Alexis HullAlexis Hull
18:15 28 Nov 23
Coast Linen Services is fantastic! Customer service is friendly and helpful and the delivery staff is great! Highly recommend. - Stage House Tavern Scotch Plains
AngelAngel
22:39 16 Nov 23
From Basking Ridge Country Club. Good Service. Great attentiveness. Great drivers. Good product.
christopher cerretochristopher cerreto
20:25 13 Nov 23
Tommy's Tavern and Tap Edison uses Coast Laundry services and they do a great job for us. Always deliver on time and adjust our pars based on our volume. I would recommend them for sure.
Matt BeyerMatt Beyer
18:58 13 Nov 23
Amazing service as always. I’m a General Manager of a Tio Taco & Tequila Bar and I cannot explain what a comfort it is to have a reliable Linen company taking care of our business. Gabriel is THE BEST driver and we’re always well taken care of!!
Christian MercadoChristian Mercado
19:49 16 Oct 23
Coast Linen Services is an awesome company and it makes sense because of there 5 star customer service. I’ve been managing Esquína Latina for 3 years now and I’ve never had an issue. The driver Gabrielle as well is phenomenal, he will go above and beyond to ensure your order is correct. If your missing anything he will make sure you get it the next day. The restaurant has used them since they’ve been open (8 years) and will continue because loyalty is key and their entire company from top to bottom starting with Bobby who regularly checks in with me, are as loyal as they come .
Alexandra BongioviAlexandra Bongiovi
21:38 29 Sep 23
I've been a loyal customer of this linen company for some time now, and I can't say enough about their excellent service. Tony, one of their top professionals, has consistently gone above and beyond to meet our needs. We have multiple accounts with them, and I can confidently say that we've never encountered any issues. If you're in search of a reliable linen supplier, look no further. This company truly delivers outstanding service.
PeterPeter
19:45 29 Sep 23
As an employee of Sol Mar Restaurant, I couldn't be happier with our partnership with Coast Linen. Their top-notch linens and Tony exceptional service have been a game-changer for our events. Luis's responsiveness and expertise make all the difference when we're in a pinch. Highly recommended!
Mike RodriguezMike Rodriguez
14:47 27 Sep 23
I've done business with these guys for 8 years at all my restaurants. Service is second to none! Tony has been outstanding. At my newest restaurant I tried out a competitor of theirs, but shortly after opening I realized how inferior their service was compared to Coast. Only few months I reached out to Tony to make the switch. I recommend Coast Linen Svc. for all your linen needs and more.-Michael
Jesus PerezJesus Perez
02:38 21 Sep 23
I have been doing business with Coast Linen at Spain Inn Restaurant (Piscataway, NJ) and at Manolo Tapas (NYC) for almost 15 years and their service is incomparable. From their sales representatives (Bobby and Martin), office staff and delivery team. I could not ask for a more attentive, professional and personalized service. They carry an extensive product list and go out of their way to always have everything in stock. It makes our job so much easier knowing that they are always reliable.
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Restaurant Health and Safety for Young Workers

Restaurant Health and Safety for Young Workers

According to the OSHA, nearly 30% of the over 11 million restaurant industry workers in America are under 20 years old. This number is not surprising, as jobs in the food industry – from bussing and waiting tables to working in the food prep section and dishwashing – rank among the top jobs for teenagers. 

This is primarily because of the various opportunities and ease in hiring that the food industry presents younger workers.

But just as there is an abundance of work opportunities in the restaurant industry for youngsters, the commercial kitchen is also rife with restaurant health and safety hazards. With youthful inexperience, these risks are just accidents and injuries waiting to happen.  

How exactly do you make sure that your workers, especially the younger ones, are protected against the common injuries in the commercial kitchen, and promote overall restaurant health and safety?

Identifying Common Hazards

Adequate protection against workplace hazards begins with identifying where and what these dangers are. The OSHA has identified some of the most common and notorious risks in the commercial kitchen setup. Here are just a few of them!

Workplace Violence

In the ideal world, restaurants are peaceful places. But this is not always the case. Restaurant workers are vulnerable to workplace violence, both from conflicts between co-workers and aggression from customers like this much-publicized brawl between a fast food worker and customer.

How to protect your employees: Aside from making sure your restaurant has adequate security personnel, it is important to train all your employees – especially those within management capacity – on how to handle conflicts. Your workers must be able to identify the common causes of violence in restaurants and act accordingly, prioritizing the welfare and safety of your restaurant crew and other customers.  

Electrical Hazards

Electrical hazards in the restaurant kitchen can range from poor cleaning practices and improper use of electric cooking equipment to faulty wiring and electrical outlets.  

