Melinda burnt when OHS program fails

Melinda who is 21 years old and has only been employed by KFC for about five weeks.

Melinda was cleaning a bacon fryer and steamer unit. One compartment of that unit (the fryer) held hot cooking oil, while the other (the steamer) contained hot water. Melinda, through inexperience, mistakenly believed that both sections of the unit contained hot oil. She endeavored to locate the oil drum into which, as she knew, the hot oil was to be poured and later disposed of, but found that it was outside the premises with the back door locked. She then asked the cook and restaurant manager how to dispose of the oil in the circumstances and was told to "put it in the bain-marie", a metal bucket like utensil located on the floor of the area. Melinda then proceeded firstly to empty the hot water from the unit into the bain-marie (under the impression it was hot oil) and then to pour the hot oil from the unit into the same container. When the hot oil hit the hot water it started to explode.

Melinda suffered severe burns to her body from the exploding hot oil. She was admitted to hospital, where she received appropriate treatment, and was absent from work for more than four weeks as a result of her injuries.

Kentucky Fried Chicken accepted the blame for the accident, the reason for its occurrence being a failure of its extensive safety, health and welfare program.

The Court imposed a fine of $20 000.

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