Chefs are exposed to a whole host of dangers while they're busy preparing the best possible food for their diners. That's just what the restaurant environment brings, especially since most of these hazards aren't visible and can occur when least expected. Despite that, you can (and should) play an important role in keeping your staff safe. Here's why you need to invest in safety shoes for kitchen staff this year.
Why Safe Footwear is a Necessity
The Health and Safety Executive regularly provides statistics on workplace accidents. They revealed that slips, trips and falls are the most common workplace accident. When you consider exactly what happens in a kitchen, such as liquids falling onto the floor, this is something that should seriously concern you and encourage you to take necessary measures to prevent these costly accidents from happening.
To understand the importance of the situation, 43% of serious injuries are a result of slips, trips and falls at work. Not only does this mean the health of your employees is at serious risk without the right footwear (which can fall on your shoulders), but this can also be damaging to businesses and profits.
With safe footwear in place that you provide, these statistics can decrease and eliminates many dangers your employees face on a daily basis.
Why Employees Shouldn't Bring Their Own Footwear
Despite your employees potentially feeling micro-managed, communicating the reasons for the change in footwear can eliminate multiple issues. This is because they will be more understanding when they realise you're taking their working conditions and safety into account.
Their personal footwear might not be safe or they might not even look smart to fit in with uniform regulations. In most cases, your employees might not even be aware of how safe or unsafe they are, so don't let them put themselves in more danger by overlooking their footwear.
Along with this, footwear they source themselves might be constructed from poor quality materials. This means that the shoes are very unsafe as they can quickly deteriorate and might not have elements that keep their feet safe, such as materials to repel hot liquid during spills or having no slip-resistant features. By investing in safer options yourself, you're reducing these risks.
Why Investing in Safe Footwear Isn't Overkill
Overkill in a restaurant is more along the lines of monitoring your employees' every move, counting their break minutes down to the second or hovering over their shoulders to make sure they're doing their job right, which shows that you don't trust them.
Safe footwear, though, is there to help them and not hinder their comfort, safety and productivity.
According to Eurostat, the regulatory body that provides statistics on EU countries, there were over three million reportable accidents in the EU in 2014. When you consider that figure, investing in the safest footwear possible for your employees doesn't seem like much of an overkill in comparison to what end results could be.
It's forward-thinking and planning which they'll appreciate.
Why Safe Footwear Isn't Expensive
Saving money is something that benefits both you and your kitchen staff. By taking all of the above into account and communicating it to them, you can also explain how they'll be saving a lot of money by not having to continuously purchase new pairs because they're no longer usable or even because they've been ruined.
Instead, they'll have one, stylish pair which is made from the best materials that keep them safe and will remain in good condition. For you, it's all about eliminating the risk of hazards which can keep employees off work. Without them, there will be nobody to operate in the kitchen. With no food going out, guests won't be returning, so the investment is cheaper than risking injuries.
While investment is needed to buy the footwear, the costs are still lower than what the outcomes of injuries and days off work can be.
Why Investing in Safe Footwear Isn't a Hassle
By doing enough research and giving employees the freedom to choose from relevant styles, there won't be any backlash or negativity as the kitchen staff will be pleased that their input was taken on board.
You're able to simply purchase the footwear, provide them to your staff and let them take over by maintaining the shoes and wearing them during every shift. Plus, simply investing in safe footwear is a lot less hassle than dealing with days off work, especially since 4.5 million working days are lost due to workplace injuries.
Pick The Safest Shoes in the Industry
There's no need to compromise the safety of your kitchen staff because of a lack of options. With SHOES FOR CREWS (Europe) Ltd., that's never the case. Wearing our slip-resistant footwear will reduce the risk of slips, trips and falls - the most common workplace accident - getting you and your kitchen staff home safely.
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