When the combination of risky working practices, greasy floors and worktops, and hot oil is (excuse the pun) a recipe for disaster
What happened?
A chef, working for a restaurant chain, was standing on a greasy kitchen equipment surface to clean a canopy above when he slipped and plunged his foot into hot cooking oil. The chef suffered serious burns.
When investigated, the restaurant admitted not having safe systems of work for cleaning equipment at high level, using defective ladders and kick stools, and not assessing the risks properly.
Earlier in the year, a similar accident happened when a chef slipped and plunged her arm into the fryer which contained boiling hot cooking oil in a pub kitchen. She suffered serious burns up to her elbow.
Legal Outcome
The restaurant chain admitted four counts of breaching health and safety regulations, and were fined £11,500 and ordered to pay £,084 in legal costs.
In the earlier case, the pub group pleaded guilty and were fined £10,000 and were ordered to pay £4,096 costs.
What can we learn from what happened?
The combination of risky working practices, greasy floors and worktops, and hot oil is (excuse the pun) a recipe for disaster.
Source of Information
QLM Newsletter
The Caterer Magazine