Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Working on a food truck can be fun. There is so much camaraderie between employees because of the tight quarters, and the fast-paced environment keeps everyone on their toes.

However, the things that make working on a food truck fun are the same things that can make the job dangerous. There are a number of common food truck injuries that can happen to workers such as burns, cuts, slips and falls, smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion.

Fortunately, there are ways to prevent most of the injuries and to keep everyone safe, happy and healthy. Read on to learn about potential dangers to food truck workers and how to keep them from causing harm.

1. Burns

One of the most common restaurant injuries is burns. Because of the limited space inside a food truck, and the large percentage of open cooking space, food truck workers are even more susceptible to them. Some burns are minor, but some can be very severe.

In order to prevent burn accidents in your food truck, there are steps you can take. First, avoid overcrowding on range tops and keep those pot handles turned in. Employees should not wear loose clothing or flammable fabrics. 

2. Cuts

Cuts are also very common in the foodservice industry due to the heavy presence of sharp knives, and it is one more emergency that can happen on board. Other cutting equipment such as slicers and graters can also cause painful cuts and puncture wounds.

To keep food truck employees safe from cuts, be sure to provide proper storage spaces for all sharp objects so they are never left out on counters when not in use. Provide knives that are the appropriate size for the work. Keep them sharp so they are easy to use without extra pressure. 

3. Slips and Falls

Slips and falls can happen anywhere but in a small, hard-to-maneuver space like a food truck, they are even more likely. These types of accidents can be compounded by someone putting their hand on a hot stove to catch themselves or hitting their head on the way down. It’s better to prevent these sorts of food truck injuries before they occur.

Spills should be cleaned up immediately no matter how long the line outside becomes. Safety is your number one priority. Non-slip matting on the floors will help with traction, but keeping the main aisle clear at all times will help workers to avoid falls even more. 

4. Car Accidents

Most of the time your food truck will be parked, but don’t forget that it is also a motor vehicle and a large one at that. Blind spots can be a problem so installing large back-up mirrors can help you to prevent accidents. All passengers should be seated and should wear a seatbelt while the food truck is in motion.

Prevent Food Truck Injuries

There are many food truck injuries that can occur in a lively food truck atmosphere, but avoiding them is a goal all workers should have. The majority of food truck injuries are avoidable with proper vigilance and prevention, so take the steps necessary to keep you and other food truck staff members safe.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

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The post 4 Most Common Food Truck Injuries and How to Prevent Them appeared first on Custom Concessions.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were over 2.5 million US worksite injuries in a single year in 2017. That translates into three employees injured at work per every 100 full-time workers in this country. As a food truck or food trailer employer, you too are legally required to compensate for medical expenses if an employee is injured while working in one of your vehicles.

In this post, you can learn about your responsibilities as an employer if there is an injury on your truck during work hours.

Workers’ Compensation Defined

Workers’ compensation guarantees that workers hurt on the job will receive payment to help cover their medical expenses. These laws exist in every US state so that employees won’t need to sue their company to help with medical reimbursements.

There are currently more than 140 million US workers covered by workers’ compensation insurance. The total cost for workers’ comp insurance to US businesses is well over $90 billion.

Workers’ compensation only concerns injuries that happen within the employer’s property. This property includes your food truck. In most states, under workers’ compensation statutes, businesses must secure a workers’ compensation insurance policy before they can start doing business.

These type of state regulations were first passed in 1902. By 1949, every US state had approved their own versions of workers’ compensation laws to protect their own employees.

Each state has their own version of workers’ compensation laws. That’s why you’ll find that these laws vary from state to state. There are also special compensation laws for employees in specific industries such as the railway industry or federal government workers.

Workers’ Comp Process Explained

Although all US states have their own individual workers’ compensation regulations, most workers’ comp claim procedures contain include some of these common steps:

Prevention

Prevention will be your best way to protect workers from injuries ever occurring in the first place. Create your own emergency response plan that spells out the importance of workplace safety and how to reduce risks.

These response plans can address various accident types that might occur and how to respond to them. You should also keep emergency contact information on file for each of your workers.

Coach your workers and supervisors on how to identify worksite hazards. Post 911 emergency contact information inside your vehicles for your employees to use if the need arises.

Act Immediately

Once you know there is an injured employee on your food truck, transfer the injured worker to a safe place. Direct your other workers to evacuate the dangerous area as well.

