Risk management is vital in any business, but more so in a restaurant operation. Every day, restaurant owners deal with employees and customers. This situation alone poses some risks for your business.
How do you make sure everything is in order? Well, it starts by understanding the different risks you might encounter.
Here are some risks restaurant owners are exposed to, along with some tips on how to overcome these risks.
Risks of Injuries
A kitchen is a dangerous place if your business doesn’t implement the proper OSHA procedures. Employees might slip and fall, cut or burn their fingers accidentally. However, if you take the time to assess your restaurant, you can prevent these injuries.
One preventive measure is to change the layout if your employees get injured easily during a busy day. Make sure that the flow fosters efficiency and the employees can work without worrying about their safety.
You should also provide protective gear such as gloves or anti-slip tools in your restaurant. Require your employees to wear proper clothing and make sure to declutter your kitchen and dining area.
Strains and Sprains
Aside from the typical injuries in the kitchen, muscle strains and sprains are familiar to restaurant employees. Constant walking, lifting, and prolonged standing could cause these types of injuries.
You can prevent these by training your employees on the proper way of lifting objects. Also, make sure your kitchen or storage follows the standard guidelines on height.
Provide your employees enough break time so that they can rest and replenish their energy. An overworked crew is not a good thing in a restaurant because they’re the ones who are prone to mistakes and injuries.
Allergies and Food Poisoning
News on food poisoning can damage your restaurant’s reputation. Worse, you get sued and pay hefty damages that can affect your business.
Thus, ensure cleanliness in your restaurant. Administer a clean-as-you-go policy. Always require your employees to wash up before and after handling food. Also, provide separate kitchen utensils for different food categories. For example, the cutting boards for fresh food are different from the cooked ones.
Food allergy incidents could also ruin your business. These could lead to life-threatening conditions for your customers. Revamp your menu and include the main ingredients that can cause food allergies, such as eggs, nuts, and milk.
Alcohol-Related Accidents
Serving alcoholic beverages is nothing new in a restaurant. However, restaurant owners’ responsibility begins when a customer gets drunk and causes trouble or injuries to others.
To prevent these accidents, don’t serve alcoholic beverages to customers who are already drunk. Post the warning signage in obvious areas. Follow the standards such as serving only to people of legal age.
Provide training for your employees, so they could identify a drunk and stop these customers from drinking more.
Cybercrime
Do you accept orders online? If you do, your restaurant is prone to cybercrime. Do you use POS? If you do, you’re at risk of hacking. These are just a few instances where cybercrime can put your restaurant at a disadvantage.
Cybercriminals can obtain unlawful access to your information through the employees and the internet.
As for the access of employees, give it to authorized and trusted personnel. Top-level management should be the only persons who should have access to sensitive data. Plus, be clear about disciplinary actions for breaking the confidentiality rule—back up your restaurant’s data in a reputable cloud service.
Create a secure password and network by installing a firewall. If you provide free WiFi to customers, make sure to check the people connecting to your network. Change that password regularly.
Litigations
All risks on this list often lead to litigations, especially if the injured party decides to sue you after an accident. Often, customers are the common instigators of legal actions that can drain your working capital.
The only way to address these risks is to get Richmond Restaurant Insurance. Insurance can protect you by providing reimbursable benefits. Your provider pays your expenses on legal fees and other incidental costs.
The insurance coverage may include property damage and general liability. If you exceed your standard policy, you can get umbrella insurance that covers incidents excluded from your standard insurance.
Conclusion
Indeed, risk management can prevent accidents, but it’s not a fail-proof method. Restaurant owners must remedy their risks and make this plan as comprehensive as possible. Provide risk management measures from safety protocols to investing in an insurance policy.
About Blue Sky Insurance Agency
For over 20 years, family owned Blue Sky Insurance Agency has proudly specialized in insurance and tax services for Virginia residents. Our philosophy is simple: “If you can dream it, we can insure it.” We strive to provide value to our clients by establishing and building relationships and focusing on more than just rates. We are dedicated to providing holistic and strategically tailored solutions to protect all of your assets, and to provide peace of mind wherever life takes you. To get in touch with us, fill out a complimentary quote form, or call us at one of our two locations:
North Chesterfield
Phone: (804) 745-4044
PO Box 35674
North Chesterfield, VA, 23235
Hours of Operation: Mon-Sat 9am-6pm
Richmond
Phone: (804) 404-2030
9932 Midlothian Turnpike
Richmond, VA, 23235
Hours of Operation: Mon-Sat 9am-6pm