- Pret A Manger Fined £800,000 for Employee Trapped in Freezer
- Inadequate Risk Assessment and Prior Incidents Highlight Safety Concerns
- Council Emphasizes the Importance of Safety Measures and Deterrence
In July 2021, the employee endured a two-and-a-half-hour ordeal when she became confined inside a commercial walk-in freezer, experiencing difficulty breathing and loss of sensation in her legs and feet.
Pret A Manger was fined £800,000 after one of its employees became confined inside a -18°C freezer.
After two and a half hours, a colleague found the exhausted employee at the chain’s Victoria coach stop on July 29, 2021.
She attempted to stay warm by moving around while wearing only jeans and a T-shirt, but her condition began to deteriorate.
Her breathing became increasingly difficult, and she began to lose sensation in her quadriceps and feet.
She tried to pull apart a cardboard box of chocolate croissants to block the ventilator’s icy air, but her hands were too cold.
Following her rescue, an investigation revealed that employees operating in environments with controlled temperatures lacked a suitable risk assessment.
Pret has fixed damaged or frozen push buttons many times in the past 19 months, according to its reporting system. A kitchen worker couldn’t open the walk-in freezer door in January 2020.
The internal door release mechanism was malfunctioning on that occasion.
After an investigation by Westminster Council, the sandwich chain pled guilty at Westminster Magistrates Court on Tuesday to a violation of the Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974.
The deputy leader and cabinet member for communities, public protection, and licensing, Councillor Aicha Less, stated, “The shocking details of this case demonstrate a lack of care and attention.”
This incident demonstrates that disregarding fundamental safety precautions can have catastrophic consequences.
She added, “We hope the court’s hefty fine serves as a deterrent, preventing this from ever happening again.”
Westminster City Council will continue to work with businesses to ensure that the highest standards of health and safety are consistently upheld and to educate employees on safe practices.
A Pret A Manger representative said, We’re sorry for our colleague’s experience and understand how distressing it was.
“We have conducted a thorough investigation and collaborated with the manufacturer to develop a solution to prevent this from occurring again.”
“As a result of the incident, we have reevaluated and, where necessary, improved all of our existing systems and procedures, and have fully cooperated with Westminster City Council’s investigation.”
