A Bittersweet Brew
Even those who love java may have trouble with the repetitive motions of scooping coffee beans and brewing espresso. One coffee chain began an innovative program to reduce overuse injuries.
By Cassandra Sweet Whoever said coffee should be black as hell, strong as death, and sweet as love probably spent too much time at the local cafe. An addictive passion for java has led to a boom in the cafe community. Across America's city centers, in university towns, and in tony shopping districts, a new wave of workers -- sometimes known as baristas -- is busy frothing your latte and making your macchiato. The pace of working in a coffeehouse is often brisk and intense. Many cafe workers say they enjoy the face-to-face contact that comes with a job where hip people congregate. But for some, the seemingly endless onslaught of customer demands can be stressful, the hours of standing leave their feet painfully sore, and the constant scooping and lifting can result in strained arms and shoulders. A job at a late-night coffeehouse can also translate into sleep disorders due to the erratic hours. Even if you love coffee culture, the job has some of the same risks as others involving repetitive work, as Robin Evans discovered. When she accepted a position at a Peet's Coffee and Tea Shop, Evans planned to be there for a long time. Before working at the popular neighborhood coffeehouse in Berkeley, California, she'd savored many a cappuccino there. But after six months of scooping and grinding beans, it became clear that her body couldn't tolerate the work, despite ergonomic training from Peet's. "I thought maybe my feet or my back would hurt, but I wasn't prepared for what happened at all," says Evans, 49. Scooping the heavy beans and filling and sealing bags of ground coffee for hours a day resulted in what one doctor diagnosed as epicondylitis -- better known as tennis elbow, a type of repetitive strain injury. After months of scooping and bagging, her left arm became injured and her right arm hurt constantly on and off the job. "Any movement was painful to my elbow and forearms," she recalls. Although she worked only six hours a day, she occasionally had to leave in the middle of her shift because of the agonizing pain. Though the injury would eventually heal, it alarmed her at the time. "It was devastating," she says. "The longer it went on, the more frightened I became that this would be a permanent disability." Drinking too much coffee and working in a pressure-cooker atmosphere made 32-year-old Jeff Braun's year at a popular coffee chain in Chicago difficult. The caffeine made his heart race and upset his stomach. Finicky customers began to get on his nerves, particularly during rush hours. He seethed inside when people complained snootily about the amount of foam or flavoring in their coffee ("I see you didn't put enough vanilla in my latte"). Tired of being patronized, he began to show classic signs of physical stress and tension: His heart rate would accelerate, his neck and shoulder muscles tensed up, and he'd perspire heavily. "I would get agitated, short-tempered, and jumpy," Braun said. "And it was a vicious cycle, because the more agitated I got, the more coffee I drank, and the more coffee I drank, the more agitated I got. I found myself having to really resist not snapping back at the customers." Although he wore sturdy shoes with nonskid treads, Braun slipped and fell several times, usually when he was rushing to fill an order. Falls are common in the restaurant industry, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics -- perhaps exacerbated by the fine layer of ground coffee that often coats the ceramic floors. Falls, cuts, burns, and overexertion are leading causes of injuries in cafes and restaurants. The scoop on RSI
A few progressive chains have taken innovative steps to reduce worker injuries. Among them is the California-based Peet's Coffee and Tea, the parent company of the shop where Evans worked. In 2000, Peet's employed about 1,000 retail employees, and about half of the 85 work-related injuries reported that year resulted from repetitive motions, such as quickly twisting and untwisting the coffee basket on an espresso machine. The 85 injuries represent an increase of 25 incidents from 1999, but Peet's considers the numbers low because the company added about 225 workers during the same period. Peet's credits its record to a 5-year-old ergonomics program it developed in response to an expansion of its coffee stores. Many of those new workers were young people who'd never worked at a cafe before. When it's busy, "you can make 100 drinks in an hour. So that's 200 times that you have to put that [basket] in and take it out. You can get some serious injuries," says Collin Zeimer, Peet's human resources specialist in charge of workers compensation claims. "There are a lot of new faces in the stores, so there aren't all that many experienced people standing around who could say to the new guys, 'Here, try this,' " Zeimer says. The company also has a injury prevention program that allows workers to see a physical therapist when they first detect a job-related problem. Here are some tips for avoiding injury:
| • | Both workers and customers spill coffee, especially when they're in a rush. You should always wear comfortable, covered, and skid-resistant shoes to keep from slipping, getting your toes burned by scalding coffee, or cut by falling utensils. Wipe up spilled foods and liquids promptly.
