One staff member recently suffered an eye injury in a recent work accident claim at fast food restaurant McDonalds.
The accident claim occurred in June of 2008 at a Wandsworth, London McDonalds drive-through restaurant location. At the time of the incident, the maintenance operative staff member had been working to clear a blockage in one of the restaurant’s waste pipes.
The staff worker’s manager instructed him in how the pipe’s blockage should be cleared. The worker purchased a chemical drain cleaner which used sulphuric acid as a base. He followed the instructions as issued by his manager and poured the drain cleaner down the clogged pipe. The pipe remained blocked, and as a result the staff worker’s manager instructed him to buy an additional bottle and pour it down the drain as well.
However when the staff worker attempted to follow his manager’s instructions, he suffered a personal injury claim. The pipe’s contents blew back at the worker as he poured the second bottle. This covered the man’s eyes and face in acid. He was treated after being rushed to hospital.
Hospital staff worked hard to preserve sight in the worker’s right eye. They succeeded in the treatment. Unfortunately the worker’s left eye suffered permanent 45 per cent vision loss. It is unknown at this time whether the worker will be pursuing personal injury compensation for his injuries.
Local reports indicate that McDonalds is now facing prosecution by Wandsworth Council for breaching health and safety regulations. According to court documents there procedure was performed with the restaurant firm neglecting to provide training, supervision, a risk assessment, or protective clothing to the worker. As a result McDonalds was fined by the courts.
One McDonalds spokesperson issued an apology for the incident. They were insistent that the firm had taken steps to minimise the risk of such terrible accidents from happening in the future.