Conditions Causing Burn Injuries in Food Service Workers

Background: Though occupational burns are common in food service workers, most published reports come from surveillance data that do not contain detailed information about the circumstances leading to injury. This project describes the demographics and circumstances leading to burn injury of food service workers at a major airport, and suggests preventive measures. Methods: Injury data was obtained from medical records of an on-site clinic at a major metropolitan airport from 2002-2005 (N=130). Results: The majority of food service workers incurring burn injury were women (77%), Hispanic (58%), with an average age of 33 (+13) years old. Burns were evenly split between first and second degree, with upper extremity scald burns being most common. Conclusions: Preventive measures suggested based on injury patterns identified include: redesign of coffee cups and machines, use of gloves and splash guards, and review of hazardous traffic patterns.