MSDs and the hospitality and restaurant industry
In the restaurant industry, the fast-paced environment, long hours on your feet, and repetitive movements are part of daily life. Behind every dish served and every service completed, kitchen and dining staff face significant physical strain—often invisible, yet very real. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a major issue, impacting both workers’ health and business performance.
In this article, we will explore MSDs in the Hotel and Restaurant sector.
We met Valérie, a passionate restaurateur with 25 years of experience, as she shares her insights on the physical challenges of her profession.
Through her testimony, she sheds light on the risks she faces, the solutions she implements, and the importance of prevention in safeguarding both her well-being and that of her team.
Special Testimonial : Meeting with a restaurant director with 25 years of experience
Please introduce yourself and tell us about your professional background :
“My name is Valérie, and I’ve been in the restaurant industry for 28 years. I started in the dining room service, and gradually, due to the needs of the establishment, I moved into the kitchen. I manage the food preparations, desserts, service, and plating of the dishes. I am also responsible for accounting, administration, and more generally, the management of the business. For the past 28 years, I have been managing our restaurant with my husband.”
What are the main physical challenges in your profession? And have you ever experienced any pain or discomfort related to your work ?
“The main physical challenges in the restaurant industry are standing for several hours—especially in certain workstations like the bar or dishwashing area—and lifting heavy loads, such as carrying goods and raw materials. Noise pollution is also part of our daily routine: kitchen hoods, machines (peelers, dishwashers, etc.), and the noise in the dining room during a busy service.
These physical constraints lead to pain in the hands due to repetitive movements, such as peeling/cutting vegetables or drying glasses at the bar. The lifting of heavy loads is also ever-present, like taking out and putting back the glass washer multiple times per service. Then there’s also back pain from standing for long periods and leg pain (chronic tendinitis).”
In your opinion, is the issue of MSDs addressed internally in the restaurant industry, and how ?
“Yes, primarily through occupational health services. They visit the restaurant upon our request (as the employer) or when an employee requires a workstation adjustment due to physical issues or MSDs. Occupational health is also responsible for advising us on potential workplace adjustments. MSDs are indeed a topic that is being discussed more and more.”
Have you implemented any measures to reduce physical risks (MSDs, fatigue, stress)? Do you use any specific equipment to reduce physical effort ?
“Yes, for certain workstations, we have adjustable stools at the height of the work surface – this helps avoid neck pain because, in some positions, workers need to lean their heads down towards the work surface. It’s important to note that we are a restaurant that requires a large volume of preparation, which isn’t the case for every establishment.
A kitchen designer also came to remodel the kitchen to make the employees’ work easier: work surfaces at the correct height, centralization of products to reduce movement, anti-slip flooring, high-quality equipment, etc.
At our initiative (as the employer), we also opted for upgraded machines: a vegetable peeler, VarioCook (a multifunction cooking device that rises and lowers mechanically), a dishwasher with a rail-mounted basket, water hose, etc. These pieces of equipment help avoid certain strenuous tasks, like manually filling water (the machines are directly connected to a water supply, eliminating the need to carry buckets of water between the sink and the machine), adjusting the machines to a comfortable height, etc.
These machines, of course, come at a cost. The vegetable peeler and VarioCook are about €6,000 to €8,000 and around €20,000, respectively.
We also try to have our team work in pairs to reduce the physical strain of certain tasks. Our team doesn’t have strictly defined job roles, as we are a small structure (about 10 employees), so we can rotate tasks to limit the repetition of movements.”
What are the main risk factors for MSDs among employees in the hospitality/restaurant industry, and how can they prevent them ?
“In my opinion, as mentioned earlier, the main risk factors for MSDs are repetitive movements, falls, lifting heavy loads, and standing for long periods. The fast-paced nature of the hospitality/restaurant industry can also affect concentration, which increases the risk for employees.
It is essential, as much as possible (especially financially), to adapt workstations to better suit the employees. This can include the acquisition of machines (in the kitchen or dining area), anti-fatigue mats, anti-slip floors, safety shoes, etc.”
“In our establishment, the most physically demanding positions are dishwashing, manual handling, lifting heavy loads, and food preparation.
These positions require both focus and speed, especially during a service. The hands, back, and legs are particularly strained.”
Have you raised awareness of MSD risks within your team ? What do you think of the measures put in place (in general) to combat MSDs ?
“At the request of the employer or the employee, if an adjustment to the workstation is needed due to a sick leave, we call on occupational health services. We don’t have specific training for prevention as such. However, we share the DUERP (French Document about professional risks) with the employees, especially when they join the company. This document is updated every year”
Have you ever had to adjust your pace or organization due to pain or injuries ? What impact can this have on productivity and service quality ?
“Yes, due to certain sick leaves (both in my case and that of employees) caused by pain (such as lumbago or tendinitis). We have managed to reduce these absences thanks to our efforts in adapting workstations.
These absences obviously impact services, as we have to adjust roles or find a temp for the service. We have never had to close the restaurant because we have a relatively large team.
It’s also quite difficult to find a ‘less demanding’ position or to take it easy. The restaurant industry is fast-paced and hard to adjust (in relation to certain pains).”
Do you think employers and employees are sufficiently aware of the occupational risks in the restaurant industry ?
“No, clearly not. I see it when I tell certain employees to be careful because the load is heavy, and they respond, ‘No, no, I can do it.’ Sure, but the load remains heavy. For example, when the team unloads the goods, there are cases of sparkling water or wine boxes, and the weight is significant—no one is infallible. This is also true for beer kegs, which are very heavy, even when empty.
It would be useful to organize more in-depth awareness training on the physical risks of the job. Even though they are aware of the load and the potential danger, there is this pressure to move quickly in our industry.”
What message would you like to convey to industry professionals to prevent MSDs ?
“I would advise restaurants with a similar environment to ours (high-volume establishments with around ten employees and significant kitchen needs—perhaps with the same specialty) to invest in the right equipment. I would also recommend focusing on potential awareness training by professionals.”
Can you share concrete examples of MSD cases you’ve encountered in the restaurant industry, along with the lessons learned and the measures taken to address them ?
“Generally, when there’s a long-term sick leave or a work-related illness, it’s very difficult to find a suitable position in the restaurant industry. It’s a fast-paced environment, and workstations are hard to make flexible.
We have an employee who works as a dishwasher; she had to undergo carpal tunnel surgery because the pain was too severe. It wasn’t during her contract with us, but she has always worked in the restaurant industry, which led to her MSDs. The surgery went well, but the other hand will likely need surgery too.
I would recommend seeing an osteopath and training employees in the HORECA sector to raise awareness so they can take an active role in their own prevention.
As for me, I don’t think I would have stayed in the restaurant industry if I had as much pain as I do now. As a manager with my husband, the decision is more complicated than if I were an employee. I’ve learned to manage the pain, and MSDs weren’t really addressed 20 years ago.”
Conclusion
First and foremost, we would like to thank Valérie for the time she dedicated to answering our questions and sharing her experience.
This testimony highlights the physical and organizational challenges restaurant managers face when it comes to occupational risks and MSDs. Her experience underscores the importance of prevention, particularly through workstation ergonomics, appropriate equipment, and adopting good practices to limit repetitive efforts and poor posture.
This feedback also serves as a reminder that managing occupational risks doesn’t only concern employees but also managers, who must look after their own health while ensuring safe working conditions for their team. Awareness and appropriate actions help preserve the health of everyone and ensure the long-term sustainability of the restaurant business.