A restaurant owner has been fined more than £4,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,100 after a member of his staff was splashed in the face with caustic chemicals.
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Council: Babergh District Council
Fine: £4,365
Costs: £2,100
Total: £6,100
Initially, the accident – which happened at Huffers Cafe, Sudbury in September 2012 – was not reported to authorities and the employee was left, half blinded, on the street outside the cafe with £20 to get a taxi and had to call her mother for assistance.
The accident victim, who suffered no permanent damage to her sight, later informed Babergh District Council and an investigation was carried out by the council’s Environmental Health officers.
A variety of serious health and safety offences were uncovered during the investigation relating to unsafe systems of work, a lack of procedures, poor first aid provision and inadequate training.
Owner Halit Ozer and his company, Liteball limited, yesterday (Feb 24) pleaded guilty to nine separate offences each at Bury St Edmunds Magistrates’ Court to charges relating to the accident.
Mr Ozer initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but changed his plea on the day of the trial.
The offences pleaded guilty to included: breaches of duty in handling and training of products, failing to notify enforcing authority of an accident and preparing a written statement, failing in their duty to a young person, failing to provide adequate first aid equipment and a first aider, and two breaches to the control of substances hazardous to health regulations.
He was fined £4,365, plus a victim surcharge of £76, and ordered to contribute £2,100 to the Council’s legal costs. The holding company for the business, Liteball Ltd was fined £120.
Huffers Cafe, Sudbury, is now under new ownership.
Councillor John Hinton, Lead Member for Environment, commended the environmental health service for pursuing this case.
He said: “Health and Safety regulation is often ridiculed as unnecessary red tape but this case shows that it is there with the intention of protecting employees.
“Babergh District Council will always take the protection of employees and the public seriously.”
