Working in restaurants comes with risks. Statistics from 2019 reveal that over 93,000 nonfatal injuries occurred in food service that year. There are several common injuries that a food service worker in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, may experience.
Types of restaurant injuries
A common type of injury in food service is repetitive strain injury, which is gradual damage to muscles and tendons. An example is carpel tunnel syndrome, an injury that affects the wrist from repeat motions, such as from working a cash register.
The restaurant industry accounts for one-third of job-related burns with estimates around 12,000 annually. The causes of most burns are hot stoves, splattering from liquids, steam, deep fryers and boiling water. Wet surfaces, such as from recently mopped floors and spilled liquid, may create a slipping hazard, potentially causing bone fractures.
Working with sharp tools, such as graters and knives, increases the risk of lacerations and cuts in food service. Some other injury risks include eye burns, sprains from improper lifting, hearing loss and toxic exposure.
Injury compensation in the food service injury
Workers’ comp is an employer-based program that may provide injured workers with medical coverage and a portion of their salary until they heal. In most states, restaurant owners must provide works’ comp coverage for medical costs and lost wages. The employee doesn’t have to prove negligence on the owner’s part to receive benefits, but the injury must meet the requirements.
If the employee can still work but not at the same job, they may apply for temporary disability. Another way to get compensation is through a third-party claim if someone else caused the injury. For example, an employee running errands could hold a property owner liable for a fall or file suit against a manufacturer for a defective product injury.
It is possible to get workers’ compensation and third-party compensation at the same time. However, the statutes of limitation place a three-year time limit on filing claims. Learning more about workers’ comp can help an injured food service worker get the benefits they are entitled to under the law.
