Template

The safety responsibilities of cafe owners have come to the fore again following the latest scalding case - this time, in Sussex, to a 13-month-old baby when a pot of what was reportedly 'boiling' water fell from a counter into his pushchair. The baby is believed to be scarred for life.

According to local press reports, the father blamed the café staff, although the café owner later said that first-aiders were on hand.

A baby suffered horrific burns after being scalded by boiling water in a Rye cafe.

13-month-old Lewis Betts suffered burns to 21 per cent of his face and body when a pot of boiling water fell from a counter into his pushchair.

The incident happened last Friday afternoon at Jempsons coffee shop in Cinque Ports Street.

Lewis was taken to the Conquest Hospital but later transferred to a specialist burns unit at East Grinstead. He has since been moved to St Thomas' Hospital, London, after picking up an infection and was still there on Wednesday.

Dad Dean Betts slammed staff at Jempsons for their response to the emergency.

Dean, of De La Warr Road, Bexhill, said: "I am not entirely sure how it happened. There was a tray on the counter above and I saw something move out of the corner of my eye.

"The next thing there was boiling water on his face, neck, back and chest."

Parents are suing a coffee shop after their son suffered severe burns when a jug of boiling water was spilled over him.

Dean and Marie Betts claim 18-month-old Lewis will need treatment for the rest of his life for third-degree burns on a fifth of his body.

He has had plastic surgery for the injuries, which have left him permanently disfigured

The couple claim boiling water fell on the youngster while he was asleep in his pushchair as they waited to pay.

Mr Betts, 38, from Bexhill, Sussex, said: 'It was the worst experience I have ever had to deal with. To hear him crying out in pain and see him reaching out to me but knowing there was nothing I could do – it was utterly heartbreaking. We are spending every minute of the day and night by his side.'

He claimed staff at Jempson's coffee shop in Rye, East Sussex, did not do enough to help.

Health and safety officials are investigating the incident, which happened earlier this month.

Cafe boss Stephen Jempson said: 'I can't comment while investigations are ongoing but I can confirm a first-aider was on site at the time of the incident.'

The biggest story of all was in the Brighton Argus, which said this:

A baby is in a critical condition after it suffered third-degree burns when a jug of hot water was knockd into his pushchair in a coffee shop.

Dean Betts and Marie Josefsson say 18-month-old Lewis has been left with burns to 21% of his body after the accident.

They claim 18-month-old Lewis, who is on a ventilator, will need treatment for the rest of his life and has been permanently disfigured.

He has undergone skin grafts to 5% of his body and remains critical condition at a hospital in Chelmsford, Essex - more than a week after the spill.

Postman Dean, 38, said he was heartbroken by his son's injuries which will leave him scarred for life.

He said: "I'm not entirely sure how it happened. We were waiting in the queue to pay and there was a tray on the counter above Lewis' pushchair.

"He was sleeping but suddenly I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. The next thing I knew, there was scalding hot water on his face, neck, back and chest.

"It was the worst experience I have ever had to deal with. To hear him crying out in pain and see him reaching out to me but knowing there was nothing I could do was utterly heartbreaking."

Another customer shouted to staff for help but then rushed the baby into the kitchen herself.

Mr Betts added: "She was amazing. We were knocked for six, totally panicking, but she took the reins and knew exactly what to do. She grabbed Lewis out of his pushchair and rushed him into the kitchen.

"She stripped off his clothing and started hosing him down under the cold tap.

"Without her things could have been much worse. I really wish she would come forward so we can thank her properly."

Mr Betts, who lives with his partner Marie, 33, herself a cafe assistant, in Bexhill, has been in touch with his solicitors and is considering bringing legal action against the cafe.

The pair are currently living in a family room at the hospital 90 miles from home.

Health and safety bosses are probing the circumstances behind the incident. Inspectors are due to visit the shop and the family has sought legal advice.

Mr Betts said: "We're not very happy to say the least, which is why we have taken it up with our solicitors. They say we have a good case.

