Accident Report Detail
Accident Summary Nr: 202487468 - Employee Is Burned by Hot Cooking Oil
Inspection Nr | Date Opened | SIC | NAICS | Establishment Name |
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311865604 | 10/17/2008 | 5812 | 722110 | Nancy & Richard Gardner Dba The Red Hut Cafes |
Abstract: On September 1, 2008, Employee #1 was working as a side cook at a full service restaurant that mostly served breakfast and lunch. Employee #1 had started working at 6:00 a.m. At approximately 1:50 p.m., she placed some french fries in the Wells table top fryer (Model Number F-49; Serial number CA810090, NSFD045770) located next to the stove. A few minutes later, the fryer moved to the edge of the table. As Employee #1 was reaching down to pick up some bread, which is normally stored on a shelf located under the fryer, the fryer slipped off the table, and hot oil splashed onto Employee #1's left foot. She slipped in the oil and landed on her right side, burning the top of her right leg when she landed in the oil. The kitchen workers helped her up and moved her to a waiting room until the ambulance arrived. She was taken to Barton Memorial Hospital in South Lake Tahoe and then transferred to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento for further treatment of her burns. Employee #1 received skin transplants on the burn area of her left ankle and foot. As of October 17, 2008, the interview date, Employee #1 had been out of work due to her injuries. During the investigation, it was noted that the table top fryer was a newer unit that was bought from Resco (a restaurant supplier). This unit was the same type of fryer which had always been used. It was normally turned on at approximately 6:00 a.m., filled with approximately five gallons of frying oil, heated to 375 degrees F, and turned off at the end of the day (approximately 2:00 p.m.). All interviewed employees stated that the fryer had never fallen off the table. The unit was not moved during the day. Employee #1 stated that she had never experienced a similar issue during the 10.5 years she had worked in the kitchen. She stated that she set her workstation and equipment to her own specification prior to the start of each work day, as she did on the day of the accident. Employee #1 was quite sure that the table top fryer was resting in its normal position prior to the start of her work. Employee #1 didn't know why the fryer slipped off the table top but stated that their work load was exceptionally heavy during that particular holiday weekend. She proposed that vibrations from the nearby road could have dislodged the fryer or that grease on the table top may have made it slip forward. The floor did tilt toward the front of the restaurant slightly. However, it was unlikely that the fryer slipped on grease because the front right leg of the fryer normally rested on a kitchen towel. The injured employee stated that she did not touch the fryer before it fell. The owner contacted the manufacturer to see if any similar incidents involving this type of fryer had ever been reported. The manufacturer indicated that no spills resulting from movement of the fryer had been reported. After the accident, the legs of the fryer were rested inside two metal cups that were fastened to the table, to prevent the fryer from dislodging or moving.
Employee # | Inspection Nr | Age | Sex | Degree of Injury | Nature of Injury | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 311865604 | Hospitalized injury | Burn/Scald(Heat) | Short-order cooks |