An accident which saw a chef in a Manchester restaurant suffer serious burns to his foot has cost his employers a total of £14,584. The chef slipped as he stood on greasy kitchen equipment to clean a canopy in the Trafford Centre branch of noodle bar Tampopo, when he caught his foot in a pan of scalding hot oil.
The owners of the noodle chain were convicted at Trafford Magistrates' Court of not having safe systems in place to ensure staff safety while cleaning at elevated levels. They admitted four health and safety offences, relating to unsafe ladders and deficient risk assessments.
Trafford councillor Jonathan Coupe, executive member for the environment said, "This was a particularly nasty accident and the chef's injuries could have been a lot worse. We expect all businesses to take health and safety seriously and do everything they can to protect their employees. Where businesses fail to manage health and safety properly, Trafford Council will always take appropriate legal action. Hopefully this prosecution will send out a strong message to other local businesses to make sure they put safe systems in place and provide all staff with well-maintained equipment which allows them to do their job safely."
David Urpeth from law firm Irwin Mitchell echoed these comments. "This industrial accident highlights the need for employers to carry out a full risk assessment and provide necessary and suitable work equipment."
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