A lunchroom table may not seem like a dangerous object – the scariest memory of one may involve deciding where to sit during a middle school lunch period – but aging and malfunctioning lunchroom tables can be a major cause of strains and other serious injuries.

The daily practice of cleaning, setting up, and breaking down lunchroom tables can be hazardous if districts don’t observe best practices. The Trust has recently seen claims for these types of injuries that exceeded $30,000 in surgeries and rehabilitation.

As such, it’s a good idea to take another look at the current state of your lunchroom. Do you have aging tables that may require increasing amounts of force to be opened or closed? Are you asking staff to clean tables in a way that requires repetitive bending?

As you ask these questions, consider these best practices for working with lunchroom tables. We recommend that you print our flyer and post it in your cafeterias and lunchrooms.

Need more information? Contact your loss control consultant! Steve Lyons and Matt Tardif are here to assist you.

Want to learn more about table mopping? Check out our article about the benefits.