Keeping Your Cool: Summer Safety Tips for Hospitality Team

Summary:
Hot kitchens. Sweaty uniforms. Packed terraces. No one talks about how brutal summer can be when you work in hospitality. Here’s how to stay safe, stay sane, and make it through the season in one piece.

It’s summer – which for most people means beers in the park, holidays, and barbecues. For us? It means double the covers, back-to-back shifts, and sweating through another polyester uniform wondering if the air con’s just decorative.

Sound familiar?

Whether you're running plates, plating food, or running the show, summer in hospitality hits differently – and not in a good way. And while we’re brilliant at looking after guests, we’re often shocking at looking after ourselves.

So, this one’s for the team. No fluff. No hashtags. Just practical ways to stay healthy, hydrated and standing upright through another scorcher of a season.

1. Water. Drink it. No excuses.

You know this already. You’ve probably said it to new starters. But are you actually drinking enough?

A couple of glasses a shift isn’t going to cut it when you’re sweating half your body weight on a Friday night. Dehydration doesn’t just make you tired – it affects your focus, your mood, and your decision-making. Not ideal when you're handling sharp knives, hot plates or demanding customers.

What helps:

• Big, refillable bottle (with your name on it)

• Rehydration tablets (game-changer in hot kitchens)

• Regular top-ups – don't wait until you’re thirsty

2. Recognise heat stress before it floors you

It creeps up – that dizzy, foggy feeling mid-shift when everything starts to feel too much. That’s not you being dramatic. That’s your body waving a red flag.

Signs to look out for:

• Light-headedness

• Headache

• Muscle cramps

• Feeling sick or confused

• Extreme tiredness

If it happens to you or a teammate – pause. Get water, find some shade, and take five. And if it doesn’t pass, speak up. No shift is worth your health.

3. Uniforms – less sweat, more sense

Some of us are still being told to wear thick, full-sleeve uniforms in the middle of a heatwave. It’s 2025. That needs to stop.

Chefs: Ask about lighter fabrics or short sleeves.
FOH: Can your team wear breathable polos or smart short sleeves?

If it looks tidy and everyone can still move – that’s what matters. Not clinging to traditions that leave your team sweating bullets.

4. Breaks: Take them. Actually take them.

We know – it’s flat out. But powering through without stopping isn’t noble, it’s dangerous. Especially in the heat.

Even five minutes in a cooler spot can make all the difference.
Managers: This is where you set the tone. If no one ever sees you take a break, don’t be surprised when the team burns out trying to keep up.

5. Rethink the caffeine and booze

Iced coffees and post-shift beers are part of the culture – we get it. But both dehydrate you, fast. If you’re already drained from a shift in the heat, they can make things worse.

Better swaps:

• Sparkling water with citrus

• Herbal iced teas

• Electrolyte drinks post-service (yes, they’re not just for hangovers)

6. Look out for each other

Here’s the thing: when it gets hot, tempers get shorter. Everyone’s tired. Everyone’s got less to give.

Check in on your team. Clock who's flagging. Be the one who offers a drink, a sit-down, or a bit of space. It makes a massive difference – and it builds trust.

7. Sort your post-shift recovery

No matter how hot the shift was, you need to cool down properly – or you’ll carry the exhaustion into tomorrow.

Try:

• Cool showers

• Blackout curtains and fans

• Water-rich foods (melon, cucumber, tomatoes)

• Limiting the booze so you actually sleep

Your off-shift hours matter just as much as your on-shift ones.

Final thought

Working in hospitality through the summer isn’t for the faint-hearted. You’re grafting while everyone else is on holiday. You're the ones keeping the show running – often with very little recognition.

So do yourself (and your team) a favour – stay hydrated, take breaks, and treat heat like the real risk it is.

And if you need an excuse to step into the walk-in for 30 seconds of peace and cool air? This blog’s your permission slip.

Want more real-world insights like this?
Hit up Talking Hospitality for conversations that cut through the fluff – straight from the people who live and breathe this industry.

Feel free to print this out for the break room. Someone might just thank you for it.