Safety & Health Week May 1st-May 6th, 2023

Safety and Health Week occurs annually during the first week of May and aims to focus employers, employees, partners and the public on the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace, at home, and in the community.

This goal seeks to improve attitudes towards safety, increase understanding of the importance of occupational safety and health, foster a safety-minded culture with increased cooperation, assist in team building, and improve communication between employees and employers, safety committees and safety professionals.

One of the most important aspects of Safety and Health Week is awareness. This year, Service Hospitality has exciting plans from May 1st to May 6th to recognize and support Safety and Health Week in our industries. This year, we will be highlighting the five hazards most commonly found in the hospitality and community service industries. 

Starting May 1st, we will release a daily video on our social media channels  (Facebook, Instagram & LinkedIn) highlighting one of five common hazards in our industries. We also want you to get involved, so we have two prize baskets valued at $700 up for grabs! Send a photo to [email protected] demonstrating safe behaviours based on the highlighted hazards, and you’ll be entered to win! The more hazards you submit photos for, the more times you’ll be entered.

Learn More about Safety and Health Week here:  

• History of Safety and Health Week 

• Safety & Health Week Tools, Resources, Posters & MORE!

• Safety and Health Week Partners

➡️HAZARD 1 – Psychological Health & Safety
Monday, May 1st, 2023

Our first hazard is psychological health & safety! What are some ways YOU promote a psychologically safe workplace? Submit your photos to [email protected] to let us know! Did you know there are 13 psychosocial factors that can impact employee health in the workplace and promote psychological health and safety? Knowing the psychosocial factors is a great first step in fostering a mentally healthy workplace. The factors include organizational culture, civility and respect, workload management and work-life balance, just to name a few. Click here to find out more about Psychological Risk Factors in the Workplace – Understanding the 13 Psychosocial Factors. 

The hospitality industry is one of the top three highest for generalized anxiety disorders and has the second-highest prevalence of mood disorders. Overall, rates of depression are highest in industries that have the most interaction with the public or with clients. Help fight the stigma of mental health in the hospitality industry. Register your team for one of our Psychological Health & Safety for Hospitality courses today!

➡️HAZARD 2 – Ergonomics
Tuesday, May 2nd, 2023

Don’t Get Bent out of Shape! Have you ever dreaded activities you normally look forward to because you felt pain or discomfort after work? Due to the nature of work in the Service, Hospitality, and Community Service industries, overexertion leading to ergonomic injuries is prevalent. But they don’t have to be!

What is overexertion?

When you push yourself too hard or go outside of your body’s limits, it is known as overexertion. Typically, overexertion is related to certain activities or motions. This includes things such as repetitive motion (picking up toys, wiping tables, typing), using improper techniques (lifting with your back, standing in awkward positions), sudden body movements (twisting, bending, reaching) or participating in a prolonged activity (sitting at a computer).

Ergonomic Injuries Can be Costly – Human Suffering & Monetary Costs!

Overexerting yourself can lead to pain, discomfort, and even injury. It’s important to learn the proper techniques and form for the task, be mindful of your limits, and listen to your body! These things will help prevent human suffering and save your organization money!

Visit Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) – Prevent the Pain of Repetitive Strain Injuries for more information, including courses, posters, and ergonomic publications!

NEW! Service Hospitality now offers Applied Workplace Ergonomics!

➡️HAZARD 3 – Slips, Trips & Falls
Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023

A spill, a slip, a hospital trip – Accidents hurt – safety doesn’t! The average Canadian takes 4,819 steps per day; how many of those steps do you take seriously? Slips, trips, and falls are some of the main causes of workplace injuries in Saskatchewan. Here are some safer steps you can take to help reduce your risk:

• Always pay attention to your work setting.

• Check your surroundings, even if it is a regular everyday activity.

• Step carefully when changing surfaces.

• Do not rush – take your time.

• Keep floors clear of objects.

• Don’t stand on chairs, buckets or other unstable items.

Understanding slips, trips, and falls hazards and how to take preventive measures can help protect yourself and others. To learn more, register for our Safety in Schools course today.

➡️HAZARD 4 – Burns & Cuts
Thursday, May 4th, 2023

Safeguarding Yourself in the Kitchen: Avoiding Burns and Cuts. In hospitality & the service industry, specifically in food prep areas, we are often surrounded by open flame or other heat sources, such as stoves, fryers, and steam kettles, that puts us at risk for scalds and burns. Most burns occur during peak production items times when the pressure is on, and employees take more chances. Developing good work habits and building a safety management system can prevent injuries like these from happening. Burns are not the only hazard that poses a risk to workers. Among the top five are also cuts. Cuts remain at the top of the list, and there are preventive measures to take to help keep workers safe.

Stay safe in kitchens and food prep areas by:

1. Never leave the stove unattended while cooking. Stay in the kitchen/food prep area while frying, grilling, boiling or broiling foods

2. Create a safe work zone. Create a space of at least three feet around your stove and other areas where hot food is prepared.

3. Keep your cooking area free of flammable materials. Keep anything that can catch fire, such as food packaging, oven mitts and towels, away from your stovetop.

4. Turn the pot handles toward the back of the stove.

5. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby.

6. Keep cooking equipment clean.

7. Training and safe work practices for all workers on how to use, clean and sharpen knives and other utensils used for cutting.

8. When using a knife, always use a flat surface or cutting board on a firm surface.

9. Hold the knife securely.

10. When opening boxes, always use a box cutter.

Additionally, creating a job hazard assessment is not only a requirement based on legislation. It will also help lay out ALL the potential hazards in the kitchen and ensure appropriate controls are in place to eliminate or reduce the risk. Conducting top-notch workplace inspections will ensure the controls that the JHA establishes are working effectively and efficiently. Finally, should an injury occur in the workplace, establish an emergency response plan for injuries. Building a first-aid risk assessment will ensure workers know exactly what to do and the step to seeking help.

➡️HAZARD 5 – Violence & Harassment
Friday, May 5th, 2023

Violence & Harassment Prevention. Violence and harassment in the workplace are one of the main causes of injury in Saskatchewan workplaces. In just the last quarter of 2022, there were 1056 reported incidents of violence or harassment across the community service, restaurant, and hospitality industries. However, with as big of an issue they are, workplace violence and harassment are often not being handled properly within these industries, as improper or lack of policy for both violence and harassment were within the top 10 most common OH&S contraventions observed by Saskatchewan officers in 2022.

The specific Occupational Health and Safety regulations regarding violence and harassment (3-25 and 3-26) can be found HERE!

Working in the service and hospitality industry means almost constant interaction with the public and places workers at a higher risk of violence or harassment. Therefore organizations in these industries must be equally prepared and able to deal with these risks and protect their workers. At Service Hospitality, we have the tools and knowledge to help you protect your workers and organization from the damages the incidents can cause. Whether you’re looking for a harassment policy template or a violence policy template or want to take part in our harassment prevention training, we can help bring you up to standard or as high above as you want to go.

MAKE SAFETY A HABIT! #SafetyAndHealthWeek 

Ensure your workplace is safe not just during the week but every day of the calendar year! Together we can create safe workplaces and communities. If you have any questions relating to your business, please contact one of our Safety Advisors by clicking here!