Commercial kitchens are a notoriously dangerous environment. Where water, oil, and flames combine with noise, speed and people there is always the prospect of an accident happening. There are thousands of kitchens in the hospitality and catering industry in the UK, in restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels, and some engage a low paid workforce with high staff turnover. The challenge is to train all staff in safe practices so they are not a danger to themselves or colleagues, and to ensure that the working environment is as safe as it reasonably can be.
Dangers arising from a slippery kitchen floor
One particular danger, which causes the most accidents in the kitchen, is the slippery floor. All kinds of liquids and substances end up on the floor of a busy kitchen, but attention to safety and observing proper drills will greatly reduce the risk of kitchen workers slipping and suffering injury. A kitchen is a place of hard surfaces and edges, and busy kitchen workers will often be carrying hot or heavy items, so a slipping accident can sometimes rest in a serious injury. The Health and Safety Executive recognises the difference safety flooring can make, and has published guidelines for employers in how to make the floor surface of their kitchens low risk for slips.
Avoidable injuries in the kitchen
Another occupational hazard for chefs and kitchen workers is the risk of burns and cuts. Burns can be from the oven, hob or other hot surface or pot and pan. Cuts are common from use of the array of very sharp knives and slicing machines used in catering. Of course all chefs accept the risk of a scald, burn or cut from a moment of inattention, and nobody else will usually be to blame for that, but sometimes the lack of concentration is caused by fatigue from long hours (that perhaps breach the Working Time Directive). Other times the injury will be caused by the carelessness of a colleague, for which the employer will be liable, or a system failure which exposes the worker to a foreseeable risk.
Risks to front of house restaurant staff
Waiters and waitresses spend much of their time entering and leaving kitchens and there needs to be a safe system for them to collect trays, plates, food and drink and to pass between the kitchen and the front of house without collisions and slips. A surprisingly high number of establishments seem to have doors to the kitchen that open both ways but contain no window, so waiters can crash into each other.
Injuries occurring at factory stage
The food production industry is highly mechanised and often operates a factory model, where workers have a set task which is repeated endlessly, and with output targets to meet. Unless planned carefully, with appropriate variation and breaks, this work can cause repetitive strain injuries.
Osbornes has acted for very many chefs, waiters, pot washers and other kitchen workers. Unless the accident was caused by the injured person’s own carelessness the claim will usually be successful.
A recent case
Mrs B was one such client. She loved her job running a kitchen and spent most of her spare time looking after her disabled children. She suffered a nasty and entirely avoidable injury at work when the industrial dishwasher broke down and started leaking water onto the kitchen floor. She reported the problem but her employers failed to repair or replace it. As a result she continued to use it and mopped up the water as best she could, but a few days later there was a pool of water she had not noticed and she slipped on it, landing other elbow and suffering a bad fracture. As a result she needed surgery, was not able to work for months, and was left with a disability that meant she could no longer do the heavier work in the kitchen. She became depressed because she missed the job she so enjoyed and she was not able to look after her disabled son for the period of her own rehabilitation. Her employers admitted liability and she was compensated for the injury, her loss of earnings and for the psychological and domestic effect on her.
Accreditations







Latest Personal Injury News
Osbornes listed in The Times Best Law Firms 2021 Guide
Osbornes Law is delighted to be featured in The Times ‘Best Law Firms 2021’ guide for the third consecutive year. The 2021 guide has once again singled out the advice, […]
Read MoreInquest into Croydon tram crash adjourned due to COVID
The Senior Coroner for South London, Sarah Ormond-Walsh has adjourned the Croydon Tram Inquests, which were due to start on Monday 19 October. Coroner Sarah Ormond-Walshe said there was insufficient […]
Read MoreOsbornes partners with leading Brain Injury Charity to produce a new Q&A video series
Lights, Camera, Legal Advice! This week marks the launch of a new series of 16 legal advice videos with brain injury charity, Headway East London. The charity supports people affected […]
Read MoreCyclist whose career nearly ended following collision in London tells his story to the Evening Standard
As reported in the evening standard, a jewellery designer and maker to the stars had his career almost ended when an Uber driver ploughed into him and broke his hand. […]
Read MoreOsbornes Law joins legal panel of national road collision charity.
Osbornes is delighted to announce that the firm have joined the legal panel of the national charity for road crash victims, Roadpeace. The award winning personal injury department at Osbornes […]
Read MoreSenior lawyer to be promoted to partner while four become associates at Osbornes
London law firm Osbornes Law has announced that one of their Senior Catastrophic Injury Solicitors will become a partner in the latest round of promotions. Rob Aylott, who has 26 […]
Read MoreSenior Catastrophic Injury Solicitor Robert Aylott gains further APIL recognition
Rob Aylott, senior solicitor in the Personal Injury team has recently been confirmed as an APIL Accredited Fatal Accidents Specialist (AFAS). Already an APIL Senior Litigator Rob demonstrated to the […]
Read MoreOsbornes Law fundraiser for national brain injury charity #HatsforHeadway
Recently staff from Osbornes Law took part in #HatsforHeadway to support the fantastic work Headway do to help improve lives for those affected by brain injury. Headway is the UK-wide […]
Read MoreArt fair by victims of brain injury raises almost £5,000
An art fair featuring the work of people who have suffered brain injuries raised £4,814 for Headway East London and their talented artists who work from their art studio. Headway […]
Read MorePersonal Injury Solicitor takes on dual role
Blanca Diego Casas has recently gained dual qualification. She has qualified as a solicitor of the Senior Courts of England & Wales. This is in addition to her Spanish Abogada […]
Read More