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Chapter 6: Ergonomic in Food Service Industry

Learning Objective
 Discuss the ergonomic in the Food Service Industry
 Cite the importance of ergonomic in the food service industry
 Assess the students at the end of the lesson

The Importance of Restaurant Ergonomics - How to Design for Safety

Restaurant kitchens are often confined and force chefs to stand for long periods of
time in almost static motions, causing discomfort and pain. For this reason, it‟s
important that restaurant ergonomics are considered. How can you design your
kitchen for safety, and how can you encourage staff to move in ways that will
minimize strain? Here is the importance of restaurant ergonomics - how to design
for safety.

How can I design a kitchen for safety

whilst maintaining efficiency?
 So, how can I design a kitchen for safety
too?
 Appropriate kitchen configuration
Ergonomics is the study of people
working efficiently inside a workspace.
For commercial kitchens that means
having both an ergonomic space itself,
and training ergonomic, efficient
movements within that space.

How can I design a kitchen for safety whilst maintaining efficiency?

Before you design your kitchen space, you need to know what menu items will be
prepared in your kitchen. For example, if you have many grilled foods, you will
need a large grill, and preparation area in front of it. You may need a large
garnishing station, but you wouldn‟t need a big bank of ovens. As another
example, if you are a sushi restaurant, then refrigeration takes priority over having
a grill or other equipment. You might need kitchen space for large rice cookers.
Your menu will dictate your design and layout. Make sure you get advice from
your chef as to what layout would work more conveniently for him/her and his/her
team of chefs.

You‟ll also want to be aware of the standard measurements for height of work
surfaces (3 feet is the standard but it helps to have varying heights), storage
cabinets, and so forth. You‟ll want to measure the space of your kitchen area,
pantry, and so forth to decide where items should go and if you‟ll have enough
walking space if two chefs are working at back to back counters, and so on.

Planning ahead will allow you to design ergonomically and safely for the people
who will use the space. A true ergonomic design will minimise the movement of

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kitchen staff working within the kitchen to save time, to reduce accident risks, and
to reduce food spill possibilities.
Consider the size of your space
A restaurant kitchen should be proportionate to the restaurant size - or the seats
in the restaurant, rather. A general rule is that every seat in the restaurant needs 5
equivalent square feet of kitchen space. For example, a 50 seat restaurant needs
a 250 square foot kitchen.

image credit
Consider the shape of your space
The shape of your space will fundamentally determine how people can move
safely within it. For example, if your space has an island then everyone has to
move comfortably around the outside edge. Consider where the doors and exits
are too.

Number of levels
Some restaurants are multi-story so you'll have to think about the food service,
and how big your kitchen will need to be to accommodate such a large space. A
very large, multi-level restaurant will need a large kitchen, and a clear path for
exits and entrances to reduce workplace accidents. A staff service lift may be a
necessity in a busy restaurant, but this comes at a cost.

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Natural light
Natural light is important for well-being. Consider placing your kitchen in an area
with both natural and artificial light. Think about getting sunlight lamps to help with
food service at night as well. Natural light, however, can cause glare at
certain times of the day so safety considerations must be made like shades during
sunset. Natural light will boost staff well-being too.

Commercial kitchen windows shouldn't be fewer than 10% of the total floor area.
You can use skylights or views of open spaces. Window position should be
carefully planned. Kitchen light should be about 160 lux. Food prep, cooking, and
washing areas should be 240 lux, whilst dessert presentation and cake decorating
need around 400-800 lux of light (400 lux is the illuminate equivalent of sunrise or
sunset on a clear day). Read more about artificial versus natural light here.

Floor coverings
All floor coverings need to be able to be washed and cleaned effectively and
thoroughly. Flooring must not absorb grease, food, or water. It shouldn't harbour
pests, or cause water pooling.

Suitable kitchen flooring:

 Stainless steel with non-slip profile and welded joints
 Ceramic tiles with epoxy grouting
 Quarry tiles with impervious sealant
 Polyvinyl sheet or tiles with heat-welded joints
 Concrete that is steel trowel case hardened with epoxy sealant
PVC sheet or tiles should not be next to hot fat appliances like deep fryers. All
commercial kitchen floors and the flooring of staff amenities must have a non-slip
surface. Flooring should be cleaned daily to maintain slip-resistance.

