Editorial Note: Approximately 1.4 million persons in the United States sustain burns each year; of these, an estimated 54,000- 108,000 are hospitalized (2). Work-related burns account for 20%- 25% of all serious burns (3). Based on data from a Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, in 1985, 6% of all work-related thermal burns occurred among adolescent workers aged 16-19 years (4). As indicated by the investigations in Colorado and Minnesota, restaurant-related burns, especially those associated with use of deep fryers, continue to represent a major and preventable source of occupational burn morbidity, particularly among adolescents. These findings are consistent with the findings in other studies that emphasize the risk for burns associated with hot grease (3,5).
An estimated 400,000 commercial eating and drinking establishments in the United States employ approximately 6 million workers (6). In 1989, the Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked these establishments first in total number of recordable work-related injuries and illnesses; in 1991, they accounted for approximately 5% of on-the-job injuries and illnesses reported nationwide (6). In restaurants, thermal burns accounted for 12% of work-related injuries (6). Workers' Compensation FRII from 1987 through 1990 indicate that, in Colorado, thermal burns accounted for 9% of the injuries occurring in restaurants (Colorado Department of Labor, unpublished data); in this report, findings were similar in Minnesota.
The findings from the Minnesota Adolescent Occupational Injury Study help to define the risk for burn injuries among adolescent workers. Because a substantial number of adolescents are employed in the full-service and fast-food restaurant industries, they are at increased risk for sustaining burn injuries; however, this risk has not been sufficiently documented. These findings emphasize the need for improved surveillance for this problem, as well as improved design of engineering controls and work practices for the prevention of burns in the food-service industry.