Commercial kitchens are notoriously among the most stressful places to earn a living, and are full of potential dangers to workers. In 2009 the Health & Safety Executive reported 1,187 major injuries to employees working in the kitchens of the hotel and restaurant sector.
Burn injuries are some of the most common injuries suffered by people working in commercial kitchens and every chef will have his or her fair share during the course of a career. However, this does not detract from the seriousness of a burn injury, or the pain and suffering they can cause.
In the worst case scenarios, burns suffered while working in a kitchen can leave the victims with permanent scars, which can affect their self-confidence and ability to live their lives to the full.
If you have been a victim of a burn, no matter how serious, while working in a kitchen, then you could be entitled to make a personal injury compensation claim. Read on to find out more.
Are there different classifications for how serious a kitchen burn is?
As with normal burn claims, the amount of compensation awarded is largely dependent on the seriousness of the burn. Listed below are the different categories of burn you may be able to claim for:
- Superficial burns (1st degree – a burn that goes no deeper than the skin)
- Partial thickness burns (2nd degree – impacts the skins, and the layer below it)
- Full thickness burns (3rd degree – the most serious type of burn, where the skin will often appear to be black and charred)
What are the most common types of burns suffered while working in a kitchen?
As mentioned above, the commercial kitchen is full of hazards for those who work in it and burn injuries are commonplace. However, as you’ll see below, there is more than one way to burn yourself when working in a commercial kitchen.
- Electrical burns
- Chemical burns
- Thermal burns
Your employer is required by law to carry out regular safety checks on the working conditions of any commercial equipment, and must take every measure possible to reduce risk to staff.
If you have been burnt while working in a commercial kitchen because of your employer’s failure to carry out this procedure, then you could be eligible to make a personal injury compensation claim.
Contact Legal Request today to find out whether you can make a claim. Consultations are free, quick and easy, and we operate on a No Win No Fee basis. We also promise that you will keep 100 per cent of any compensation awarded.
So what have you got to lose? Contact us today and claim back the compensation that is rightfully yours.
