The 3 A Pub Company Limited, trading as The Cross at Kenilworth, 16 New Street, Kenilworth, pleaded guilty to a Section 2(1) offence, under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 at a hearing at the Warwickshire Justice Centre on 3 July 2018, following a severe scalding accident to an eighteen year old Apprentice Chef on 5 August 2017.

The Apprentice chef’s foot slipped into a hot fat fryer operating around 180°C when he was cleaning a section of the extract canopy at The Cross at Kenilworth using long established cleaning practices resulting in severe scalding and months of medical treatment.

Despite being employed by The 3 A Pub Company Ltd for over a year, the injured chef had not been provided with any health and safety training, health and safety information or instruction, or been provided with the findings of any health and safety risk assessments produced for working at height, using the deep fat fryer or contact with heat sources. 

Hearing the evidence, The 3 A Pub Company Ltd were found to have fallen far short of Industry Standards and were sentenced at Coventry Magistrates Court on the 16 August 2018 with a fine of  £25,200. The Company were also ordered to pay £5,900 costs and £170 victim surcharge.

Warwick District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Health & Community Protection Councillor Andrew Thompson commented;

“Warwick District Council takes the health and safety of all of our residents very seriously. We work closely with businesses to encourage the highest of standards. We will always take enforcement action against businesses who fail to comply with the safety standards required of them and as a result put the health and wellbeing of their employees or customers at risk.”