Occupational risks for pastry shops

The pastry chef’s activity involves the production of confectionery products, from the preparation of the raw material, to the finishing of the product with icing and toppings, up to the sale. The main activities therefore concern the preparation of the doughs and creams, the cooking of the products, the filling (of cakes, pastries, brioches, etc.), the garnishing of the desserts and the delivery of the confectionery products to its customers.
However, this type of reality is often linked to frenetic work rhythms in limited spaces, in which there is little attention paid to training and the use of personal protective equipment. All factors that contribute considerably to increasing the number of accidents within food laboratories.

Accidents which in this sector, as reported by INAIL data, are still recorded very frequently: in fact, one in three accidents occurs in pastry shops, bakeries, ice cream parlors and restaurants and the most frequent causes are due to slips, sudden movements or improper use of tools and equipment, which can cause serious damage to the spine, ankles or hands of the owners of the business and their collaborators.

Taking place most of the working time within the production laboratory, i main risks that a pastry chef might run into are:

• Burns caused by incorrect use of electric ovens and microwaves or by contact with hot surfaces, boiling liquids, hot vapours;
• Bumps, slips and falls due to the presence of misplaced objects, dirty, slippery or damaged floors and the use of unsuitable shoes;
• Cut wounds, mainly to the hands, due to the incorrect use of tools such as knives;
• Incorrect manual handling of loads during loading/unloading and goods storage;
• Inhalation of flour dust resulting in irritation to the respiratory tract;
• Microclimate given by unsuitable access or stay in humid, excessively hot or cold environments.

Due to an oversight, since these are food products, pastry chefs can unfortunately unintentionally cause physical problems to their customers. By mistake they could sell sweets that are poorly preserved or contain allergens that can cause a buyer to become ill. Or, due to an unwary supplier, poor quality ingredients could be used which can cause ailments.

Not only that, the pastry shop, laboratory, machinery and products could also experience damage. The owner could suffer theft of the goods or highly specialized and expensive tools/machinery. Or a fire, flood or power failure could damage the refrigerators, machinery and supplies in the store. Not to mention the possibility of vandalism to the detriment of the venue, such as breaking a window or forcing a door.

The unexpected events that an entrepreneur can encounter are therefore innumerable and all of them, in a more or less serious way, can jeopardize the progress of the business and the owner’s reputation. To try to limit the damage, you can implement various precautions such as:

• Keep the floor of the laboratory and other spaces dry and clean to avoid slipping;
• Segregate processes at risk of spreading dust in the work environment into separate rooms, so as to reduce the number of those exposed, or set up ventilation systems for the rooms, preventing workers from being hit by the flow;
• Carry out periodic maintenance of the machines/equipment and check the efficiency of the relevant safety devices;
• Use devices such as oven gloves and grips to pick up or move hot products, and have your employees wear safety footwear to avoid injury if materials fall on a foot or slip.

In the last year in Italy, fires occurred in more than 3,800 businesses, an increase of 7% compared to the previous year, and over 74,000 thefts were reported. This is why, in addition to taking a more attentive approach to safety within your premises, it is essential to take out insurance policies.

Lokky offers pastry shops the possibility of subscribing to various covers, tailor-made based on the needs of food traders. There Civil liability guarantee protects the insured from all risks deriving from negligent, imprudent or culpable behavior that damages something or someone. It is also possible to choose the maximum limit you prefer up to a maximum of €2 million. There Damage to Property and Contents policyinstead, it aims to protect workplaces and their contents (machinery, professional equipment, furniture, etc.). It is possible to choose a limit for damage to the building of up to €2.5 million and, for contents and goods, up to €1 million.

Furthermore, it is possible to take out various additional guarantees, such as:

• Civil Liability towards Third Partieswhich covers damage caused by what is sold or administered and bodily injury caused by food products and specialties and drinks of own production or preparation, of an artisanal nature, sold and/or administered by the insured directly to its customers;
• Refrigeration Goods Sectionwhich protects goods stored in cells, counters and refrigerated cabinets, following altered environmental conditions (failure or anomalous production or distribution of cold, leakage of refrigerant fluid, electrical failure of the refrigerator or thermostatic valve, etc.);
• Electric Phenomenonwhich protects the building and/or its contents from material and direct electrical damage, including electronic equipment;
• Fire Sectionwhich protects the commercial activity and its contents from damage caused by fires, floods and atmospheric events;
• Theft and Robbery Sectionwhich protects the baker in the event that he suffers theft of goods or assets within the shop.