Peru McDonald's fined US$250,000 after worker deaths

December 28, 2019 | 09:02

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Peruvian authorities on Thursday (Dec 26) fined the local owner of a McDonald's franchise US$250,000 for serious safety violations after two employees were electrocuted to death.

peru mcdonalds fined us 250000 after worker deaths

A Peruvian franchise operator has been fined after two workers died while cleaning the kitchen at a McDonald's. (Photo: AFP/Sameer Al-Doumy)

Two workers, an 18-year-old man and a woman, died on Dec 15 while cleaning the kitchen of a McDonald's in Pueblo Libre, in the Lima province.

Police said the woman suffered an electric shock while handling one of the soda machines. Her coworker tried to help her but was also shocked in the process.

"We have found six very serious infractions, one of which was not communicating (the death) in a timely manner," said Juan Carlos Requejo, head of the National Superintendency of Labor Inspection (Sunafil).

In a statement, Sunafil announced it was fining the Arcos Dorados operations company up to 845,760 soles, approximately US$250,000.

Among the other infractions found was a failure to provide safe working conditions, in terms of both the facilities and the equipment used, "specifically the soft drink dispensing machine".

The Sunafil report said the company already knew the soda machine was damaged but "took no action".

Arcos Dorados confirmed on Dec 21 that a faulty soda machine had caused the accident.

AFP

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