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| • | Stand on a nonskid rubber mat when making coffee drinks. The mat won't get slippery, even when there is a spill that can't be cleaned up immediately. It also helps ease the strain on your back and feet.
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| • | Make sure your walkways are clear of boxes, bottles, and cans that can cause a fall. They should be stacked neatly and stowed away. Not only is this a safe practice, but federal safety inspectors and local fire departments require eating places to have exits that are free from obstructions in case of a fire. Keeping bin drawers closed after you've taken coffee and supplies out will help prevent falls as well (not to mention save your shins).
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| • | Don't let haste make you careless. Use ladders -- not chairs or shelves -- to reach high places.
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| • | Learn how to lift. The constant demand for coffee may mean refilling bins with large bags of coffee, some as heavy as 20 pounds. If you have to lift a bag this big, use your legs to lift and brace yourself against a counter if you need help. When scooping, it helps to hold the scoop perpendicular to your arm, says Zeimer, Peet's human resources specialist. If your cafe doesn't have plastic scoops, request them. They're lighter and easier to use.
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| • | Clean and put away cutting utensils immediately. Braun once accidentally cut himself on a knife he didn't see submerged in soapy water.
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| • | Get trained in how to operate the espresso machine or milk steamer. Most employees don't know how hot those machines can get.
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| • | Be careful when you're opening or closing a store. In a study on workplace violence by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the agency found that workers are at higher risk of assault if their jobs involve routine contact with the public or exchanges of money. You may work for a small coffee shop, for example, but get robbed if people know that you have large amounts of money around. If you're the lone worker, make sure you have security measures. Ask for good lighting in the parking lot and entrance or a security system. You may also want to ask that a co-worker close the cafe with you or that the owner remove all the cash before you close.
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| • | Go easy on the java. If you're fidgety, unusually irritable, or having trouble sleeping, you may be downing too much coffee. Whether it's served hot or cold, caffeine is a drug that can accelerate your heart rate, raise your blood pressure, cause headaches and insomnia, and even irritate your stomach, studies show. Try substituting herbal tea or water instead. To prevent problems, pregnant women should make their coffee drinks decaf.
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| • | Fight rush-hour stress. To speed up the serving process, Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee Co. has an assembly line of workers serving drinks: One person takes orders, another rings them up, and a third actually handles the espresso machine and serves the drinks. Talk with your co-workers about what might work.
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As for Evans, she had to leave Peet's after nine months because the pain became unbearable. Although she initially sought out physical therapy and massage for the pain, she later got relief from visiting an acupuncturist. Today she works at a white-collar job -- where she drinks all the coffee she wants, but never has to make it. She still enjoys visiting the Peet's coffee shop where she worked, but now she goes as a customer. "I'm still addicted," she says.
Further Resources Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 800/321-6742 http://www.osha.gov/ The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) offers information about sexual harassment on its Web site. http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-sex.html .
References
M. Heinzman. Occupational Burns Among Restaurant Workers. Archives of Dermatology. June 1994. pp. 699-701. Martin E. Personick, Profiles in Safety and Health Eating and Drinking Places. Monthly Labor Review. June 1991.
Mayo Clinic. Slideshow: Proper lifting techniques. February 2005. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/back-pain/LB00004_D&slide=4
Reviewed by Edward J. Bernacki, MD, MPH, director of occupational medicine at the School of Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital/University
Our reviewers are members of Consumer Health Interactive's medical advisory board.
To learn more about our writers and editors, click here.
First published October 2, 2000
Last updated March 6, 2008
Copyright © 2000 Consumer Health Interactive
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