Leila Ghahhary Successfully Prosecutes Health and Safety Case on Behalf of Local Authority
Following an investigation by Trafford Council, Leila Ghahhary (instructed by Trafford Council) has successfully prosecuted TGI Fridays restaurant which trades in the Great Hall at the Trafford Centre, for failing to meet health and safety standards.
The prosecution arose in relation an accident on 26th May 2014, when a kitchen chef, who had been working at the Trafford Centre restaurant for only a month, and another member of staff, were carrying a pan of hot oil. The pan slipped from their grip and the oil spilt on to the chef causing burns to his shin and foot.
The Court heard that the company had failed to ensure the safety of employees, because an unsafe practice had developed in the kitchen whereby, in the evenings and after the end of service, some of the kitchen staff were cleaning deep fat fryers and handling oil before it had time to cool down to a safe temperature. Consequently, it was not uncommon practice for staff in the kitchen to clean, filter and carry around hot oil.
The Court also heard that in the weeks before the accident, the Kitchen managers had become aware of the unsafe practice and had failed to take sufficient steps to remediate the problem and ensure that the Defendant’s policy on hot oil was being followed.
After pleading guilty, Thursdays (UK) Limited t/a TGI Fridays were fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £15,961 in costs.
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