There is always demand for prep workers, short-order cooks and similar culinary professionals. Workers can command competitive wages and enjoy a career in a fast-paced environment.
Of course, the trade-off is the risk of injury. Every career comes with certain unique hazards, including working in a restaurant. Professionals who prepare food on demand for others may sustain injuries on the job that require medical care and that may force the professional to take a leave of absence to recover. They may need to file a workers’ compensation claim to cover their losses.
What injuries are among the most common for kitchen professionals?
Lacerations and burns
Culinary professionals are often a slip of the hand away from serious injury. They may spend large amounts of time chopping, slicing and actively cooking. Minor issues in the kitchen can lead to serious burns or lacerations that require medical attention. Professionals may require time off to recover from their injuries to safely return to work later.
Repetitive stress injuries
Even if kitchen professionals avoid directly injuring themselves, they can still experience a reduction in productivity and debilitating pain symptoms. Constantly holding the same tools and spending hours standing in the kitchen every shift can lead to repetitive strain injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome. Kitchen professionals may experience pain and reduced strength in affected body parts because they constantly perform the same job tasks day after day.
Slip-and-fall injuries
Most restaurants require that kitchen professionals wear special non-slip shoes. Even with protective footwear, kitchen workers can slip and end up hurt if they fall. They can break bones if they try to catch themselves during the fall. They could also sustain traumatic brain injuries if they hit their heads on kitchen equipment or the floor during a fall.
Workers’ compensation benefits can pay for the medical treatment costs associated with a kitchen injury. They can also cover lost wages if a worker requires leave to recover. When one works in a risky business, understanding eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits can be particularly important. Yet, injured culinary professionals may need help pursuing benefits and handling any issues that arise during the claims process, and that’s okay.
