Who Needs Restaurant OSHA Safety and Security Training?
Not only should all employees be trained, but they have a right to be trained. No one is exempt from training—even trainers, owners, and executives need training from time to time to refresh their memories or learn a new system or process. Every training plan must include managers, supervisors, owners, and executives; and it is important that they set a good example and support the overall safety, health, and security training program from top to bottom.
Training should especially target new employees; they will not only need to be trained in how to do their respective jobs, but also in how to recognize, understand, and avoid potential hazards to themselves, customers, vendors, and all others in their workplace. However, experienced workers also need (and must receive) additional training and refresher courses as well—especially when a new process or piece of equipment is introduced into the workplace. It is critically important to keep those who have been employed for long periods of time from becoming disengaged from your restaurant establishment’s mission to create and maintain an overall strong culture of safety. Providing safety, health, and security training (on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis) that reflects a variety of change, tone, cadence, and flavors throughout the various presentations can be quite helpful in this regard.
All employees who wear personal protective equipment (PPE), those who work with hazardous or potentially hazardous chemicals or equipment, as well as those who work in high-risk areas need to be specially trained in order to understand the possible hazards to which they may be exposed or the hazards to which they could be exposing others. They must be able to identify these hazards; know how to protect themselves, their coworkers, their customers, and vendors; and they must know what to do in the event of an emergency situation. (To learn more, please see 43: Personal Protection Equipment (PPE).)
Safety Training Managers and Supervisors
It is vital that restaurant managers and supervisors understand the critical role that they personally and collectively play in providing continuing support and understanding of the restaurant’s safety, health, and security policies, procedures, practices, training, and overall plan and culture. Management at every level of the restaurant or organization is responsible for communicating the safety, health, and security goals and objectives to the restaurant employees and assigning to each of them their roles and responsibilities to protect themselves, the restaurant, the customers, their coworkers, and others.
It is imperative that restaurant managers, at every management level within the establishment and the organization, understand how to detect hazards and potential hazards in the workplace; conduct thorough and proper accident investigations; and handle themselves in the event of an emergency. They must know who to call and when to call them as it pertains to each different type of incident or what-if scenario that may possibly occur; and they must fully understand how protective equipment is used for each job role and responsibility within the restaurant establishment or group of restaurants.
Keep Written Training Records
It is important to keep a record of all safety, health, and security training for every employee and the establishment as a whole. Be sure to keep track of employee (and management) attendance during all training and at all meetings that pertain to safety, health, and security. Documentation of training will help provide answers to investigations regarding any incidents or accidents that may occur where someone is injured, harmed, sickened, maimed, or killed on the premises and during your watch.