Hospitality workers face many dangerous workplace conditions each day. Many accidents that happen in California are preventable through increased safety measures and employer/employee training. Hospitality accident prevention training in California can include courses, videos, and guides.
The goal of accident prevention training is to avoid preventable accidents and illnesses for California employees working in the hospitality industry.
What Types of Safety Training is Available in California?
If employees are fully aware of possible hazards at work, they are less likely to be hurt or become ill. If you’re an employee or company wanting to prevent injuries and illnesses, there are several options available to you.
Courses
Courses address workplace safety, including the following:
- Hospitality Health & Safety Manager Certificate – this certificate program from CSUDH OSHA includes required and elective courses
- California Workplace Violence Prevention Training – this course from TrainingABC focuses on risk management, common workplace issues, and violence awareness
- WOSHTEP offers free half-day IIPP trainings for small businesses to learn how to develop and implement an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program (as required in California). The WOSHTEP trainings are usually co-taught with a CalOSHA Consultation guide.
- WOSHTEP also offers a half-day IIPP training class designed for staffing agencies that place workers in the workplaces of other employers. WOSHTEP trainings review the expectations and responsibilities of the host employer and the staffing agency in order to protect temporary employees.
Videos
- An online video source called Hospitality Safety Training Videos provides videos from AmTrust Financial, which include a guide, an online quiz, and a certificate of completion at its conclusion
Guides
Informative guides are available to help make sure your hospitality industry employees are safe and healthy at work. Available guides include:
- The Restaurant Employees Workplace Safety & Health Guide. This guide from the Labor Occupational Health Program (LOHP) includes helpful tip sheets, checklists, and important safety precautions
- Workplace Violence Prevention Program (or WVPP) Development Guide and FAQs. This helpful guide from the California Hotel & Lodging Association helps create and implement a baseline violence prevention plan for the workplace
Other Resources
Additionally, other resources can be helpful to address preventable accidents. To help prevent commonly occurring musculoskeletal injuries for employers, Cal/OSHA established the Hotel Housekeeping Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention regulation, which requires employees to create a Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention Program (MIPP) to address hazards that are specific to housekeepers.
Also, the California Code of Regulations created an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP), which is a written workplace safety program. Each California employer must establish and maintain this safety program. All California businesses must have an IIPP in place to help prevent work-related injuries and illnesses. The company’s program must be written down and easily accessible by employees.
To be effective and compliant, an IIPP must include the following elements:
- Responsibility
- Compliance
- Communication
- Hazard assessment
- Accident/exposure investigation
- Hazard correction
- Training and instruction
- Employee access to the written IIPP
- Recordkeeping
The benefits of an IIPP include higher employee morale, better workplace safety, increased employee productivity, and lower business costs.
OSHA enforces the IIPP requirements and ensures compliance through inspections. Employers who fail to comply with the IIPP requirements can face higher medical care costs for employees, increased workers’ comp insurance premiums, and even legal claims if employees continue to get hurt in preventable accidents.
California workplace safety information is available at many reliable websites, including the following:
- General information: dir.ca.gov/dosh
- Cal/OSHA regulations: dir.ca.gov/samples/search/query.htm
- Cal/OSHA safety and health publications: dir.ca.gov/dosh/puborder.asp
Reasons to Address Workplace Safety as an Employer
Safety programs are a helpful way to effectively prevent workplace injuries/illnesses. Plus, they often reduce business costs. Most employers know about the direct costs of employee injuries/illnesses, but there may be hidden costs, like:
- Interrupted business operations
- Productivity loss
- Repair and replacement costs for damaged equipment
- Reduced morale of employees
Through effective implementation of an IIPP, you can reduce the risk of accident-related losses. It’s demonstrably important to integrate safety into your workplace.
FAQs
Q: What Are the Most Common Cal/OSHA violations?
A: In California, the most common Cal/OSHA violations include failing to implement an IIPP program, improper cold storage rooms, obstructed aisles or walkways, trip and slip hazards in kitchen areas, and not reporting a serious injury or fatality to Cal/OSHA.
The Workplace Safety and Health Guide can help provide specific steps for ensuring your workplace is Cal/OSHA compliant and help avoid employee injuries.
Q: Which Employers Must Have an IIPP in California?
A: All California employees must have and enforce an Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP), pursuant to the California Code of Regulations. All California businesses must have a written IIPP to help address workplace injuries and prevent work-related accidents. Cal/OSHA enforces the requirements of the IIPP and conducts inspections to ensure compliance with the program.
Q: What Are the Most Common Types of Accident Investigations?
A: Cal/OSHA conducted numerous serious accident investigations, including fatalities. The most common hazards were burns (18%), falls (13%), amputations (8%), chemical exposure (6%), lacerations, crushes, electric shock, and accidents involving vehicles. If you need help investigating your workplace accident, consider consulting a local hospitality accident lawyer who is experienced in helping injured employees collect compensation and seek justice for their damages.
Q: What Should I Do If I’ve Been in a Workplace Accident?
A: If you’ve been in an accident at work, it’s important to get immediate medical care. Report your injury to your workplace, as your employer can provide you with information about an approved healthcare provider that can preserve your right to pursue benefits through workers’ compensation. For workers’ comp, you must report your workplace injury within 30 days.
If your employer doesn’t provide this information, you can use this online tool for locating nearby emergency services.
Contact California Attorneys With Experience Handling Hospitality Industry Accident Matters
If you were hurt in a workplace accident and are wondering what steps to take next, contact English Lloyd & Armenta for reliable legal help. We are ready to discuss any questions you have about workplace safety laws, and we can explore all available legal options to address your injuries.
Contact our office right away to schedule a confidential consultation with an attorney.