Health & Safety in Hotels & Public Houses

The hospitality industry covers people working in hotels, restaurants, cafes, fast food outlets, pubs and clubs.

Accident statistics show that the main risk areas for this industry are caused by slips and trips and manual handling accidents. The main cause of occupational ill heath is from work related contact dermatitis.

Slips and trips remain the single most common cause of major injury in UK workplaces. In 2006/07 the hospitality industry had 558 major accidents caused by slips and trips. The occupations most affected were kitchen assistants, chefs, and waiting staff.

Work-related contact dermatitis is a skin disease caused by work. It is often called eczema and develops when the skin’s barrier layer is damaged. This leads to redness, itching, swelling, blistering, flaking and cracking. The most susceptible parts of the body are the hands, followed by the forearms and face. It can be severe enough to keep you off work or even force you to change jobs.