• What law applies
• About the hospitality and entertainment industry
• Risk management
• General hazards
  • Manual handling
  • Slips, trips and falls
  • Plant, equipment and machinery
  • Burns and scalds
  • Heat stress
  • Noise
  • Electricity
  • Hazardous substances
• Other hazard
  • Gas
  • Fire
  • Biological waste
  • Sharps
  • Violence
  • Fatigue

• Other industries
• First aid
• Electrical Safety
• Manual handling
• Noise
• Personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Risk management

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Slips, trips and falls

There is always a risk of slips and falls where food and beverages are prepared and served. These can be caused by cluttered walkways, poor lighting or busy work areas.

Ways to control hazards

• Clean up spills and dropped food immediately.
• Erect warning signs if floors are freshly mopped.
• Use floor cleaning products that remove oil and grease.
• Minimise moisture buildup on floors.
• Cover normal flooring with a non-slip material (if possible) or use non-slip mats.
• Wear non-slip shoes.
• Keep walkways free of clutter.
• Replace steps with ramps.
• Install food lowering devices.
• Restrict the number of people entering the kitchen (for example, install a servery between the kitchen and dining room).
• Install adequate lighting, especially in delivery and storage areas.
• Install roofing in the unloading area to keep rain off workers.
• Design the delivery area so unloading is done as close as possible to the storage area.

More information

Read more about manual handling.

Read the Guide to preventing slips, trips and falls.