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Original poster

Compensation claim for burns - worth it?

35 replies

vera16 · 05/01/2023 16:08

My nephew is on a zero hours contract at McDonald's. He has suffered quite nasty burns on his arms and hands at least two occasions and has not been offered any sort of training or PPE to prevent this happening again. I am horrified tbh so the motivation is not just cash. One of the burns has left a scar on his arm. Is it worth trying to claim compensation? If so any recommendations for companies to approach?

OP posts:
NYresolutions23 · 05/01/2023 16:12

😂 He needs to be more careful then doesnt he.
Ffs thousands of macdonalds workers probably get burns.
I burned my arm on my own oven and have a scar 15 years on. What ppe should i have worn?

IDontCareMatthew · 05/01/2023 16:13

What PPE?
I would think Mac Donald's hired him expecting he had a reasonable amount of common sense?

LlynTegid · 05/01/2023 16:14

Depends on the circumstances, as noted, common sense.

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NYresolutions23 · 05/01/2023 16:15

Also what ppe. Full fire and burn proof overalls?

Stevie6 · 05/01/2023 16:15

What section was he working on? If he's cleaning grills he should be wearing gloves, if he's chicken side he needs to be more careful. Burns happen unfortunately and have a few scars myself

MaverickGooseGoose · 05/01/2023 16:15

He needs to be more careful then, not go looking for compensation. Being on a zero hours contract has nothing to do with it.

I worked in a pub kitchen and McDonalds when I was a student. It's pretty hard to get burnt in McDonalds unless your are over zealous chucking the fries / chicken in but they are in baskets. The burgers are on a flat grill, you'd have to try hard to burn yourself on those.

I got burnt loads in the kitchen becuase you are opening oven doors, gas hobs etc.

vodkaredbullgirl · 05/01/2023 16:17

Should have been more careful.

jollygreenpea · 05/01/2023 16:20

What sort of training and ppe do you think he needs?

IDontCareMatthew · 05/01/2023 16:21

All jobs come with risk

Can imagine my employer if we all chased for compo! 😂 it's an injury a day for us!

Original poster
vera16 · 05/01/2023 16:22

He's only 16 years old. I get that he has to apply common sense but surely as an employer they have a duty to try and prevent these type of injuries?

OP posts:
IDontCareMatthew · 05/01/2023 16:22

Well they could have tried wrapping him in cotton wool?

HotPenguin · 05/01/2023 16:26

I can't quite believe the comments on this thread, a 16 year old is not yet an adult and using commercial kitchen equipment isn t "common sense" because it's different to what you use at home. I'm not sure compensation is the answer but his parent ought to be having a chat with the managers and finding out if it's been recorded on the accident book etc. You haven't said how big/serious these burns are which makes a difference of course.

SmiteTheeWithThunderbolts · 05/01/2023 16:29

Yes, they owe him a duty of care and burns shouldn't be accepted as an occupational hazard. Coming into contact with a hot surface is understandable (even in a domestic kitchen) but if it's severe enough to cause an actual burn (rather than just running your hand under cold water for a minute) then something is fundamentally amiss.

However, as far as I know, compensation would only be awarded if he had suffered a financial loss, which it doesn't sound like he has.

He should be raising it on health & safety grounds with his employer. Is he reporting each incident via their H&S procedure?

Dinoboymama · 05/01/2023 16:30

As an ex employee who worked for them at 16, you have to be careful around the hot areas grills and vats. Working in any kitchen makes burns possible. McDonald's do have things to minimize the risk and you are shown how to do things before starting. There's not much ppe that would be useful.

Dinoboymama · 05/01/2023 16:31

HotPenguin · 05/01/2023 16:26

I can't quite believe the comments on this thread, a 16 year old is not yet an adult and using commercial kitchen equipment isn t "common sense" because it's different to what you use at home. I'm not sure compensation is the answer but his parent ought to be having a chat with the managers and finding out if it's been recorded on the accident book etc. You haven't said how big/serious these burns are which makes a difference of course.

Thousands of people have been 16 and worked in fast food kitchens. They are the legal working age at 16.

Facecream · 05/01/2023 16:31

OP there are companies like National Accident Helpline who can discuss with you.
He should probably have his contract and terms of employment to hand, with images, treatment records etc.
Ive no idea if it is the kind of injury that he could be compensated for but he’d also need to think about how it has affected him: time off work, medical appointments or costs or whatever..

Tessasanderson · 05/01/2023 16:34

vera16 · 05/01/2023 16:22

He's only 16 years old. I get that he has to apply common sense but surely as an employer they have a duty to try and prevent these type of injuries?

People have asked. What do you expect them to do/provide?

I am pretty sure they will have met the hundreds of thousands of health and safety inspections all over the world. I expect their equipment comes with all the necessary safety features etc.

If this 16yr old has a relevant gripe then yes, go for compensation but it needs to be something specific, like them removing a safety guard or them not giving him protection where it is in the rules to do so. Him just being a bit dim and burning himself probably goes in line with telling him not to put his head in the deep fat fryer....

GuineaPorcus · 05/01/2023 16:35

I would start by checking the following with your nephew:

  • what training he’s had to use this equipment (and if he supposed to be using it)
  • if there are visual/protocols nearby on how to use the equipment
  • a very specific explanation of how the burn occurred
  • if he alerted anyone to the burns as it should have been noted in the accident book and with the nominated H&S person
  • what follow-up took place after the accident

Once I knew that I’d be making a decision.

GuineaPorcus · 05/01/2023 16:36

Just to be clear it’s quite possible he was trained and all processes followed and it was a genuine accident. It’s also plausible procedures have not been followed so your nephew needs to be v specific.

Tamarindtree · 05/01/2023 16:36

How about the fact he’s learnt a valuable life lesson learning that hot equipment causes burns, rather than letting him think that life’s problems are always someone else’s responsibility and not his own?

Clymene · 05/01/2023 16:37

They train you extremely well. He obviously wasn't paying attention.

Thoughtful2355 · 05/01/2023 16:41

you wont get compensation unless it altered his life, a scar isnt life or finance altering.

subtleartofnotgivingafuck · 05/01/2023 16:45

I do deep cleaning of the equipment as a weekend Job at McD on zero hours as a side gig - you get some very good training. They specifically highlight the need for an abundance of caution around the grills and fryers. I was surprised how good the training was. It was both done in store and also online to cover all the bases.

With this in mind I would check to see if they have provided the required training, Was it reported at the time and was a accident report completed (all advised as part of the training) if not and there was no mitigating factors its likely no claim would succeed.

IDontCareMatthew · 05/01/2023 16:50

Yes he needs common sense!

Why is that so difficult to accept? His induction will have covered H&S, he clearly was not paying attention as a pp says

Original poster
vera16 · 05/01/2023 17:06

IDontCareMatthew · 05/01/2023 16:50

Yes he needs common sense!

Why is that so difficult to accept? His induction will have covered H&S, he clearly was not paying attention as a pp says

Have I hit a raw nerve or something 🙂.

One of my concerns is that I'm not sure the appropriate training and ongoing H&S is in place.

Some helpful comments above about gathering the facts and evidence etc.

OP posts: