A pub chain has paid £10,000 compensation to a kitchen assistant who sustained a wrist laceration and ongoing damage to his tendons in a work accident.

The man was emptying a kitchen bin liner into a larger refuse bin at rear of the premises when a piece of a broken ceramic plate severely lacerated his left wrist.

The painful laceration damaged his tendons, requiring him to undergo surgery and take 11 weeks off work. He has been left with minor scarring, and twelve months on still cannot fully extend his left thumb.

Duty to assess risks in the workplace

Sarah Wilkinson from Thompsons Solicitors, which represented his claim, says:

“Like any workplace, a kitchen has health and safety risks that need to be managed. Our client’s employer had a duty to assess risks in the workplace and to make sure that a safe system of work was in place and being adhered to by all staff.”

“Because it failed to do this, the employer is liable for the injury. The positive outcome is that this case appears to have prompted the company to review its health and safety systems to prevent this happening again.”