This tool is intended for companies processing food. Typically, occupational health and safety in this sector covers safety aspects caused by working with equipment. However, this sector is characterized by multiple risk factors such as: poor ergonomics including poor work postures, repetitive movements, manual lifting of heavy weights, organic dust, chemicals used for cleaning and disinfection etc.The tool includes tips on reduction of workload and improvement of work organization, fire safety, workplace ergonomics etc. It helps reducing accidents at work and enables better prevention against occupational diseases. Using the tool contributes to keep workers healthy, motivated and with good work ability.

The HORECA sector (hotel, restaurant, café) encompasses a wide variety of workplaces and workers from this sector are exposed to a series of occupational hazards. The most important risks relate among others to slips and trips, burns, hazardous substances and stress.Occupational safety and health (OSH) management is essential not only to create healthy workplaces but also to reduce costs and other negative consequences of work related accidents and sick leaves. Risk assessment is the cornerstone of OSH management and helps employers to identify the risks and take appropriate measures. Therefore, the Social Partners of the European HORECA sector, EFFAT (European Federation of Food, Agriculture and Tourism Trade Unions) and Hotrec (Association of Hotels, Restaurants, Pubs and Cafes) have developed together an OiRA tool to support small and medium sized companies in the proper management of occupational health and safety risks. The tool has been developed at EU level and serves as a basis when developing an OiRA HORECA tool at national level. Useful information on how the EU directives have been transposed into all national legislations can be found on the website of EU-OSHA.  

This OiRA tool focuses on the most common occupational health and safety hazards facing workers in the catering industry, such as manual handling, posture, catering equipment / tools, work environment, psychosocial risks e.g. due to increasing work demands, irregular schedules and regular contact with customers. The tool will help users to identify the risks in one’s company and offers measures to deal with them. This generic OiRA tool is intended for micro and small enterprises engaged in the catering sector.

This tool is for hotels and restaurants. The main hazards of these activities are manual handling, slips, falls, trips and psychological factors as well as hot surfaces and biological factors. In order to minimize these risks, the key preventive measures are training, job re-placement, knowledge of stress relief principles and etc.

This tool is intended to the companies from the HORECA (hotels, restaurants and cafes) sector: the content is based on the INRS brochures ED 6081 - Réceptionniste en hôtellerie      ED 991 - Femme de chambre et valet dans l'hôtellerie ED 6082 - Rénovation des hôtels - Repères pour la sécurité au travail et la santé du personnel ED 6033 - Lingère, linger et équipier dans l'hôtellerie  It was developed jointly by prevention organisations (INRS, CARSAT ...) and actors from the sector (professional organisations ...).

Safety and health and risk prevention at work are not only legal obligations but also a business necessity. They safeguard and protect workers' safety and health and the viability of the business. It is always very important to assess the risks and take appropriate preventive and control measures to avoid accidents and health problems. This tool helps identify and evaluate working conditions in restaurants and coffee shops. Questions are grouped by topic and advice is given to improve workplace conditions.