Safety first - in hospitality industry too

SINGAPORE - Safety matters, not just on construction sites or factory floors, but in hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions, too. This was the message on Wednesday during the WSH Challenge for the hospitality and entertainment industry.

At Resorts World Sentosa, teams of staff and students raced from station to station, cleaning spills, balancing trays and fixing light bulbs - scoring points on speed as well as safety.

"It's learning while having fun," said Mandarin Oriental security officer Muhammad Azhar Iderus, 27, who was part of the winning team.

This was the first event held by the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council's Hospitality and Entertainment Industries Committee since it was formed in June last year.

Workplace safety in these sectors is especially important, said WSH Council chairman Lee Tzu Yang, "given the industry's diverse range of workers, which includes part-timers, the young and also the less experienced".

Injury cases in hotel and food services rose last year to 879, from 822 in 2011. The main risks are slips, trips and falls, and handling sharp objects - most of which occur in a kitchen environment, said Hospitality and Entertainment Industries committee chairman Allen Law.

To help firms, the WSH Council has launched a new Kitchen Safety and Health Pack, which was distributed at Wednesday's event. Copies will also be mailed to firms.

Produced with support from the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the pack consists of safety posters, stickers and a handbook on good kitchen practices.

Tips include having anti-slip mats and washing sharp objects separately.

There are also safety checklists, for instance, when working in a cold environment or handling hot objects.

Said Mr Law: "The kitchen is a higher-risk area and our No. 1 concern."

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