Floor and wall surfaces can easily become contaminated by grease build up. All
junctions should be coved (concave molding) to make cleaning and disinfecting
easier.

Entrance & exit door

Entrances and exits need to be
located where people can safely
exits. For all rooms, there must be at
least two escape routes. Find out
more about the number of exits you
need based on number of occupants,
and the width of the doors
required here.

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Positioning of sinks
When you're building a space, you'll need to know where to place your plumbing
for sinks and wash stations. How you decide on plumbing will be determined by
the layout and the use of the kitchen. Consult the head chef and commercial
kitchen planners as to where each of the staff will be placed and which and how
many washing stations the staff will need access to.

Number of staff
The number of staff you have working will determine how big the kitchen needs to
be and how people will move safely within that space. Make sure everything is
planned out before you build or construct your restaurant kitchen.

So, how can I design a kitchen for safety too?

Allow your local inspectors to come and review your preliminary kitchen design to
make sure health and safety guidelines are met.

Create work zones that work

Create work zones in your kitchen for maximum safety to avoid collision, tension
and chaos. Have a separate zone for tasks such as:

 Cleaning
 Cutting + other prep work
 Baking
 Frying
 Cooking
 Serving / Plating

Each member of staff will work within a designated zone. So the chef who
prepares and washes vegetables can work in the wash station zone, and another
chef can work in a fry zone to prepare fried foods, and so forth.

Plan toilets away from food areas

This may sound obvious, but the restaurant needs a sufficient number of toilets
that do not lead into areas where food is handled. There need to be enough toilets
for both guests and staff, but toilets should not be on the path to food areas
because contamination can occur, and you'll want to separate out the directional
paths of customers and staff as much as possible to avoid collisions.

Provide appropriate number of

sinks
There needs to be enough sinks for
hand washing located in appropriate
locations. Sinks must have warm and
cold water, soap, and paper towels.

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All chefs and kitchen staff need access to a hand-washing station that doesn't
hinder another staff's movement. Make sure hand-washing stations are placed
close to each person's individual area, and that floors are kept mopped and dry.
You may also want slip-resistant matting around these stations.

Separate food washing equipment

Food washing equipment must be separate from hand-washing equipment.
Depending on the number of people working in the kitchen, you may need several
hand washing stations, located at various points in the kitchen. You may need one
major food washing station, or you may need several. Make sure the areas
around these washing stations have non-slip mats, and that the floors are
regularly mopped and dried to reduce the chances of slipping.

Good air circulation & ventilation

All parts of the restaurant need to have natural or artificial air circulation.
Restaurants with solid fuel cooking appliances (tandoori ovens, wood fire pizza
ovens, charcoal grills) require employers to protect employees and guests who
may be at risk of exposure to smoke and mixing of dangerous flame and
substances with carbon monoxide gas - released when you burn wood or coal, for
example. Since the gas is poisonous yet cannot be tasted or smelled, then
appropriate ventilation and air circulation has to be in place.

A commercial kitchen needs good ventilation to remove steam and smoke as

these are potentially dangerous for employee health. You also do not want your
diners to smell like food when they eat at your restaurant as it will negatively
impact them returning.

Maintain kitchen equipment

The kitchen should be easy to maintain. Cookware should have dedicated storage
- shelves, cabinets, a pantry, and so forth - for all cookware, equipment, and
crockery. Shelves are more convenient for those who work there, but cabinets are
easier to keep clean. Kitchen equipment should be inspected regularly and
maintained properly. For example, a leaking ice machine can cause a hazard in
the kitchen.

Only use professional food equipment

All equipment must be made for a professional kitchen.

 Tables for food preparation.

 Electrical equipment for cooking, baking, and frying.
 Refrigerators, freezers, and ice machines.
 Equipment for washing dishes.
 Cabinets, drawers, and shelves to store dishes.
 Staff uniform and personal equipment such as slip resistant shoes

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image credit

Appropriate kitchen configuration

So now you know the key features your safe working kitchen should contain - how
do you arrange it? Below are a few of the most common layouts of commercial
kitchens:

 ASSEMBLY LINE. Ideal for restaurants with limited dishes that need meals
prepared in a flowing line. Great for fast food, sandwich restaurants, burrito and
taco joints, pizzerias, and so forth. Allows for smooth operation with high-volume
production.

