head head head

hospitality

According to the HSE, catering workers are as much at risk of accidents at work as factory workers. Slips and trips, spillages, scalds and burns, confrontations with customers and hearing damage from noisy kitchens or loud music are all risks you need to think about.

  • Aren't hotels, bars and restaurants safe and healthy places to work?  more...
  • I am worried about being assaulted at work. How can I make sure I am safe?  more...
  • Who is responsible for policing health and safety in hotels, pubs and restaurants?  more...
  • Should my employer be protecting me from passive smoking?  more...
  • Can loud music damage my hearing?  more...
  • What is noise-induced hearing loss?  more...
  • What should my employer do to protect me from noise at work?  more...
  • What about slips and trips?  more...
  • How do I know that the catering equipment I use is safe?  more...
  • How do I know the cleaning products I use are safe?  more...
  • What kind of accidents should I report?  more...
  • What's the safest way to handle heavy loads?  more...
  • Who can I talk to about health and safety where I work?  more...

further information

The Health and Safety Executive website has a wide range of advice, information, case studies and news on health and safety issues in the catering and hospitality industries, including a list of free leaflets on relevant topics.

The HSE also produces leaflets for catering workers in several languages, including Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Greek, Turkish and Urdu. The leaflets are available online or from HSE Books, tel: 01787 881165.

Unison's Catering with Care guide will help safety reps and stewards tackle the health and safety concerns faced by catering staff.

USDAW's leaflets Keep your cool! Tackling heat stress at work, and Late-night working: Preventing violence to staff are available online. For more information on smoke-free workplaces and the law, see the following websites: Clearing the Air (Scotland); Smoking Ban Wales; Space to Breath for Northern Ireland; and Smoke Free England.

The Sound Advice website provides information and guidance on the control of noise at work in the entertainment industries, including pubs and clubs.

Action on Hearing Loss’s Don’t Lose the Music campaign has information on how to protect your hearing, including guidance for people working in pubs and clubs.