, p.4-7), there are three reasons for good management which are moral, legal and financial. The first reason is about accidents and all types of illness such as infections, musculoskeletal and skin disasters, stress, and anxiety. Legal reasons are the employer’s duties which are related to the law (Health and Safety Executive). For instance, training and information for the stuff and the right workplace facilities. The financial reason is the costs of an accident or another issue. And there are several benefits of good health and safety at work such as protection to the staff, a good reputation of the business and increase the productivity of people.

The graphs below show the new and long-standing causes of work-related and the working days lost by type of ill health at work in 2017/2018. The biggest percentage is for stress, depression or anxiety after that are musculoskeletal disasters. The statistics illustrate that how important for the business is and how business depends on the employee’s health.

Hazards in a restaurant 

Pubs, restaurants, cafes, hotels and other similar businesses are related to tourism, hospitality and catering industry. There are several health and safety issues in this kind of businesses and according to HSE statistics, the most common accidents are with slips, trips, and falls; lifting, manual handling, and upper limb disorders; contact with hot surfaces and harmful substances; dermatitis; cuts from knives. There are more which can be harmful to the staff and customers too. Analyzing hazards at the workplace can illustrate the significance of the health and safety management at work and how can helps the business and the industry.

In the hospitality industry, there are so many injuries that happened because of the slips, trips and falls. One of the main causes of a fall in a restaurant can be a food or water spillage. Other causes can be an overflowing sink or a leak, the poor floor condition, boxes, bags, cables and other obstacles lying around the floor. Staff may also have serious injuries if they fall from any height. The graph below is about a non-fatal injury to employees in the UK in 2017-2018. The data shows that 31% of work injuries are from slips, trips, and falls. 

Cuts, punctures or lacerations are common in this industry. Every job has his own issues with that problem. In this business like this most of the injuries are for knives, cutting equipment or broken plates and glasses not only in the kitchen but also behind the bar or around the tables in the dining room.

Lifting and carrying heavy items or pushing and pulling can be a major source of back pain. In the restaurant, there are many tasks that can cause back pain or upper limb injuries. For instance, overloaded serving trays, heavy kegs, and other bulk products for the bar and kitchens.

Many different clearing chemicals are used in the restaurants for floor cleaning, kitchen equipment, toilets, disinfectants, washing-up liquids etc. Many cleaning substances are hazardous because they are corrosive and can cause skin and eye burns or other skin irritations and breathing problems.

These kinds of problems is a skin disease often on hands of people. Dermatitis is one of the main causes of ill health for catering staff. Skin problems are caused or made by coming into contact with harmful substances, and also through having wet hands for long periods.

Staff and customers may suffer stress and physical injuries from other aggressive customers. In the restaurant may have a risk injury from fire and explosion if gas or another equipment is not properly maintained and used. Staff and customers also could get electric shocks from faulty or damaged electrical equipment. Noise at the workplace may be harmful too. Good air-condition in the restaurant is necessary because of the fumes and heat in the kitchen. Ventilation is required for a safe and comfortable working environment.

How hazards can be managed?

Because of the hazards listed above the risk of health issue at work increase. The combination of law and good management can minimize the risk of problems at the workplace. There are different regulations in the restaurant industry based on the law for health and safety at work. Actually, this is the health and safety information for employees and this must be presented to them in some different ways. In fact, ‘Health and safety at work law place a duty on employers to ensure the health as well as the safety of their employees’ (HSE Books, p.43). Employees need to be aware of the health and safety policy at the workplace.

Safety signs in the restaurant

One of the things that can be helpful to reduce the risks in the workplace must be the signs that can remind the hazards. For instance, for clean emergency exit, or risk of falls, how to use the equipment, the electrical hazards and much more.

One of the requirements of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulation 1998 is the training. In the restaurant business, it is important for the employer to provides good training for the new employees. It is not only for the new staff but also when there are some job conditions. It must be needed for a personal responsibility, new rules and regulations, fire and emergency procedures and many other health and safety aspects. According to Hold (2000, p.111) training can also be first aid, job-specific, driver training, fire or reinforcement training.

Job-specific training can be provided for the new members, too. This can include work with the specific equipment, learning skills, responsibilities and duties for the job. For example, for a bartender, this training can start with safety working with the bartender equipment, how to work carefully, to avoid cuts or burns and how to clean the workplace and equipment without injuries. This training can also prevent overexertion from the waiters/waitress because of the heavy trays.

Every organization and business need to have a Health and Safety policy which can include the rules and responsibilities at work. The rules must be for the cleaning, serving, delivery, cooking. This is necessary to prevent various accidents at work some of them listed above.

Rules about the cleaning can provide many accidents of slips and falls. Cleaning floors from water and food as soon as possible or if it is not in the moment ‘Wet floor’ signs can be helpful. Stairs and floors and stairs in a restaurant need to be clear of boxes or other objects to be easy to walk around. Employers can provide comfortable shoes or to require workers to wear the right shoes. Gloves when working at the catering industry can be another obligation. This can prevent employees from cuts, broken objects sometimes from burns and dermatitis. In some cases, people are exposed to substances that have a potential damage to their health. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1999 controls it. ‘Duties are imposed on employers for the protection of employees who may be exposed to substances hazardous to health at work’ (Holt, 2000). Communication can reduce stress at work. A good management can help people. If there is an emergency with an aggressive customer employee have to talk to the manager or supervisor to avoid a conflict.

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There is also law regulations about the gas, fire, first aid and noise at work. The law and these regulations are for people and for their safety at work. As Patel et al. (2018, p.6) explain ‘Accidents reduction techniques are also available needed to improve for safe working environment at site and its proper follow up is required.’ Moreover, for the good experience for customers in a restaurant, it is needed for a good business. To make that possible the first thing that the employer has to think about is peoples’ lives. And for the restaurant industry, the health and safety is vital not only about the customers but also for the staff to do their job properly and with ease.

References

Maguire, R. (2006), Safety Cases and safety reports, Meaning, Motivation, Management, ASHGATE, England

Kovari, I. & Zimanyi, K. (2011), Safety and Security in the Age of Global Tourism (The changing role and conception of Safety and Security in Tourism), Abstract: Applied Studies in Agribusiness and Commerce, AGRIBA, vol.5(3-4), p.60

Hughes, P. (2016), Introduction to Health and Safety at Work for the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety, 6th ed., London, England

HSE Books (Reprinted 2008), Successful Health and Safety Management, Sudbury HSE Books, c1997

Holt, Allan St. John. (2000) Principles of Health and Safety, 5th ed.(revised), Wigston: IOSH Services, Leicestershire, UK

Holt, Allan St. John. (2000) Principles of Health and Safety, 5th ed.(revised), Wigston: IOSH Services, Leicestershire, UK

Pethel, D., Sharma, N., Yadav, N., Rothod, H. (2018), ‘Recognition of Safety and Health Issues to Improve Safe Working Environment at Construction Projects’, Journal of Recent Activities in Infrastructural Science, 3(1), p.6

Appendix

https://www.visitbritain.org/business-advice/health-safety-work-act

http://www.hse.gov.uk/catering/getting-started.htm

https://www.ok.gov/odol/documents/C-CAP_Safety_Info_Sheet.pdf

Fig.1 http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh1718.pdf

Fig.2 http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overall/hssh1718.pdf

Fig.3 https://www.kpcmhealthandsafetysigns.com/