 ZONE-STYLE. Work surfaces are placed considering tasks such as cleaning,

cutting, mixing, etc. Zones have necessary equipment and appliances to carry out
those tasks. This type of kitchen has designated stations for dry and refrigerated
storage, cooking, sanitation, dishwashing, and kitchen to restaurant transition
areas.

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CENTRALISED/ISLAND STYLE. Arranged similarly to zone-style kitchens with
the middle part of the kitchen in one main block instead. The central section
usually has cooking equipment, and the outside edge is reserved for cutting, food
storage, prep, finishing, and cleaning, or the reverse.

ERGONOMIC. A kitchen designed around actions taking place in the restaurant

for faster cooking. Doesn‟t always consider energy efficiency since a fridge can be
placed next to a fryer to maximize how quickly fries can be made.

image credit
Now the design is correct - how do you encourage staff to move efficiently and
safely within the kitchen?
You want to encourage your staff to move as much as they can in positions that
do not cause strain. If they‟re standing for long periods of time, they need shoes
with extra cushioning and support.

You may also want your chefs to have access to a stool or a place to rest their
foot in order to relieve pressure on joints - or encourage them to shift their weight
and change positions often. There are many different exercises chefs can use to
stretch their limbs. Slip-resistant shoes and mats are a must have too.

Work surfaces of varying heights maximize comfort, and allow your kitchen staff to
work using natural body positions.

Overall, safety and ergonomics need to be considered in commercial kitchen

design.
https://blog.sfceurope.com/the-importance-of-restaurant-ergonomics-how-to-design-for-safety

Ergonomics: Creating a Culture of Safety

Machine guarding and other types of safeguards won‟t protect plant workers if
they circumvent them or place themselves in harm‟s way.

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A bourbon process uses S88 Builder and shows all available information on the
equipment. The Unit Panel popup for Mash Tub 2 is open and shown with the
controls for the operator to easily run the process. Source: ECS Solutions, Inc.

Left: An employee using a scraper tool to agitate seasoning in a hopper performs

his job with extensive reaching and bending. This was an ergonomic and quality
problem because the employee‟s task was too low and out of reach. Right: The
solution was to bend the tip of the tool and extend it 12 inches to reduce reaching
and bending. This did not increase tool weight, averted the quality issue and
made the process 33 percent faster. Source: Marsh Risk Consulting.

Illustrating risk assessment, the Functional Safety Lifecycle is depicted as defined

by standards IEC 61508, IEC 62061 and ISO 13849. Following this lifecycle when
designing machine safety systems helps ensure that engineers conduct a risk
assessment as a first step. A comprehensive risk assessment helps identify and
mitigate safety and ergonomic risks such as repetitive stress or heavy
lifting. Source: Rockwell Automation.

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It shouldn‟t be news that bad work designs can spell major problems for
employers in terms of lost production time, workers‟ compensation claims and
injuries. All of these take deep cuts out of the bottom line. But poor design can
hurt you where you least expect it such as in turnover rates, damage to your
brand and bad rankings in best place to work surveys. Because of these factors,
ergonomic design should be a top priority for any food or beverage company.

“Ergonomics is a vital component of industrial engineering because it improves

efficiency or process system performance,” says Jeff Smagacz, vice
president/ergonomist, Marsh Risk Consulting, workforce strategies practice. “We
try to optimize the human component of a system to take out the risk.”

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Ergonomics is literally the study of people‟s efficiency in their working
environment, e.g., the pulling, bending, lifting, reaching or any number of physical
tasks an employee is required to perform. But ergonomics is not simply a health
and safety initiative; it is, or should be, an engineering initiative. A lack of good
engineering has led to health and safety professionals picking up the failings of
poor design and bad workstation layouts.

Article Index:

 The changing workforce

 Assessing ergonomic health
 Identify the problem
 How do you fix the problems?
 Good behavior

Even though they may not have used the term ergonomics, food manufacturers
and processors have practiced and preached the “right way” or the “easier way” of
doing things for decades. For the most part, automation has been successful at
removing ergonomic risk factors and improving the plant environment for
employees. But risk can never be fully eliminated, and there are always
opportunities for improvement.

