Diageo has been fined half a million pounds after an employee sustained burns to over 30% of his body. The mechanical engineer had been repairing a defective pump at the drinks manufacturer's Glenlossie Distillery Complex in Elgin when he was burned by pot ale – a liquid which had a temperature of 104C.

As a result of the incident, which took place in 2021, the individual sustained burns to his arms, hands, shoulders, back, chest, lower legs and ankles, subsequently spending two weeks in intensive care, where he was placed in an induced coma.

A Health and Safety Executive investigation found Diageo failed to do all that was “reasonably practicable to ensure maintenance operations could be carried out without a worker being put at risk of injury”.

Diageo Scotland Limited, of Lochside Place, Edinburgh, pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1), 2(2)(a), 2(2)(c), 33(1)(a) and 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £500,000 at Inverness Sheriff Court on 16 December 2024.

HSE inspector Isabelle Martin said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by ensuring that procedures were in place to ensure that changes to work equipment installed in the plant were safe. However, more importantly Diageo should have had procedures in place to ensure that plant could be isolated safely and prevent the release of hazardous and dangerous substances.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

HSE guidance on the safe isolation of plant and equipment is freely available and provides steps to prevent the release of substances that are hazardous including hot, flammable and toxic substances.

The guidance can be found at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg253.htm?utm_source=hse.gov.uk&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=prosecution-push

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