Don’t Get Burned: The Steps to a Strong Spill Response
Accidents happen! Despite our best efforts in training and prevention, hot beverage spills occur, and can injure people. Offering to replace a spilled beverage isn’t enough, though, and employees need to respond when a spill occurs. Through strong training programs, your employees and your business can work together to prevent future hot beverage spills and burns and stop lawsuits before they even begin.
When a spill happens, here are five important steps to follow.
Get Permission to Engage:
When a spill occurs, Speak with the injured party immediately. Introduce yourself and speak with the customer to obtain consent for you to assist.
Involve Management:
Get a manager, or supervisor involved as soon as possible. Quickly elevate the situation to a member of staff with the authority to make decisions. A supervisor will stand both as a witness to the event, and as a guide of company procedure during an accident. Get assistance from other staff or nearby customers if you cannot readily leave the injured party.
Administer First Aid:
Knowing what to do when a burn occurs, may help to mitigate the injury, and provide comfort to the injured. If possible, move the injured party to a more private space. Let the customer know that removing saturated clothes may prevent the injury from developing further, as prolonged contact can increase the severity of a burn. Cool water, or damp towels may also help to mitigate a burn.
Get Help:
Call 911 for emergency aid, if the customer wishes to do so. An injured customer may refuse aide if they wish. Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians are equipped to handle burns and have the appropriate equipment to render aide for a burn.
Document and Record:
Pay close attention to the situation and do your best to record the details, documenting the people, places, and events. This may be in the form of an incident report, accident report, or other document. Make backups of any video, or order information to keep on file with the report.
Our hot beverage spill poster outlines all of the critical information staff members should record after an accident occurs, and is available in our Safety Store.
A hot beverage spill can be a real and immediate danger that requires a quick response. Employers should provide regular safety and response training anywhere that hot coffee is served, including refresher courses for long term staff. Prevention is the goal, but if an injury occurs, regular training can help an employee respond swiftly and confidently.
Visit The Safety Store to purchase hot beverage safety posters and books for your operation. Consult Dan Cox & Associates to learn about our consulting and educational seminar for your employees today.