According to Smagacz, food and beverage industry managers are doing a good
job of using education, training and risk assessment to build a foundation of
ergonomic principles and design. However, he believes, “managers spend a great
deal of time and effort on plant safety programs and training people how to find
problems, but there are not sufficient management systems or protocols in place
to actually fix them.”

Smagacz recalls one plant that installed a vacuum hoist on a batch deck to lift
bags of drink mix into a container. But it wasn‟t being used because the
employees either didn‟t know how to operate it, or they thought they could lift the
bags faster without it. The same facility also had multiple back decks, but only one
vacuum hoist, so not all employees could benefit from the assisted lift. “On one
batching deck, the facility had the equipment but not the behavior modification,
and on the other deck, it had no vacuum assist,” Smagacz says. In this case, as
with many in the industry, the best ergonomic solution was a combination of both
physical and behavioral improvements.

Perhaps the biggest concern for the food and beverage industry, though, is finding
ergonomic solutions that do not impact the productivity of the equipment. “If you
are trying to reduce the ergo load, and you do it at the expense of production
capacity or rate, that‟s a difficult trade-off to make,” observes George Schuster,
senior industry specialist, Rockwell Automation.

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Schuster adds that the industry must see past this perceived downside in
productivity when it comes to implementing solutions. “It‟s not always true that a
safer system is a less productive system,” he states.
The changing workforce

The food and beverage industry landscape is changing and so is the workforce.
Many of these employees are older and possess varying abilities when it comes
to interacting with technology.

With age comes a myriad of health issues. Joints, vision, hearing, force
generation, environmental sensitivity, mobility and information processing can all
be compromised. However, these changes affect everyone differently.

In addition, many American workers are struggling with obesity, so much so that it
has become necessary for food plant health and safety experts to address it and
implement design changes that accommodate more girth.

The makeup of the workforce also is changing, with more immigrants joining its
ranks each year. Due to a language barrier, ergonomic lessons and behavioral
modification programs might be lost on some workers.

“Immigrants make up about 15 percent of the [US] population,” Smagacz notes. “If
we are driving a behavioral-based approach with training in English, these foreign-
born workers may not understand, and the message might not be received.”

Ergonomics is also challenged by generational issues in the workplace, where

everyone from an 18-year-old to a Vietnam War veteran might be working side by
side. These two groups have different worldviews, thus a different understanding
of and response to health and safety risks.
Assessing ergonomic health

With possibly hundreds of employees completing different tasks on dozens of

unique pieces of equipment, processors may feel overwhelmed and shelve
ergonomic improvements—until an injury occurs.

“When is the best time to implement an ergonomics plan in your facility? The day
the plant manager returns from back surgery,” Smagacz jokes. “Seriously though,
I think the answer is when it becomes personal.”

One way to get plant managers to take ergonomics seriously is to build a

business case demonstrating the true cost of injuries compared to the facility‟s
output. For example, Smagacz worked with a beverage manufacturer that
calculated it cost the company 30 cents to produce each gallon of product.
Through some analysis, the company identified that of that 30 cents, a nickel, or
nearly 17 percent of production costs, was spent on health and safety concerns.

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“If you can build a business model to demonstrate these costs, they will be
perceived as a waste that can be eliminated,” Smagacz says. So when the
decision to make improvements has been made, how do you assess the
problem? Schuster says it‟s best to identify the reasons why an employee would
bypass a safety function. “For instance, you need to think, „How can we engineer
something so it‟s the easy way, and the easy way is designed in?‟” Schuster says.

“But you‟re not always going to need an engineering tool here,” Schuster adds.
“There may be a different option.”
Identify the problem

To fix a problem, you have to know it exists. OSHA‟s website has a number of
resources, including injury report records, case studies, hazard analysis, training
programs and educational studies, to help companies get on the right track.

OSHA recommends periodic reviews of a facility, including specific workstation

design, work practices and overall production process, as well as significant
worker involvement. Observing work conditions and utilizing surveys and worker
interviews also can help identify potential ergonomic issues.

