Work safety in food services

Numerous activities in food services can affect worker health and safety, given that daily food preparation routines involve the use of sharp instruments, steam, hot liquids, noise, frozen items, harsh cleaning chemicals, and heavy lifting. The objective of this study was to identify relationships among work activities that affect health and safety among food service workers. The methodology consisted of an integrative review of documentary and bibliographic research, using National Classification of Economic Activities as a data collection criterion and Ministry of Labor and Employment data on work accidents in food services between 2010 and 2020. Work accidents, which may or may not be accompanied by a work accident report, are classified according to type: at work, commuting to work, or occupational illness. During the study period, 169,609 work accidents occurred among food industry workers, which was 12% of the total number of work accidents recorded nationwide in all sectors. The most frequent accident types among food service workers were cuts, burns, falls, and those due to incorrect posture. Training, best practices, professional ethics, functional planning, and periodic and preventive maintenance are important strategies for providing the best working conditions in food services.