How to protect your employees: Aside from ensuring that each of your employees knows and understands standard electrical safety measures, it is important to ensure that:

– Your sockets and switches, plus electrical cords, are nowhere near water sources

– Your electrical system is regularly checked and maintained – especially the wirings

– Your electrical equipment is regularly inspected by professionals to ensure integrity and safety

– You do not overload circuits and power points

– You do not DIY anything concerning electrical connections

– You invest in safety switches

Chemicals

Though not quite as common as fire or cut hazards, restaurant workers are still exposed to chemical injury through the improper use of cleaning agents.

How to protect your employees: Make sure that any chemical is stored properly and according to manufacturer’s standards and away from your food preparation areas. It is also important to equip your workers with the right protective gear for whenever they have to handle chemical substances.

Prolonged Standing

Prolonged standing is the norm in practically every restaurant position – from the cashiers and the hosts to the people manning the counters to the back of the house. And this practice has been associated to a whole list of health risks including chronic pain in the lower back and extremities, varicose veins, and stiffness of the neck and shoulder muscles to name a few.

How to protect your employees: Create a schedule that allows your employees to take sufficient breaks to be able to rest their legs. And because prolonged standing is likely inevitable in many positions in your operations, make sure to equip your floors with ergonomically-friendly anti-fatigue mats to alleviate pressure and exhaustion to the back and lower extremities.

Fire Hazards

It goes without saying that a busy kitchen, with multiple burners and ovens working all at once and a mass of fast-moving people working round-the-clock, is vulnerable to fire hazards. Fires in food establishments account for 6% of all non-residential building fires every year. And while these fires are not necessarily large and cause fatalities, the smallest fire damage is costly and bad for your business.  

How to protect your employees: There are so many sources of fire hazards in a restaurant, which is why it is important to understand the basics of fire safety in a restaurant. This includes staff training not only for new and incoming employees, but a regular brush-up of fire safety skills for every employee across the different departments of your workplace. It is also important to have professionals assess your building’s vulnerability to fires, identify the risks, and create plans to address these fire hazards in your business.

Knives and Other Sharp Objects

The restaurant kitchen’s large selection of knives and massive equipment in food preparation poses dangers of getting cuts, accidental amputations, and/or getting crushed by large machines.

How to protect your employees: Make sure that large and/or dangerous machinery is attended to only by properly-trained professionals and that they are in the right physical and mental condition when handling large equipment. To ensure protection against sharp and heavy objects in restaurants, especially by young workers, make sure that everyone receives proper training.

Burns and Scalds

From boiling water to scalding hot oil to sizzling plates and hot pans, burns and scalds are some of the biggest and most common dangers that restaurant employees – even the seasoned ones – experience on a regular basis.  

How to protect your employees: Aside from a floor layout that allows for adequate room for moving around in the kitchen, it is just as important to provide your employees with necessary tools to help in handling hot objects and surfaces. This includes heat-resistant gloves, kitchen towels, and silicon pot holders, among other things.

Slips, Trips and Falls

Spills and greasy floors are synonymous with running a restaurant – and without prompt and proper cleaning, dangerous slips, trips, and falls are inevitable. Aside from moisture and grease, improperly installed carpets and mats as well as poor floor planning and storage are also notorious for causing slips and falls.

How to protect your employees: Make sure that the personnel in your restaurant attend to spills and grease on the floor quickly and properly using the right cleaning tools like wet mops and dust mops. On top of that, make sure to invest in a floor mat rental program that not only delivers reliable anti-slip floor mats but also regularly replaces your floor mats before wear and tear and heavy foot traffic render them unsafe.

How to Protect Young Restaurant Workers

Inexperience and lack of supervision are two of the biggest risks to young restaurant workers. Here’s how you can prepare them better for the challenges posed by the workplace:

 – Training and Supervision. Provide adequate training and supervision to your young workers – from proper handling of breakables, equipment, and tools, to proper responses in cases of emergency.

 – Observance of Industry Standards on Safety Across All Departments. Enforce strict compliance of safety standards across every level of your operations.

 – First-Aid Skills. Should emergencies arise, e.g. grease fires, electrical shocks, cuts, sprains, falls, etc., it is important that every employee has at least a basic knowledge of first aid and emergency response.

 – Uniforms. The right apparel in the kitchen is designed to provide some level of protection to the wearer while immersed in the risks in the workplace. Make sure to get high-quality uniforms that are as durable as they are comfortable to wear.

 – Mats. Floor mats are easily any workplace’s first defense against slip, trip, and fall accidents. Make sure to get ones that are of the perfect size and feature adequate rubber backing for optimum protection.  

Make Restaurant Health and Safety a Habit!

Don’t let the restaurant health and safety hazards that come with the job hinder your business growth. Education and prudence are your best protection for your workers. For more information about working with young employees in restaurants, you may refer to the previous links. 

Contact Coast Linen Services For Restaurant Safety Materials

Keep the variable in the kitchen to a minimum with services offered by Coast Linen. For more information, give us a call at (732) 775-2000.

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