For instance, risk factors for developing a musculoskeletal disorder include:

 Exerting excessive force

 Performing the same or similar tasks repetitively
 Working in awkward postures or being in the same posture for long periods
of time
 Localized pressure on a body part
 Cold temperatures

In addition, OSHA advises observing workers to see if they are:

 Modifying their tools, equipment or work area

 Shaking their arms and hands
 Rolling their shoulders
 Bringing products such as back belts or wrist braces into the workplace

Schuster says another good place to start is with a review of your company‟s
injury rates, repetitive injury rates and where these stresses occur.

CDC‟s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health website is a valuable
resource for loading up on research and information on ergonomics as it relates to
different injuries. CDC also includes comprehensive studies examining the
exposure response relationship between physical risk factors and musculoskeletal
disorders including quantifying measurements of risk factors and assessing
symptoms. These are broken down into categories of upper extremity and lower
back.

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Other resources include studies on posture assessment and tips on selecting the
best hand tools. Another publication provides guidelines for manual materials
handling, tasks CDC says account for one of the largest percentages of
musculoskeletal disorders.

Each year, OSHA awards grants to nonprofit organizations through the Susan
Harwood Training Grant Program. The purpose of these grants is to provide
training and education for workers and employers on the “recognition, avoidance,
and preventions of safety and health hazards in their workplaces,” OSHA says.
This year alone, OSHA awarded $10.5 million in grants, and since 1978, more
than 2.1 million workers have been trained through the program.

Through these grants, researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute

Occupational Safety and Health Program assembled training course materials for
employers and workers in the poultry industry. These courses address everything
from ergonomic basics and risk analysis to ergonomic programs and workstation
design.
How do you fix the problems?

Once ergonomic problems have been identified, managers must find the right
solutions. According to OSHA, there are three types of solutions: engineering
controls, administrative and work practice controls, and personal protective
equipment.

Engineering controls are the most desirable or effective, followed by

administrative and work practice controls where engineering is either impractical
or impossible. OSHA recommends these secondary controls when different
procedures are needed after implementation of the new engineering controls.
OSHA views personal protection equipment solutions as the least effective that
should be used as a last option. These solutions include good fitting gloves in cold
conditions or using padding to avoid direct contact with hard, sharp or vibrating
equipment.

Smagacz recommends three strategies for manufacturers to control ergonomic

risk exposure:

Data-driven: Through task analysis, expand assessments to encompass physical

and cognitive exposures.

Design-focused: Use design guidelines and checklists that incorporate a wider

population range, including aging, obesity and cognitive parameters.

Retrofit-motivated: Focus on Kaizen activities in existing work areas to

continuously and methodically reduce exposures and improve workstation
compatibilities.

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Another tool manufacturers can use to improve ergonomics is risk assessment—a
process that identifies exposures affecting safety and profitability by talking to
operations personnel and touring the facility to get a feel for each plant‟s unique
environment.

Rockwell‟s Schuster believes task-based risk assessment is also a crucial

component to safety. However, many food and beverage manufacturers are
failing “to formally analyze tasks and hazards as part of the machine design
cycle,” he says. “If you don‟t analyze or identify them, you have very little chance
of designing them out of the manufacturing process. Some manufacturers also
are failing to mitigate hazards like a repetitive stress injury.”

In addition to offering risk assessments, Rockwell offers design consulting to

engineer proficient processes by utilizing a hierarchy of production measures. To
improve ergonomic health, the company has devised the Safety Maturity Index
(SMI) to measure the effectiveness of three key elements of safety performance:
culture, compliance and capital.

According to Rockwell, the “SMI is a comprehensive measurement of

performance in safety culture, compliance processes and procedures, and capital
investments in safety technologies. It helps companies understand their current
level of performance and steps they can take to improve safety and profitability.”

“One of the things we have discovered over time is that a comprehensive safety
approach addresses the cultural or behavioral elements, procedural elements and
processes that take place, as well as the technologies you use,” offers Steve
Ludwig, manager of global marketing programs for Rockwell.
Good behavior

When Safety Director Chris Bunch joined Stellar, it was running a compliance
safety program that emphasized the need to provide a safe worksite. Bunch
changed this to a behavioral-based approach. “With this kind of approach, you still
want to maintain compliance and a safe worksite, but you are trying to change
behavior and have employees take ownership in safety,” he explains. “You give
everybody an equal right in identifying hazards and stopping work. You want them
to not only be safe on the job site but to take that safety home with them.”

