Florida Food Service Burn Victims – Causes And Types

Burns related to food service in South Florida restaurants are on a painful uprise.  The Burn Foundation revealed that the Food Service Industry draws the largest reports of burns that occur on-the-job – about 12,000 per year. Most people don’t realize that aside from the government, the restaurant industry is the second largest employer in America.

Employment positions which incur most contact burns include cooks, food handlers, kitchen workers, and wait staff.  In today’s restaurant economy, the high turnover rate for part time positions and lack of training by employers may contribute to the increase of food burns on-the-job.

Types of Food Service Burns

• Grease fires
• Hot oil and grease
• Hot food and sauces
• Hot liquids and steams
• Hot stoves, ovens and grills
• Malfunction of electrical equipment

Teenagers and fry cooks working in fast food restaurants account for most food service burns in Broward County. Frequently, employees are encouraged to prepare an order within seconds. Depending on the restaurant, an individual may not have received enough training or experience to work in such a dangerous area such as food prep. When the hot oil typically reaches temperatures between 300-500 degrees, the likelihood of being burned is often inevitable.

Causes of Burns from Food Service

• Safety Rules are not properly explained or understood
• Employee may not follow rules due to intense time pressure
• Management does not provide safe equipment

As a result of food service burns, many employees end up missing work and have to pay for medical costs that they cannot afford. In fact, the majority of hospitalizations for contact burns occurred while working in a restaurant. If a food service burn does occur, employees, whether part- or full-time, are likely eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits.

Since South Florida employers have found it in the best interest of their company and their employees to make safety a priority within the workplace, preventive measures are becoming more effective. Unfortunately, not all measures are implemented by the employer, and as we all know, sometimes accidents still happen.

Temporary partial or total disability benefits may be provided to compensate an individual for the lost wages.  Often long term costs are incurred as a result of a more severe burn injury, such as counseling, rehab therapy, skin grafting, surgery, and infection control.

If you or a family member have incurred a burn injury on-the-job, it is important to talk with an experienced South Florida Workers’ Compensation Attorney. Your attorney can help you prepare your paperwork to get the results you are looking for.

If you need assistance to determine if you should pursue your workers’ compensation claim, the Law Offices of David Benenfeld are here to help. For or a free legal consultation and book call today: (954) 677-0155.