A fast response will reduce the severity of your worker’s injury. Your swift movement might also reduce how much the injury ends up costing your company.

Administer first aid to the injured worker. Always keep first aid supplies accessible on the vehicle at all times, and make sure your workers know where they are. If the injured food truck employee needs attention beyond any basic first aid, call an emergency medical crew to the site immediately.

Collect the Facts and Other Evidence

Evidence will play a central role in how the workers’ comp claim process evolves. Write down the important details about the injury incident that occurred. Take your own pictures of the equipment or area where the injury took place.

If there was a witness that saw the accident, collect their testimony as well. Collected updates periodically after the injury and keep them filed. These updates might be useful if your worker later notes delayed onset injuries.

All injuries should be documented even if your workers say that they feel fine. They may feel fine in the present moment, but later on, they might get medical attention if their condition changes. This documentation will also be important if they decide to file a workers’ compensation insurance claim at a later date.

Receive Your Employee’s Notification

If your employee was injured while you were away, ask them to submit a description of their sustained injury in writing. Some state workers’ comp statutes will have statutory deadlines for injured workers to inform their employer that they were injured.

When your employee notifies you about their accident, be sure the notification includes these following details:

1. Accident time, date, and location
2. How the accident took place
3. Any other individual or witness involved at the accident site
4. The extent of their injuries
5. Status of any medical care they’ve received to date for their injuries

They will also need to have these details if they eventually decide to file a workers’ compensation claim.

Submitting a Workers’ Comp Claim

You can work together with your injured employee to file their workers’ comp claim with your business’s insurance provider. Your insurance provider might ask their own workers’ compensation physician to exam the injured worker. Another workers’ comp procedure includes mailing copies of the claim to workers’ compensation board of the state where the accident occurred.

When your insurance company and the workers’ compensation board are done reviewing the claim, they’ll contact the injured worker. They let the worker know if their claim is approved and what amount of reimbursement they will receive.

It will be in your own best interest to keep an open channel of communication between you and your injured worker. You should also be sure to maintain contact with the injured worker’s physician, claims adjuster, and insurance agent. This constant contact can help speed up the claims process, and allow the injured worker to receive the funds they need to pay for their treatments.

What Happens Next: Possible Outcomes

A worker can reopen their workers’ comp claim after it has been finalized if they believe they have good reason to request more compensation. If additional compensation is denied and your worker decides to sue, be helpful and transmit any pertinent information you might have to their attorneys or claims adjuster.

Being Prepared for an Injured Food Truck Employee

The ideal way to protect your workers and your business is to draft written documentation in advance that spells out your workers’ comp claim protocols. This documentation might also provide helpful guidance to your workers on your return-to-work policy. Give this information to all existing and new workers.

Keep your vehicles stocked with current first aid supplies in case someone is injured at work. If a workers’ comp claim is filed, stay helpful and cooperative as you and your employee navigate the process. Keep your cool and you can help protect your company from additional liability.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post What to Do When an Employee is Injured at Work: A Guide for Food Truck Owners appeared first on Custom Concessions.

Photo: Rawpixel

You finally have accomplished your dream of owning your own business, a food truck. You researched ways to start a food truck business, did a ton of work to get it going, and now you’re the happy owner of your own mobile business. 

But food trucks are not immune to problems. A myriad of things can go wrong in the blink of an eye. Knowing what can go wrong will help you know how to handle a food truck emergency.

What Could Go Wrong on a Food Truck?

The same things that happen to a traditional restaurant could happen to a food truck. So to avoid emergencies, you need to imagine them first. Research restaurant emergencies, and then picture them on your truck. Check out these potential food truck emergencies, and then take a look at the solutions provided below.

Power Emergency

A power outage spells trouble for a traditional restaurant. Food will spoil without adequate refrigeration. 

The same goes for a food truck. If this happens, you will find yourself with compromised products. According to the FDA, you have four hours before refrigerated food spoils if you do not open the refrigerator.

Inadequate Change

Not having the appropriate change for a customer qualifies as an emergency that will negatively affect your business. When a customer gives you a twenty-dollar bill, you need to have adequate change or you will immediately gain a reputation of inefficiency and inexperience. 

Inconsistent Taste

You are a great cook, and you can make amazing food. But then your customers begin to complain: the food doesn’t have the same zing it did before. It’s bland or too salty. 