Stellar has taken a number of steps to reinforce good ergonomic behavior

including a variety of incentive programs that honor workers for going above and
beyond their job descriptions. One corporate safety incentive program works on a
point system where employees can use the points they have accrued to purchase
items in the Stellar store. The goal, Bunch says, is to have employees correct a
hazard, even when it exists outside their network. “We want to promote a
message: When you see something, speak up.”

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When applying a behavioral-based approach to ergonomics, it‟s important to
implement it with more than training programs, according to Smagacz. “After a
high investment in training, you‟ll have well-qualified assessors and a very
knowledgeable workforce, but you will have limited results in long-term
participation,” he says.

This is where Kaizen events come in. At Smagacz‟s Kaizen workshops, teams are
taught to take immediate action to improve work processes through easy,
inexpensive, impactful and sustainable improvements. When employees engage
in Kaizen improvements, not only are they equipped to identify issues, they learn
a platform so they can go out and fix them.

But, sometimes behavioral modification isn‟t the best option. Of all the Kaizen
events he has participated in, Smagacz says the behavioral improvements were
limited to 25 to 30 percent of the continuous improvements.

“I can teach you all day long to lift with your legs, not with your back, to get that
50-pound box off the floor. But the questions are: „What is the best lifting
technique? Do you bend at the knees or at the back?‟ The answer is: Don‟t store
the box on the floor to begin with,” Smagacz says.

When it comes to engaging workers in behavioral improvement programs,

Schuster finds the most effective solutions are collaborative, with employees
being asked directly how they would make their jobs faster or easier. “These
collaborative approaches aren‟t top down. Anything that solicits feedback and
actively engages workers will be much more effective,” Schuster says.

Beyond behavioral modifications and physical improvements such as adding or

retrofitting equipment, there are other ways to improve operator safety.

When assessing risk, the first response to an issue should be to mechanically

design it out, followed by mechanically guarding it, says Randy Otto, vice
president of ECS Solutions, Inc. and CSIA member. The company also should
control the issue. For ECS, this means developing a process control solution to
minimize the need for an operator or technician to engage with or be around the
physical equipment.

“We do not design the physical equipment, but that does not mean we are not
concerned about the operator‟s safety or that we cannot do anything about it,”
Otto says. “We like to think that we are virtualizing the equipment and allowing the
operators to work on the virtual equipment.”

Some programmers focus on developing a user interface to give the operator the
minimum controls required, reducing an operator‟s programming time, effort and
cost.

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But Otto says ECS uses a standard solution to simplify screens while allowing the
user to drill deeper for virtual access to the equipment. “We place every piece of
information within the process control system into data and present it in filtered
views to the operator to maintain simplicity,” Otto explains. Through this approach,
Otto says operators can dedicate their focus to the process instead of the
equipment, reducing mistakes and increasing quality. “The operators‟ time around
the physical equipment is minimized by allowing full access to the equipment
virtually; our software can warn operators of dangers and prevent mistakes from
happening.”

ECS‟s solution, the S88 Builder, is a program that runs any process. Otto
describes its use in pipe animation: “We show when a pipe is charged and when
the material is evacuated. The operator not only knows if the pipe is not clean, but
also what material was run through it last. We give the operator every piece of info
we can about the state of the equipment so he or she can stay in the control room
where it is safe.”

The program uses a process-focused HMI for intuitive operation. The solution is
also consistent from one device to another and contains a built-in alert feature that
navigates the operator to the alarm or event requiring attention.

“Safety and ergonomics should be evaluated in every circumstance. However,

designing a solution into the equipment always seems to be the best choice to
protect the operators,” Otto says.

Whatever the solution, there will be no change in terms of safety and employee
comfort if ergonomics isn‟t a priority. Sometimes, it just takes small steps in the
right direction, and the workforce will respond and adapt to the changes that
simplify their jobs. But, to find the solution, Otto says it‟s often best for engineers
“to stop telling operators what is better for them and start listening, watching and
showing.”
https://www.foodengineeringmag.com/articles/94652-ergonomics-creating-a-culture-of-safety

POSTURE, EXERTION AND MOTION IN RESTAURANTS

RESTAURANTS/BARS
Posture, Exertion and Motion in Restaurants

Restaurants are not just judged by how great their food is and how outstanding
their customer service is. Ergonomics play a factor in determining if a restaurant is
a good spot to eat and a nice place to work. If Starbucks did not have comfortable
seating, would it still be the amazing coffee shop it is today? Could restaurant
turnover decrease if ergonomic conditions were positive and sustainable? Tagrisk
Insurance Servcies is a firm believer in safety in the restaurant industry and
ergonomics matters. As a restaurant owner, it is your job to make comfort a
priority in your establishment.

