Getting a Grip on Restaurant Workplace Safety

The Saltwater Grille in South Portland, ME has floors with slick tiling and tight corners making working in the kitchen area somewhat tricky for front and back of the house staff.

“We have a constantly shifting floor because of how and where the restaurant is situated,” explained Executive Chef David McGuirk.

Searching for solutions, he and his team gave STABILgrippers a month-long test run.

“The product performed extremely well from day one and staff were surprised how easy they were to put on, and had no break in period. The product worked extremely well giving excellent grip through water and oil and other spillages.”

The non-slip footwear product, which can be pulled on and off any shoe and shared by employees, uses a proprietary tread and sole compound suited for a variety of indoor environments where water and grease increase the risk of slips and falls such as restaurants, breweries or dairies. It is estimated that $70 billion is spent annually to cover slip and fall injuries and they account for 85 percent of all worker’s compensation claims.

John Milburn, President of STABIL, said requiring non-slip footwear would help reduce slip and fall incidents.

“The issue with restaurants is often they don’t ‘require’ it. They recommend it, but are hesitant to mandate it because they don’t want to pay the cost. This leaves the employee having to source non-slip footwear themselves and doesn’t ensure that they have them on their feet every day. This is why so much of the restaurant business allows companies to sell directly to their employees with payroll deduction plans, etc.”

Chef McGuirk added that STABILgrippers aced his team’s one-month test.

“STABILgrippers worked extremely well and exceeded my expectations regarding safety, function, comfort, price, ease of care and application. I gave them to a few members of the front of house who loved them also. It meant they could walk through the restaurant and kitchen with a lot more confidence. A lot of servers do not purchase non-slip shoes because of price and aesthetics to which the STABILgrippers excelled on both points.”