Receptionists were ordered to clean the spa and swimming pool at Fredrick’s Hotel, Restaurant and Spa in Maidenhead. They began vomiting after 30 minutes and one of them passed
The employer and management company were prosecuted following the exposure of untrained staff to harmful cleaning chemicals. The exposure led to two staff vomiting within 30 minutes and one of them actually passed out
Another incident at the same location, another employee sustained burns while using a decarboniser (a heated stainless steel tank for cleaning equipment and utensils in commercial kitchens).
EHOs’ who visited to investigate the accidents served improvement notices on the employer and management company and managing directors. The notices required both organisations to carry out safety risk assessments and to employ a dedicated safety expert.
The two companies involved were fined under section 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. Both plead guilty, Company 1 fined £20,000 plus £40,095 costs and Company 2 fined £3,300 plus costs of £5,145 and compensation in the sum of £500 to each of the three injured parties.
