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Court fines Diageo £537,000 for burns accident

Johnnie Walker owner Diageo has been fined £537,000 (US$681,500) after an employee suffered severe burns when a faulty valve sprayed boiling liquid over him.

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Diageo has expressed ‘regret’ over the incident

Michael Thomson worked for Diageo at the company’s Glenlossie Distillery near Elgin in Scotland.

A valve had been fitted incorrectly, showing the pump was closed when it was in fact open.

At Inverness Sheriff Court, it was revealed that as Thomson started to remove bolts from the pump to replace the seal, there was a sudden release of 104oC hot pot ale. The force knocked him down.

Following the industrial accident, which happened in 2021, Thomson spent two weeks in intensive care and some time in an induced coma. He suffered burns to 30% of his body, including his shoulders, arms, legs, and body.

Thomson was off work for six months and retired a year later.

Diageo admitted through defence counsel Peter Gray KC it had failed to take responsible steps to ensure work equipment was safely constructed or adapted.

A Diageo spokesperson said: “The health and safety of our people is our number one priority, and we regret that this incident caused injury to a colleague.

“Following an extensive investigation we have implemented an improved procedure for isolations and the learning from this incident has been cascaded out to the wider business.”

In other news, when Diageo announced its full-year financial results at the end of July, sales were flat overall. Tequila brand Casamigos faced a challenging year, which resulted in a 20% decline.

CEO Debra Crew told investors in September the company remains confident in a return to growth despite the “challenging global environment”.

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