McDonald's workers told to treat burns with condiments, survey shows
Among issues cited in 28 health and safety complaints filed against fast-food giant are understaffing and pressure to work fast without proper safety gear
McDonald’s workers who have suffered severe burns in their workplace filed 28 health and safety complaints against the company in 19 cities over the past two weeks, a labor group announced on Monday.
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The complaints were filed with the assistance of labor organizing group Fight for $15, which is pushing for a higher minimum wage and union representation for fast-food workers. On Monday, Fight for $15 also launched a petition asking the US Department of Labor to investigate health and safety hazards in the fast-food industry.
“My managers kept pushing me to work faster, and while trying to meet their demands I slipped on a wet floor, catching my arm on a hot grill,” Brittney Berry said on a conference call on Monday. Berry has worked at McDonald’s in Chicago since 2011; when she slipped, she suffered a severe burn on her forearm and nerve damage from the accident. “The managers told me to put mustard on it, but I ended up having to get rushed to the hospital in an ambulance.”
Afterward, Berry missed three weeks of work without pay.
Using condiments to soothe workplace burns is more than just a one-time occurrence at McDonald’s. According to a survey by Hart Research Associates, 33% of fast-food workers who were burned at work were told by their manager to use condiments such mustard, butter or ketchup instead of burn cream.
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link:
http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/mar/16/mcdonalds-workers-treat-burns-condiments-osha-complaints
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