Question

When a restaurant employee slipped on spilled soup and fell, requiring the evening off to recover, the owner realized that workplace safety was an issue to which she had not devoted much time. A friend warned the owner that if she started creating a lot of safety rules and procedures, she would lose her focus on customers and might jeopardize the future of the restaurant. The safety problem is beginning to feel like an ethical dilemma. Suggest some ways the restaurant owner might address this dilemma. What aspects of human resource management are involved?

Answer 1

The food industry is one of the booming industry and it never stops serving the customer. Due to huge competition in the market one has to be unique and different in operating this industry to grab the attention of customers. There are many factors which can be counted in this area and safety measures is one of those point.

we can take an example of an owner who is thinking about implementing the safety measures in his restaurant. While implementing the safety measures, the owner can divide it in activity wise. this can be explained below with few points.

• Cleaning, dusting and sanitising. - The customer would always want the place clean where they want to eat food. Owner needs implement the measures that restaurant is properly clean, santised, all tables and chairs are properly santised, all curtains are clean and the room has refreshing air.
• Kitchen area should be super clean and well arranged - The kitchen area is the key of presenation whenever it comes to any restaurant. Custome would always want to see hygine factor in kitchen where they are going to eat. Owner has to make sure all the things in kitchen are properly arranged, proper hygin has been maintained, all fuel equipments are well secured, emergency equipements are set, and entire kitchen staff is well dressed and presentable
• Storage - Store all the items at right termparature as per their requirement. for example cold drink, breverage or ice cream would need different temprature than other food items.

Human resource plays important role in giving training to the staff and let them know the importance of it for their own safety as well. Investing time in training staff is most effective way to keep restaurant safe.

1. Make the staff understand the food safety.
2. Make the staff understand how to operate the equipement with safety tools for example how to handle electronic products, how to use it properly and how to prevent failure
3. Make them learn how to act during emergency like fire or burn. Human resource can help them to learn how to make use of Fire safety equipment at the time of emergency and how to help others to evacuate the place
4. Help them to learn how to minimise the small problems at the kitchen
5. Give training to staff about basic service etiquette with proper alertness of surrondings, how to handle embarrassing situations with politeness, how to make customer feel like home.

HR can timely conduct such training with staff and can make practice session so that staff can understand the things practically. This will improve the service and coordianation amont them and owner. For the succussul business in food industry like restaurant, these safety measures plays key and unique roles to stand out in the market.