Morrisons takes the heat for fryer burns

Prosecutions and Claims |
01.03.2007

National supermarket operator WM Morrisons has been fined after an employee was burned by oil from a deep-fat fryer.

Check-out operator Patricia Finch suffered burns to her upper leg, foot and heel after spilling fat while standing in for absent kitchen staff. Finch worked at Morrisons' Small Heath branch and had been trained three years before the incident as a kitchen assistant before moving to cash till duties.

On the day of the accident she was asked to return to the store's restaurant kitchen because it was short staffed. Prosecuting on behalf of Birmingham City Council, solicitor Simon Mortimer told magistrates company procedure stated that only trained staff were authorised to use, clean and empty the deep fat fryers, but that Finch was not competent to empty the fryers without refresher training as she had not worked in the kitchen in the previous 18 months, during which time she had also taken maternity leave.

On 26 January, WM Morrisons pleaded guilty to a single charge of not protecting an employee under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The company was fined £5,000 and asked to pay council costs of £1,693.

After the accident, the company amended and updated the risk assessment for emptying the fryers to include a safe temperature to which the oil should be cooled before being drained, and a control measure to check the integrity of the barrels before use. It also paid £7,741 compensation to Patricia Finch.