Restaurant work is physical, fast and full of hazards that experienced staff stop noticing: hot oil, sharp knives, wet floors, heavy stock, cleaning chemicals and late-night cash handling. Many employees are young or new to the industry, and turnover means training never really ends. This guide covers what Washington requires, how to run new-employee orientation and ongoing training, the rules for teen workers, and how training ties to workers' compensation costs.
Washington's training and program requirements
Washington's Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) runs the state's workplace safety program (DOSH). Three requirements apply to almost every restaurant:
| Requirement | Rule | What it means for a restaurant |
|---|---|---|
| Written Accident Prevention Program (APP) | WAC 296-800-140 | Every Washington employer must have a written APP that addresses the hazards of its workplace and delivers targeted employee training. Templates are a starting point; L&I says the content must be edited to fit your business and hazards. |
| Safety committee or safety meetings | WAC 296-800-130 | With 11 or more employees on the same shift at the same location, you must have a safety committee. Smaller employers, or those with 10 or fewer per shift or location, may hold safety meetings instead. |
| Safety meeting content | WAC 296-800-13025 | Safety meetings are held monthly, include at least one management representative, review inspection reports and accident investigations, evaluate the prevention program, and document attendance and topics. |
Other rules apply depending on your operation, including hazard communication for cleaning chemicals, personal protective equipment, and first aid. Our new employee safety orientation guide covers the first-day basics that apply across industries.
The hazards your training must cover
Slips, trips and falls
Wet and greasy floors, mats that curl, cords, cluttered walk-in floors, step stools and stairs to storage.
Cuts
Knives, slicers, mandolines, broken glass, box cutters and can lids. Cut-resistant gloves and proper knife handling reduce lost time.
Burns
Fryers, grills, ovens, steam, hot liquids and hot pans. Oil filtering and changing are high-risk tasks.
Strains and overexertion
Lifting stock and kegs, carrying full bus tubs, reaching high shelves and long standing shifts.
Chemicals
Sanitizers, degreasers, oven cleaners and dish machine chemicals. Workers need to know labels, safety data sheets and never to mix products.
Violence and robbery
Cash handling, closing shifts, deliveries and difficult guests. Clear procedures keep staff from taking unnecessary risks.
For specific prevention steps, see preventing kitchen injuries, kitchen fire safety and slip, trip and fall prevention.
New employee orientation: the first shift
New employees have not yet learned the hazards of your kitchen. Orientation should happen before the person starts working, not after the rush.
- Walk the building: exits, fire extinguishers, the hood suppression pull station, first aid kit, eyewash, and where chemicals are stored.
- Explain reporting: every injury, however small, is reported to a manager that shift. Explain how workers' comp claims work in Washington.
- Footwear and clothing: slip-resistant shoes, no loose sleeves near equipment, and any PPE the job requires.
- Equipment rules: which equipment the employee may use, which they may not, and who trains them before first use.
- Chemical safety: how to read labels and safety data sheets, dilution systems and what to do after a splash.
- Emergency procedures: fire, gas leak, power failure, robbery and medical emergency.
- Sign-off: the employee and trainer sign and date an orientation checklist that goes in the personnel file.
Station training and ongoing reinforcement
Station by station
Generic orientation is not enough for the fryer, the slicer or the dish pit. Build a short checklist for each station, have a trained lead demonstrate each task, watch the new employee perform it, and sign off only when it is done correctly. Retrain when equipment changes.
Keeping it alive
- Five-minute pre-shift talks on one hazard at a time.
- Monthly safety meetings or committee meetings, documented as Washington rules require.
- Retraining after every injury or near miss, focused on what actually happened.
- Manager walk-throughs that correct unsafe habits on the spot, without blame.
- Seasonal topics: heat in the kitchen in summer, ice at entrances in winter, patio setup in spring. See outdoor dining safety.
Make it understandable. Deliver training in the languages your crew speaks, use demonstrations and photos of your own kitchen, and check understanding by watching people work.
Teen workers: extra rules
Restaurants are a common first job. Federal child labor rules under the Fair Labor Standards Act limit what minors may do, and Washington has its own teen employment rules administered by L&I. Employers need a current minor work permit endorsement for each location where minors work, a parent/school authorization form for each minor (renewed annually), and proof of age. Washington's child labor rule changes took effect July 1, 2026, so review L&I's current guidance even if you have hired teens before. Where federal and state rules differ, the stricter rule applies.
Under the U.S. Department of Labor's rules for restaurants:
- Ages 14 and 15 may cook only with electric or gas grills that do not involve an open flame, and deep fryers with devices that automatically raise and lower the baskets. They may not use broilers, high-speed ovens, rotisseries, pressure cookers or fryolators, may not bake, and may not operate, set up, clean or repair power-driven food slicers, grinders, choppers, mixers or cutters.
- Under 18 may not operate, feed, set up, adjust, repair or clean power-driven meat processing machines, including slicers, saws, grinders and choppers, and are restricted from commercial mixers and certain power-driven bakery machines, with narrow exceptions for 16 and 17 year olds.
Label restricted equipment. Post "No one under 18" signs on slicers and mixers, and make sure shift leads know which employees are minors. Hours limits also apply and vary by age and school schedule; check L&I's current teen rules before scheduling.
Training, claims and workers' comp costs
Washington does not allow private workers' compensation coverage. Employers buy coverage from L&I or are certified self-insured. Your L&I premium reflects your risk classification and your claims experience, so preventing injuries and managing claims well has a direct effect on cost over time.
- Report injuries promptly and help employees get care through the L&I process.
- Offer light duty when a doctor releases a worker with restrictions; for State Fund employers, L&I's Stay at Work program reimburses 50% of the worker's basic gross wages for light-duty work, for injuries on or after January 1, 2025 up to 120 days worked and $25,000. See our return-to-work program guide.
- Investigate every injury to find the cause and fix it, then train on the fix.
- Keep records of training, meetings and investigations. They show the program is real.
Because L&I coverage does not include the employer's liability protection that private policies usually do, Washington employers commonly buy stop gap employer's liability, often as an endorsement to their general liability policy. It responds to certain lawsuits by employees that fall outside the workers' comp system. Our workers' comp for restaurants article covers claims management and cost control in more detail.
Insurance beyond workers' comp
Training also affects other parts of your program. Guest slip-and-fall claims fall under general liability. Kitchen fires involve property and business income coverage. Robbery or violence may involve crime coverage and, for employee injuries, workers' comp. Employment practices liability may respond to claims arising from discipline or termination tied to safety rules. Policy forms and exclusions vary by carrier, so review how each fits your operation. The restaurant insurance page outlines a typical program.
When to call a broker
Talk with your broker when you open a new location, add a bar or late-night hours, hire minors for the first time, have a serious injury, or see your claim frequency rising. As a broker, we compare options across the market for the coverages around your L&I account, including stop gap, liability and umbrella, and can point you to safety resources that fit your kitchen.
Sources
- Washington L&I — Accident Prevention Program (APP)
- Washington L&I — Safety meetings and committees
- Washington State Legislature — WAC 296-800-13025, Safety meetings
- Washington L&I — How to hire minors
- Washington L&I — Stay at Work
- U.S. Department of Labor — Fact Sheet #58, Cooking and baking by minors in restaurants
- Washington L&I — Do I need a workers' comp account?