FOOTAGE of a young McDonald’s employee suffering horrific burns after falling into an open bucket of boiling oil has been made public after a magistrate today imposed a $45,000 fine on the store.
Angela Buza, a shift manager at the fast food chain’s Warragul store, was in hospital for several days after being drenched in several litres of 160C oil drained from a deep fryer.
Ms Buza said she suffered severe pain, and became anxious and socially withdrawn after being doused in the dangerous liquid, requiring skin grafts on her arms and legs.
“At times I still have nightmares of the incident,” Ms Buza wrote in a victim impact statement read out in court.
he company was sentenced to pay a fine of $45,000, without conviction, and ordered to pay costs in the amount of $20,000.
CCTV footage of the November 12 shift shown to the magistrates’ court shows employee Luke Haywood manually pouring hot oil from a fryer tray into open pickle buckets on the tiles of the main walkway in the kitchen.
Employees were instructed to use a special oil caddie to drain the vats, and then pour the liquid safely into a tank at the back of the restaurant for transportation by contractors.
But the court heard Mr Haywood believed the caddie pump was broken on the day, using the buckets instead to replace the oil.
Several minutes into the video Ms Buza can be seen slipping on the tiles and knocking over the bucket, its contents spilling over much of her body.
She then jumps up and runs off in agony.
Mr Buza said he had used the same method to move the used oil several times in the same two months.
The watchdog claimed the Victoria St restaurant’s owners, Phil and Gael Wilson, failed to properly supervise the way in which oil from the store’s deep fryers was changed.
Defence lawyer Robert Taylor said Mr and Mrs Wilson admitted to the events but ensured employees were appropriately trained, and had no idea the banned practise was occurring.
“Ultimately a corporation can only act through its individual officers and agents,” he said.
Mr Taylor said Mrs Wilson, who had suffered severe burns as a child, was particularly concerned about workplace safety.
“She was horrified, frankly, to discover that this happened,” Mr Taylor said.
Philip Dunn QC, for WorkSafe, said Mr and Mrs Wilson must be held responsible for the actions of their employees.
“There’s no point having a safe working system if you don’t supervise it,” he said.
Angela Buza, a shift manager at the fast food chain’s Warragul store, was in hospital for several days after being drenched in several litres of 160C oil drained from a deep fryer.
Ms Buza said she suffered severe pain, and became anxious and socially withdrawn after being doused in the dangerous liquid, requiring skin grafts on her arms and legs.
“At times I still have nightmares of the incident,” Ms Buza wrote in a victim impact statement read out in court.
he company was sentenced to pay a fine of $45,000, without conviction, and ordered to pay costs in the amount of $20,000.
CCTV footage of the November 12 shift shown to the magistrates’ court shows employee Luke Haywood manually pouring hot oil from a fryer tray into open pickle buckets on the tiles of the main walkway in the kitchen.
Employees were instructed to use a special oil caddie to drain the vats, and then pour the liquid safely into a tank at the back of the restaurant for transportation by contractors.
But the court heard Mr Haywood believed the caddie pump was broken on the day, using the buckets instead to replace the oil.
Several minutes into the video Ms Buza can be seen slipping on the tiles and knocking over the bucket, its contents spilling over much of her body.
She then jumps up and runs off in agony.
Mr Buza said he had used the same method to move the used oil several times in the same two months.
The watchdog claimed the Victoria St restaurant’s owners, Phil and Gael Wilson, failed to properly supervise the way in which oil from the store’s deep fryers was changed.
Defence lawyer Robert Taylor said Mr and Mrs Wilson admitted to the events but ensured employees were appropriately trained, and had no idea the banned practise was occurring.
“Ultimately a corporation can only act through its individual officers and agents,” he said.
Mr Taylor said Mrs Wilson, who had suffered severe burns as a child, was particularly concerned about workplace safety.
“She was horrified, frankly, to discover that this happened,” Mr Taylor said.
Philip Dunn QC, for WorkSafe, said Mr and Mrs Wilson must be held responsible for the actions of their employees.
“There’s no point having a safe working system if you don’t supervise it,” he said.
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