Inconsistent taste can detract from customer experience and give you a reputation that you’ll not recover from quickly.  

Physical Harm

The same kitchen accidents that happen in a traditional kitchen can easily happen in a food truck. In fact, the small quarters make accidents even more likely.

A knife slips, grease splatters, a kitchen fire breaks out, or an employee slips on a slick floor. All of these could shut a truck down indefinitely. 

Robbery and Theft

Whenever you run a business, you’re at risk for robbery.

Food trucks make an easy target, especially if you’re servicing customers late at night. Many food trucks run late-night hours for bar patrons looking for a bite to eat on their way home or concertgoers who need a late-night snack. In some cases, you’re a sitting duck in a darkened area, waiting for someone to hold you up. 

Dwindling Business

You may have had a booming success at the start when curious individuals patronized you. But now you’re noticing no return customers, and business as a whole is dwindling.

This truly is a food truck emergency because you need revenue to run your truck. And you cannot pay yourself, your bills, or your employees if you do not have customers, no matter how well you manage your money.

How to Respond to a Food Truck Emergency

Knowing your potential emergencies is the first step to the solution. Planning for such emergencies is the next step. 

Have Backup Power

Most food trucks have the option to use a generator or hook up to electrical shore power, when available. Invest early on in a reliable generator that will run your entire truck. Make sure to have both your shore power cable and back up generator fuel available.

You’ll also want to test your generator regularly so you can fire it right up when you really do need it. 

Keep Cash on Hand and Go Digital

Make the plan to never run out of change by having an adequate amount of cash on hand. Go to the bank daily, and keep a fixed amount of cash in your drawer every day. 

However, don’t keep too much cash in your vehicle in case of a robbery. Make a bank deposit daily. This way, if a robber does target your business, you will lose only a small amount of your overall profits. 

Also, invest in a credit card reader. Even a simple set up like a Square will help make your business less like a neighborhood lemonade stand and more like a corner diner. 

Scout Out a Location

The right location will deter would-be thieves and potentially boost your client numbers as well. Look for a well-lit area with a roaming police force nearby. You can help feed the boys in blue and keep your business safe at the same time.

Stay Consistent to Stay Tasty

Once you develop your secret recipes, write them down. Then make sure you’re using the same brand of ingredients whenever you cook. Keeping the same brand and following the recipe’s precise details will ensure a consistent product every day. This will boost your reputation as a great food truck with consistently tasty food.

Plan on tasting your food every day to make sure the quality stays the same. If you are the cook, it’s important to make sure you haven’t missed something. And if someone else is cooking, you need to make sure that your cooks are not fudging the recipe.  

Post and Practice Emergency Procedures

Have a plan for physical emergencies, and practice a dry run of that plan. Keep your safety protocols posted in the truck for all employees, like making sure burners or gas lines are turned off. 

Plan staff emergency training, even if your business consists of just you and your family. Make sure everyone knows what to do if there is a fire in the truck or if another physical emergency occurs. 

Keep a fire extinguisher handy and current. Write a note on your calendar or set a reminder in your phone for close to the expiration date to make sure you never have an old extinguisher. 

It is also essential to keep a well-stocked first aid kit, with the essentials to address kitchen related accidents, like burns or cuts.

To avoid kitchen emergencies, consider the flow of your kitchen. A small space can lead to more accidents, so having a set work pattern and a smooth flow will help you avoid problems and also increase your efficiency. 

Know Your Market

To fight dwindling business, research your potential customer. Understand who you serve at your location, and make sure you have food your potential customers will be interested in eating.

Know your community and park in an area where you’ll have a good customer base.

There are lots of strategies you can implement to grow your food truck business. 

Stay Fresh

To keep your customers coming and avoid declining clientele, make your food, your packaging, your service, or your delivery unique. Ask yourself: “What will make my business stand apart from the others?” 

Prepare for the Worst

By understanding possible food truck emergency you may face, you can plan solutions that will help you avoid a disaster.

Want more food truck advice? Check out more blog posts here!

Thinking about starting a food truck? Request a free custom quote and one of our food truck specialists will help you design the truck of your dreams.

Stay up to date on everything Custom Concessions has to offer! Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

The post How to Respond When You Face a Food Truck Emergency appeared first on Custom Concessions.