The last thing a restaurant owner wants is to have to handle a restaurant emergency. Indeed, customer and workplace injuries are the Achilles heel for business owners all over the United States.
Albuquerque is a great city in which to be in the restaurant industry. However, it’s imperative to have a plan of action for the many possible emergencies that can occur in a restaurant kitchen. More importantly, it’s integral to your business to have a plan for emergency prevention to protect your patrons, staff, and your business. In this article, we’ll cover what you should do in certain emergencies, and even more, how to prevent them.
Implement a protocol to react to injuries in the kitchen.
Cooks are among the hardest working people in the restaurant industry and the most prone to kitchen injuries. They cook with hot grease, hot water, and over open flames, so they’re highly susceptible to burns. Not to mention, they also work with knives during food preparation.
If your cook cuts themself while chopping food, the first step is to get pressure on their wound. If it’s a minor cut, you should be able to care for it with a first aid kit. However, if it’s deep and bleeding badly, you need to get them to an emergency room as quickly as possible. It’s best to call the ambulance so they can apply appropriate first aid and the way to the ER.
As a business owner, you’re probably the first to arrive and the last to leave the restaurant kitchen. That means you need to know what to do if you injure yourself in your restaurant’s kitchen while working alone. After all, planning for the worst is the best way to prevent it from happening. So, imagine the worst possibilities, and prepare for them so you’ll be ready with a quick response.
Call contractors for electrical, plumbing, and HVAC emergencies.
Equipment malfunctions are almost a certainty in the restaurant business. Many restaurant owners try to fix these problems themselves, leaving their utilities and appliances worse off than before and costing themselves more money than calling a contractor would have been in the beginning.
If you have a clog in your sink or your gas stove isn’t lighting properly, don’t try to fix it yourself. Many on-the-job injuries occur when restaurant owners and workers try to make repairs beyond their level of expertise.
If you notice a leak in your dishwasher or you have a clogged sink, call a plumber rather than try to do it yourself. With due diligence, you can find top plumbers in Albuquerque with great reputations for customer service and doing good work.
Fire safety training is critical.
Kitchen fires are every restaurant owner’s worst nightmare. They can put an establishment out of business for months, years, and even permanently. Not to mention the injuries they can cause to staff and guests.
It’s important to offer fire safety training and have at least one trained person working at all times. If you provide incentives for fire safety training completion, you’ll have plenty of people willing to take on the responsibility.
The best way to handle kitchen emergencies is to take preventive measures. There will always be hazards in restaurants, but you can mitigate many of them through proper training and preparation. The safety of everyone in your establishment is your responsibility, so it’s a good idea to be proactive about occupational safety. As they say, hope for the best, and prepare for the worst. That way, even if the worst occurs, you and your staff will be ready to take the proper actions to ensure the health and safety of team members and guests.