"In the meantime, we need to make sure our little boy gets better. We are spending every minute of the day and night by his side.

"He has been totally knocked out for the last few days on sedatives and painkillers. Some days we just fall apart but we know we have to be strong for him.

"He could be in here for another week before they send him for more plastic surgery and he will probably have to have regular skin treatment for the rest of his life."

Cafe boss Stephen Jempson, who owns a chain of cafes, said: "I can't comment while investigations are ongoing for insurance reasons but I can confirm that a first aider was on site at the time of the incident.

"After an internal review Jempsons is happy with the efforts and assistance that our colleagues in the cafe offered.

"The thoughts and best wishes of all those who work at Jempsons are with the family at this time. We extend our best wishes for a full recovery."

Do you know the woman who helped Dean and Marie? Can you help them thank her for her quick thinking?

The Argus ran the story on its website, and received a flood of readers’ comments, including these:

* I have been in a coffee shop where this happened to child on a different occasion and they had no idea what to do the attendent was putting paper tissues wet on him until i suggested standing him in water. Training should be given in these places.

* Parents let their children run free climb over the furniture and when you tell them to control their children they get offended. The parents need training. From a coffee shop owner

Whatever the rights and wrongs of this case – what is the right action for a café owner? Is it possible to protect yourself from the danger of accidents with hot water, or indeed anything else? Are there any safety guidelines to work to?

The trade has told Coffee House that there is very little guidance on how operators can plan their work to avoid such cases.

Coffee House consulted various senior trade people but received few responses other than one vague reference to 'duty of care'. One well-known manager observed that no supplier would dare give advice: 'in a litigation-conscious society, if a case like this happens, the cafe owner will sue the advisor.”

The trainer Robert Henry of Another Cup, who is also behind the London School of Coffee's course on café management, has reported that he has researched health & safety and risk audits looking for guidance on the matter, and found none.

He commented: “Sounds bizarre that alarm bells didn’t ring – how was somebody allowed to put hot water in a place where it could fall? The general advice is, use hot water as close as possible to the point of dispense. I’ve looked at health & safety and risk audits, and nobody addresses this – but you advise staff not to get hot water near a customer.

“The general advice is to use hot water as close as possible to the point of dispense… and yet obviously, if you serve tea, there has to be some movement. Certainly, you must teach staff that a customer with a baby should be asked to sit at a table, and that you take the drink across. In general, avoid moving boiling water around."

Paul Meikle-Janney of Coffee Community, a vastly experienced trainer and café designer, agreed that cafe owners should be urged to consider their working practices.

He said: "You can not get rid of all dangers in any environment which deals with hot drinks. You can put guard rails round a counter, but at some point you have to pass drinks across. Good design and layout can help to minimise accidents.”

Steve Penk, UK co-ordinator for the SCAE, agreed: ”You cannot remove the danger of hot water - but you can identify the risks, and you must maximise staff awareness of the dangers.”

The trainer Youri Vlag from Absolute Coffee gave a story from his own experience.

“Whilst running a coffee shop I advised my staff to keep small children away for the counter. Hot items were always a risk. Imagine hot coffees on trays throughout the cafe, always a problem.

“Customers can also spill a hot coffee over a baby, what happens then? It's a very complicated situation I think.

”I always advise people to take part in a health and safety course. That is my answer when people ask me questions. I do not advise people on how to carry trays or how to treat hot water issues in a coffee shop…. simply for the reason that I don't want to be responsible. Health and safety courses are the place for advice on these issues.

”I used to have a customer who always brought her young boy to the shop. The boy always used to run from his mother to go behind the counter. Sometimes he ran up to the espresso machine within a second. We always stopped working immediately and the mother took the little youngster away. But imagine something would have happened! Whose fault is it then?
Do you need to have a barrier so kids can't enter behind the bar or kitchen? How far do you go?

”Certainly, part of the best advice is maybe to have good insurance.”

This is a major issue for caterers. Do you have suggestions? Email your comments to the editor.