Food service workers often do not receive particularly robust compensation plans. Injured food service workers are often reliant on workers’ compensation coverage if they have health issues that will impact their job performance.
Injuries on the job can potentially leave food service workers unable to do their jobs for multiple weeks at a time. What are the most commonly reported reasons that workers in food service miss work and require workers’ compensation coverage?
Lacerations and burns
Working over open flames or carrying hot dishes could very easily lead to painful burns on the hands and forearms or even the faces of workers. Lacerations and cuts are also possible both for those working to do food prep work and those who must clean up used cutlery or broken dishes.
Slips, trips and falls
Food service workers often need to rush, and they could end up falling as a result. A fall could lead to brain injuries or broken bones that prevent someone from doing their job for weeks.
Overexertion or repetitive strain
Sometimes, workers may try to lift far more than they should, resulting in a traumatic injury to their backs or their knees. Other times, doing the same work for years will lead to a worker developing repetitive stress injury, like carpal tunnel syndrome.
They may need to take time off to allow the body part to heal and may sometimes even need to move into a different position because they cannot continue performing the same tasks anymore. Injured restaurant workers can potentially receive workers’ compensation coverage to help pay for lost wages and the treatment they require after getting hurt on the job.
Connecting a diagnosis with on-the-job work risks might make it easier for injured workers to get the benefits they need.
