Marston's fined £10,000 after pub chef scalded

Marston's has been fined £10,000 after one of its pub staff was scalded when her arm slipped into a deep fat fryer.

The incident occurred at the Weavers Arms pub in Quedgeley, near Gloucester, in March 2006. Head chef Heather Turner Lunn slipped and plunged her arm into the fryer, which contained boiling cooking oil.

She suffered serious burns up to her elbow, and Gloucester magistrates were told she also later suffered pain in her back, leading to trouble sleeping

The pub group pleaded guilty to two charges bought by Gloucester City Council under the Health and Safety Act 1974. Magistrates imposed the £10,000 fine and ordered Marston's to pay £4,096 costs.

The court heard that Mrs Turner Lunn had been emptying the fryer and left it on the kitchen floor to cool. As she mopped up oil which had spilt, she slipped and the accident occurred.

The pub's health & safety manual was not on the premises at the time, because it had been taken home by a member of staff to study.

David Whiting, solicitor acting on behalf of Marston's, told the court Marston's took health and safety very seriously, making it the responsibility of the managing director and the board.

He added that the company had co-operated with the Health and Safety Executive investigation, and said: "I hope the court will accept that there's been no deliberate breath of Health and Safety legislation."

Magistrates chairman Joanna Tee said Marston's guilty plea had stopped the court imposing a bigger fine, which could have been up to £20,000.