In Reply to: Re: A fatal accident in Australia posted by Mark Seftel on August 20, 1996 at 00:52:41:
Well, your account of the incident couldn't be more wrong. How do I know? Because a) I work
of McDonald's and b) exactly how that crew person died was never revealed to the public. It
was kept confidential at the family's request. If you are looking to make McD's look bad you
are looking in the wrong spot here! The owner/operator of this store is known Australia wide
for caring for his crew people and running his store just like it should be. This horrible
accident was just that - an accident. Pls leave this thing alone. This was hard enough for
the family, and McDonald's. Every single store in Australia was ravaged by this death. It
was horrible to think that one of our own had died while at work.For everyone's sake leave this issue alone.
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McSpotlight replies:
This is not a question of trying to make McDonald's look bad, it is a matter of holding
employers accountable for their action or inaction, and of trying to prevent such occurences
from happening again. Its our understanding that the accident happened when the employee
was cleaning a grill, using water, and his hand came into contact with the live wire
which was exposed because the power cable was worn. In these circumstances McDonald's is
responsible because apart from anything else it has a duty to maintain equipment, so it
does not present a safety hazard to employees. Clearly worn cables and exposed live wires
are a safety hazard, and the grill should not have been in use until the cable had been
replaced by a trained electrician. Obviously the death must have been distressing not just
to family and friends, but to others who work at McDonald's as well. However this does
not mean it should be swept under the carpet and forgotten. Rather, the causes should be
looked at and action taken to ensure it cannot and does not happen again.