Two 17 year olds scalded at KFC - employer fined $10k
Mylora Holdings Pty Ltd owns and operates a small number of Kentucky Fried Chicken retail fast food outlets including the store in Plenty Road, Bundoora. On 25 November 2017 at about 1.30pm, two 17 year-old workers both received scald burns to their body when hot water and steam spilt out of the Collectramatic pressure cooker they were cleaning. They had filled the cooker with water, added soap and closed the lid. At some point the cooker was turned on and left on for approximately half an hour – when they noticed, one of them turned it off at the main power point. One tried to release the pressure that had built up by manually releasing a valve on the lid, but when this happened the lid popped open, causing water and steam to flow out of the cooker onto both of them. They were taken to the Austin Hospital where their burns were treated and dressed. They were discharged on the same day.
Although the young workers had not followed the correct procedure for cleaning the cooker, the employer failed to provide an adequate and regular system of supervision for the safe cleaning operation of cookers for workers, particularly young workers.
Mylora pleaded guilty and was, without conviction, fined $10,000 plus $3,000 in costs.
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