As the weather heats up across Europe for the summer, the HORECA industry
expands with extra staff employed in hotels, restaurants and cafés across the
continent in our favourite holiday destinations. But it's important to remember
that the sector faces its own set of hazards and risks. A newly posted OSHwiki
article on the subject highlights prevention and control measures that can be
used to prevent industry accidents.

The hotel, restaurant and catering (HORECA) sector includes a range of
businesses, such as hotels, restaurants, pubs, cafes, caterers, canteens and
fast-food takeaways. HORECA is a growing service sector within the EU economy
and a crucial job generator. Within the HORECA sector there is a wide range of
demanding jobs, such as cleaners and chefs, often placed in a similarly wide
range of vocational settings such as kitchens, hotel rooms, swimming pools,
each with its own unique set of hazards and risks.

Written by Klaus Kuhl from the Cooperation Centre in Hamburg, Germany, the
entry provides statistics on the growth of the sector and its importance to the
European economy. But it also gives figures about accidents, including fatal
ones. For example, the article interestingly points out that the rates of
accidents are much higher in smaller HORECA enterprises than in larger ones.
The article goes on to categorise the most common types of hazards and risks in
the industry, such as cuts and lacerations, burns and scalds, and also stress
and violence. In providing information about prevention and control measures,
the article gives useful links to other OSHwiki articles defining these
measures and highlights risk assessment tools that can be used by employers.

More info

AplusA-online.de - Source: European Agency for Safety and Health at Work