Even in this COVID-19 era, there are many people who are more desperate than ever to follow through on their dreams of opening a business. With many communities actively supporting smaller businesses, it has become a great time for new restaurant owners to consider launching their business. But running a restaurant comes with a great deal of challenges and risks. Knowing how to handle your restaurant risk management can mean the difference between success and closing your business’s doors before they’re even open.
Restaurant Risk Management to Consider
Safe Workplace
One of the most important things a restaurant manager can do is to prevent injuries from happening in the first place. This begins with harnessing a safe working environment and cultivating a safe culture. Be aware that some of the top injuries that occur in restaurants are cuts, lacerations, and punctures. With this in mind, it’s important for you to consider how to minimize these risks. For example:
- Find the right kitchen layout for your restaurant. In small spaces, it’s easy for someone to cut their hand on a knife or bump into sharp objects.
- Train your kitchen staff on how to properly and safely handle knives and sharp equipment.
- Provide cut-resistant gloves to protect the hands and fingers, requiring cooks to use them.
- Place non-slip mats underneath cutting boards.
- Maintain an organized and clean workspace.
The kitchen is also a place that has a sizeable risk of burn injuries from ovens, stoves, fryers, and hot liquids. To minimize the risk of burns:
- Require employees to wear long pants, closed-toe shoes, and long sleeves.
- Keep the area near hot equipment away from flammable objects and clutter.
Another common injury in restaurants is sprains. Doing repetitive activities over a long period of time as well as lifting heavy boxes can cause muscle injuries.
- Ensure employees know 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 that they are easier to access.
Along with maintaining a safe working environment, your restaurant also needs to carry workers’ compensation. It is a legal requirement and is designed to protect you and your employees if they get hurt on the job.
Alcohol Incidents
If you are going to be serving alcohol at your establishment, you could be held liable if a drunk customer causes property damage or harm to themselves or other people. Even if the incident occurred outside of your business’s property, you could still be held responsible for the customer’s actions. When it comes to alcohol, it’s essential to have a sturdy risk management strategy.
- Make sure all drinkers in the restaurant are of the legal drinking age.
- Train bartenders to spot signs of intoxication.
- Have a policy against serving alcohol to patrons who are clearly intoxicated.
When your business serves alcohol, it is crucial to purchase liquor liability insurance. This aims to protect your business against financial losses in case one of your customers gets involved in an accident or damages property.
ABOUT RMS Insurance Brokerage, LLC
At RMS Insurance Brokerage, our expertly crafted policies are written specifically for the hospitality industry. We offer custom-tailored solutions to meet any venue’s specific needs. For more information, contact our knowledgeable experts today at (516) 742-8585.