Pub Chain Fined After Employee Suffers Burns

National pub chain Enterprise Inns plc has been fined following an incident where an employee was injured at a premises in Caerphilly. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

A member of staff at the Angel Inn, White Cross Lane, Caerphilly sustained burn injuries when a ‘flash over’ occurred from a gas fired cooking range on 16th July 2015. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The prosecution was brought by the Environmental Health team of Caerphilly County Borough Council following an in-depth investigation. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

At Newport Magistrates Court on 16th August 2016, the company entered a guilty plea to failing to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the equipment provided for use at The Angel Inn was safe and without risk to health in accordance with Section 4 (2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The company were ordered to pay a fine of £95,000 with costs of £15,860 and a victim surcharge of £120. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Nigel George, the council’s Cabinet Member for Community Services said, “We take all cases of accidents reported to the council very seriously and investigate them thoroughly. This was a serious incident involving a person becoming injured as a result of a faulty gas appliance and I am pleased that the court has reflected this in the fine”. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​