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Main ergonomic concerns for restaurants are the following:

Static Postures
 Problem: When the body is positioned without movement for over 9
seconds repeatedly this causes fatigue, discomfort, and pain over time
 Solution: Anti fatigue matting provides softer surfaces to relieve stress
from standing for long periods of time. Footstools allow employees to shift their
body weight from solely their legs and lower back.
Repetitive Motion
 Problem: Continuous movement of upper body parts such as elbows,
wrists, forearms, and upper arms with more than 9 reps a minute. This
movement overtime can cause joint pains, musculoskeletal injury, or carpal
tunnel syndrome.
 Solution: Use automated devices when possible. Perform tasks in different
working positions to avoid continuous and repetitious movement of the same
muscle/muscle groups (e.g. alternating hands). Employees should pace
themselves, stretch, take breaks, rotate within the job, and combine/eliminate
tasks where possible.
Forceful Exertions
 Problem: Extreme stress caused by an excess use of force can lead to a
variety of injuries.
 Solution: Good form/posture while performing job duties that require some
level of force will allow employees to use less force and reduce risk of injury.
Lift all objects that require your employees to bend over, with a straight back
and bent knees. Your staff can also see where the load is going and plan
accordingly on how to handle. Always look for ways to reduce the weight of
what needs to be carried by separating what can be separated. Rather spend
2 extra minutes making 2 trips then have back pains for the rest of your life.
Use dollies, conveyors, and hoists when applicable. Pushing something on
wheels as opposed to carrying, lifting, and carrying can reduce chances of
strains and sprains. Place heavy items at mid-thigh height (not just placing
heaviest items on the bottom shelf). Be mindful of floor conditions when
carrying items that are wobbly, slippery, or warm.
Contact Stress
 Problem: Sharp or rugged edges/corners appear in restaurants and can
cause injuries if not properly addressed
 Solution: Add padding to sharp or rugged edges to reduce strain and
stress on hands. Make sure employees avoid leaning against metal surfaces
of these rough edges. Try to round off sharp edges on shelves, tables, and
ledges.
Awkward Postures
 Problem: This is a problem that happens when employees must move
quickly in a fast-paced setting or when fundamental safety procedures are not
set in place. This can lead to a wide variety of injuries.

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 Solution: Employees should move as close as possible to objects in use to
prevent over extension. Face objects that you are working on; you should not
twist and reach to the sides of behind the body. Keep elbows as close to the
body as possible and use tools to keep wrists straight. Have stepstools
available for shorter employees. The more frequent an item is used, the easier
it should be to access.

These are just a few ergonomics concerns for restaurants and solutions to some
of these problems. Tagrisk Insurance Services‟ risk appetite includes but is not
limited to restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and lounges. Our hospitality insurance
programs fill coverage gaps that may exist in your current policies. Do not renew
your insurance without a quote from us.

https://tagrisk.com/restaurant-ergonomics/

Basic Kitchen Ergonomics

This post is meant as a general guide to help anyone who needs information on
making commercial or institutional kitchens a safer place to work. As we, all know
there is often a dramatic difference between the customer and client sections of a
facility and the kitchen area.

A significant source of injury for kitchen workers -- along with lacerations, burns,
slips, trips, and falls -- are back and upper extremity muscle strains, tendonitis,
carpal tunnel syndrome and other musculoskeletal injuries.

Recognizing risk factors that contribute to the development of musculoskeletal

injuries and developing effective strategies to reduce them has a positive impact
on reducing these injuries. The risk factors include forceful exertion, repetitive
motion, awkward postures, static postures, and contact stress.

Early detection, reporting and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries is crucial to

control the potential severe effects of this particular class of injury. Injuries treated
in the early stages have a better chance of healing properly. Later stage
musculoskeletal injuries may not heal completely but effects can be minimized if
dealt with properly.

