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Initiatives for Tourism & Hospitality
If you would like to work with the WorkSafeBC on health and safety issues, or for more information about health and safety initiatives for Tourism & Hospitality, contact WorkSafeBC Hospitality and Small Business Industry Services at .
Hospitality Industry Improves its Health and Safety
Richmond, B.C., January 13, 2003 - From 1997 to the end of 2001 the injury rate* for all workers in B.C.'s restaurants, hotels, and motels combined has decreased 11 percent. The announcement was made today by the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. (WCB) at the 8th annual Food and Beverage Conference (FAB), a joint venture of the Vancouver Hotel Association and the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association (BCRFA).
"Within the hospitality industry the improvement in the injury rate for restaurants is very encouraging," said Roberta Ellis, WCB Vice President of Prevention. "They should take tremendous pride that while their overall employment rose more than 10 per cent from 1997 to 2001, the number of claims still went down by almost 5%. The industry experienced a 14 percent reduction in its injury rate resulting in almost 500 fewer injuries. That's substantial."
The health and safety programs developed by many restaurants have resulted in reduced injuries in many categories but there is a notable reduction in incidents related to workers being caught in equipment.
But while this is positive news, Ellis added a cautionary note. "Although injury rates and claims costs are down, there were more than 130 serious injuries - those involving third-degree burns, multiple fractures, and amputations - in the past five years. The human and financial cost of those injuries remain a major challenge for the hospitality industry."
The WCB and the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association have formed a partnership to address the health and safety needs of the industry. "We recognize that if we want to succeed, we have to work together," said Ellis. "It's a team effort."
One of the results of that partnership is the WorkSafe Safety Calculator (for Hospitality Small Business); a tool designed to help employers understand the true cost of workplace incidents and injuries. Accessible online or in CD-ROM format, the Safety Calculator allows business owners to determine what an injury would cost in terms of lost productivity, paperwork, and property damage.
"It's a real eye-opener," said Simon Evans, President and CEO of the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association. "It's one thing to talk about safety, it's another to truly understand the human and financial costs. Many restaurants are small businesses, operated by families. An injury to one of them is significant on a personal level. And, if they can see how many meals they have to sell to cover the cost of such an injury, it will underline the value of investing in health and safety."
Other tools designed specifically for the hospitality industry include the Health and Safety Guide for small restaurants, pamphlets entitled Ergonomic Tips for the Hospitality Industry, and the adapted White Spot Health and Safety programs. To access any of these materials, visit the WCB web site at www.worksafebc.com.
Serving nearly two million workers and approximately 170,000 employers, the Workers' Compensation Board of B.C. is a provincial statutory agency governed by Board of Directors. The WCB is committed to a safe and healthy workplace and to providing return-to-work rehabilitation and legislated compensation benefits to workers injured as a result of their employment and to being responsible, accountable and financially sustainable.
*Injury Rate: Between 1997 and 2001, the injury rate in this sector declined from 2.6 to 2.4. The injury rate is defined as the number of accepted time-loss claims per 100 person-years of employment. For example, an injury rate of 2.4 means that for every 100 full-time workers employed in the course of a year, 2.4 were injured.
To order a CD version of the WorkSafe Safety Calculator (for Hospitality Small Business) or the Small Business Talking Safety video please contact the Small Business Service Centre at the phone numbers or email address below.
Contact information:
Small Business Service Centre
If you would like to work with the WCB, or if you would like more information about health and safety initiatives for Small Businesses, contact Small Business Services at:
E-mail:
Phone: (604) 276-3100 (ask for Small Business) in the Lower Mainland
or 1-888-621-7233, toll-free in BC.
For other contact information, visit our website at www.worksafebc.com, or call our general information line at (604) 273-2266.
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