McDonald’s Burns Prompt Investigation

According to a BBC News report, OSHA officials have launched an investigation into McDonald’s after 28 employees in 19 different cities said they suffered injuries due to hazardous equipment and poor safety standards. Some workers have said they had been told to treat their injuries with condiments, such as mustard and mayonnaise, rather than medical cream. The company could potentially face fines of up to $70,000 for each violation.

In response to the allegations, McDonald’s spokeswoman Heidi Barker Sa Shekhem said the company and its independent franchisees were “committed to providing safe working conditions for employees in the 14,000 McDonald’s Brand US restaurants.”

A survey of 1,426 fast-food workers, carried out on behalf of the U.S. National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, found that almost 80 percent had suffered burns in the past year. Workers in the food services segment of the U.S. economy also have a high number of hand injuries, according to the latest BLS data.

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