General controls for each of the identified risk factors include:

Forceful Exertions:

 Good body mechanics can decrease muscle force needed to carry out job
tasks, which reduces the risk of developing a musculoskeletal injury.
 Teach workers to test loads before lifting and to plan routes before lifting
and carrying the load. Use good lifting technique for lifting, lowering, and
carrying loads.

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 Separate heavier loads into smaller load quantities, or containers. Can
heavier bulk items be purchased in smaller load quantities, or containers?
 Make use of adjunct equipment such as hoists, dollies, or conveyers to
reduce the workloads. Install wheels on containers, wherever possible to
allow pushing rather than lifting, carrying, or dragging. (Keep the wheels
clean and in good working order)
 Avoid reaching below mid-thigh height, and above shoulder height.
 Place or store the heaviest items at mid height to make lifting easier, and
eliminate lifting heavy items from the floor. Avoid simply placing the heavy
items on the floor or bottom shelf.
 Avoid lifting or carrying items that are slippery, too hot, or unevenly
balanced.

Repetitive Motion: Repetitive motion for upper arms, elbows, forearms, and
wrists can be defined as more than 10 reps per minute or for shoulders, more
than 2.5 reps per minute.

 Minimize wherever possible repetitive motion to help reduce the worker‟s

risk of developing a musculoskeletal injury.
 Use mechanical or automated devices (food processors, potato peeling
machines, and electrical mixers)
 Alternate working positions to avoid overusing any single muscle or muscle
group. Alternate hands used to perform simple tasks.
 Try to combine or eliminate tasks whenever possible. Pace the work when
performing repetitive motion tasks.
 Include job rotation, stretching, frequent rest periods, and task breaks.

Awkward Postures:

 Move the body closer to the object, or move the object closer to the worker.
Do not reach beyond the point of comfort.
 Wherever possible avoid excessive torso flexion by storing items between
knee and shoulder height.
 Always face the objects you are working on, do not twist and reach behind
or to the sides of the body.
 Work tasks should be adjusted to keep elbows as close to the body as
possible.
 If the work is too high, lower the work, or raise the worker by a platform or
footstool.
 Sit on a stool or chair rather than squatting, kneeling, or bending over while
you work.
 Use tools or hand implements designed to keep wrists straight. For
example, grill flippers with bent raised handles.
 Counter height should be a few centimeters below the worker‟s elbow
height.
 Shelf height should not be higher than shoulder height of the shortest
worker. If necessary, provide stepstools.

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 Place frequently used items in the most accessible locations. Place
frequently used and heavier items 11 to17 inches from the workers. Place
infrequently used and lighter items 21 to 25 inches from the workers.
 Wherever possible, move trip items or obstacles out of the way.

Static Postures:

Static posture can be defined as body positions held without movement for more
than 10 seconds.

 Anti-fatigue matting can provide a softer surface to stand on. Use non-slip
surfaces and anti-fatigue mats to prevent slippage. Consider where the
matting will be used and purchase the appropriate style and type for the
particular applications.
 Footstools allow workers to raise a foot up, which helps shift body weight
and reduces stress on the legs and lower back when standing for long
periods.
 Sit-stand stools can allow workers to alternate sitting and standing
positions. Sit-stand stools are most appropriate when the worker does not
have to reach too far.
 Footwear should fit properly and have anti-slip soles. Consider the
following:

o Does the footwear have enough grip?

o What type of flooring is in the kitchen?
o Is the footwear durable?
o Is there adequate ankle protection?
o What is the kitchen temperature range?
o What types of hazards exist and type of footwear selected? For
example, what about puncture, burn protection, and crush
protection?
o Evaluate the frequency of when the footwear needs replacement.
Over time the soles will deteriorate, and the mid-sole will breakdown
and lose the cushioning capabilities.

Contact Stress:

 Add padding to sharp edges to reduce stress on the hands. For example,
knife handles scissors, carts, bins, and countertops.
 Workers should avoid leaning against sharp edges or metal surfaces.
Bevel or round off sharp edges on tables, ledges, and shelves.
https://memicsafety.typepad.com/memic_safety_blog/2009/12/basic-kitchen-ergonomics.html

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