Providing safety in a restaurant or any other service sector business isn’t an option, in fact, it is a legal obligation. Although many restaurants –including mega fast-food chains- commercialise their products as healthily, food safety standards are enforced by the laws. However, these are not the business’s only duty. The consumer journey should be thoroughly flawless. This means, the shopping duration of the visitor/customer should be of standards. This includes the interior safety of the restaurant, the quality of the product served to the customer and any other safety breaches. Under the public liability laws, a lawsuit can be filed against the business if the visitor sustains an injury or an illness due to the business’s fault.

Restaurants, Pubs and Nightclubs Can Involve Danger If Not Maintained Correctly

Especially in businesses such as nightclubs and restaurants where the visitor circulation is very dense, accidents are more likely to occur. The reason can be the contaminated products, water leakages and lack of maintenance.

• Contaminated food can cause medical conditions beyond our thoughts. Although generally, food poisoning is a painful but non-fatal disease, more serious infections such as Salmonella and E. coli can damage the victim permanently. Pregnant, children, toddlers, elderly people and those with weaker immune systems can sustain more than minor medical conditions as a result of food poisoning. Lately, vegetables such as roman lettuce, meat products, fruits, sprouts, eggs and dairy products have been the reason for many salmonella-related hospitalisations.
• Accidents resulting from human factor is another fact that should be studied well before opening a business to the public. Even if the business management values their customers’ wellbeing, recklessness for a minute can result in a disaster. The employee in the business environment should be aware of risk factors that may suddenly appear. The most common example of these accidents is the slip and fall accidents. Once a water spillage is detected, the business should take instant action. Failing to do so even for a minute can result in accidents on great scales. The human error factor isn’t only limited to slip and fall accidents. In concert halls, nightclubs, bakeries, theme parks and any other businesses that are accessible by the public, fire and electricity should be used responsibly for entertainment purposes. Entertainment equipment powered by electricity caused many occasions where visitors sustained third-degree burn injuries.
• Maintenance is an unignorable and necessary factor for all businesses. Outdated, damaged and nondurable objects mounted to ceilings and walls can lead to falling objects. Recently, many businesses decorated the interior with an unnecessary amount of decoration objects to provide their customers with a thematic experience. Mostly found in restaurants and pubs, these decorations should be inaccessible and unreachable by the visitors. Even if the intention of the business is to provide an enjoyable environment, these decorations can be fragile and unbalanced. Which are notorious reasons for causing accidents.

Legal Perspective

Under the laws, these facts mentioned above are not recommendations for businesses. These are rules and regulations enforced by governments and laws. This does not mean that businesses shouldn’t use decorations or any other entertaining objects in the service area. The usage of this equipment and decorations should be performed responsibly. If these duties are breached and if a customer or a visitor sustains a loss as a result of a similar occasion, the business will be liable for the accident. Under the personal injury laws, the victim’s loss is to be compensated by the liable party or their insurer. However, the process is quite complex especially while dealing with the harsh outcomes of these accidents. It is recommended to take a look at a detailed public liability claim guide to understand your rights.