- Nightclub fined £120,000
- Caustic soda in tequila
- Four women hospitalized
A night out in Tiger Tiger resulted in the hospitalisation of four women who sustained burns to the mouth after a barman served what he believed to be salt during a round of tequila shots.
The Westminster council fined a central London nightclub for accidentally using caustic soda instead of salt in tequila shooters, according to the council.
On December 7, 2021, the Tiger Tiger nightclub staff rushed four women to the hospital after they ingested the substance primarily used for cleansing.
They had experienced vomiting and burning in the pharynx.
A court heard that during a night out, four women went to the bar for shots, and the barman realised he had run out of salt and lime slices, both of which are essential components of tequila shots.
The barman then, according to the Westminster City Council, formulated a substance in an unlit storage area behind the bar by transferring what he believed to be salt from a container into a plastic cup.
The court heard that the women ingested the shot and licked the substance from the backs of their palms.
The barman became suspicious when the woman became unwell in front of him, as evidenced by the court hearing, which prompted him to sample the white powder.
As a result of the chemical’s high alkaline content, his mouth and tongue began to blister, leading the council member to conclude that it was not salt at that moment.
Similar to other corrosive substances, caustic soda has the potential to induce blindness upon contact with the eyes and burn through the epidermis. It is occasionally capable of penetrating glass.
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The club’s owner, A3D2, was fined £120,000 and pleaded guilty to four violations of health and safety regulations, including “failing to ensure (customers) were not exposed to the risk of chemical substances.
The deputy leader of the council, Councillor Aicha Less, stated, “The shocking details of this case demonstrate a lack of attention and adequate procedure regarding the handling of toxic cleaning chemicals.
“This incident demonstrates that disregarding fundamental safety precautions can result in severe repercussions.”
“We hope that the hefty fine imposed by the court serves as a deterrent to all companies, preventing this from ever occurring again.”
The Health and Safety Team of the Westminster City Council will persist in collaborating with all enterprises within the municipality to ensure that optimal standards of health and safety are consistently upheld, and personnel are adequately instructed in safe procedures.
