AmTrust: Restaurant injuries cost employees 30 days of work on average

AmTrust Financial Services has released a new report that finds that injured restaurant workers miss an average of 30 days of work.

The AmTrust Restaurant Risk Report is based on more than 84,006 claims AmTrust collected from restaurant clients between 2013 and 2017.

Highlights of the report include:

• Cuts, punctures and/or scrapes account for a third of all restaurant claims reported.
• Although injuries from sharp objects caused the most reported claims, falls and slips resulted in $198.4 million in claims paid – 4.5 times more in paid losses than for cuts, punctures or scrapes.
• Among restaurant types, cafes and coffee shops yield the highest levels of lost time – 45% more time lost than other types.
• Among coffee shop workers, wrist injuries are the biggest danger; the so-called “barista wrist” results in an average of 366 days to return to work.
• The top states with the highest average lost time are Vermont, New Jersey, Indiana, Mississippi, and Idaho.
• The states with the lowest average are Ohio, Michigan, North Dakota, Wyoming and Washington.
• BBQ restaurants have the highest days lost for “strains from lifting,” with an average of 65.9 days out.

“Employee safety is a priority and, in this competitive environment where restaurants are vying for qualified employees, it is difficult when accidents and injuries cause time away from work,” commented AmTrust senior vice-president and workers’ compensation product manager Matt Zender. “We felt that it was important to identify commons claims across the industry and offer suggestions to help restaurant owners protect their business and employees from work-related accidents.”

The study also found that restaurant claims increase during the summer months – considered peak season for many restaurants. During summer, there are roughly 4% to 5% more employees on staff in June, July and August compared to other months, AmTrust observed. For 2017, July saw the highest number of claims, with 13% more claims than an average month.