Many young people in Colorado would love a chance to work with ice cream and frozen yogurt, but the frozen treat business isn’t always as sweet of a deal as it may seem, sometimes employees can find themselves in sticky situations.
A 21-year-old worker at a frozen yogurt store found out about that the hard way after an icy customer splashed his arm with hot caramel, burning his arm. Had this happened in Colorado the injured employee could contact a workplace injury attorney and apply for workers’ compensation benefits. Employers must protect their employees, even from hot-headed customers.
A spokesperson for the frozen yogurt store said that the 24-year-old woman accused of throwing the scalding caramel became furious after a little of the caramel spilled onto her. Instead of expressing her displeasure in a civil manner, she picked up her frozen treat and tossed it at the employee behind the desk.
The woman was later arrested after the victim caught her bragging about her not-so-sweet behavior.
The 21-year-old returned to work after getting burned, but he told a supervisor that he would be going to a hospital to get checked out. It was reported that his arm was red and blistered by the caramel.
It may not seem like a frozen yogurt store has many dangerous conditions, but employers should protect their employees from even remote threats. Under Colorado law, an injured employee can receive workers’ compensation benefits even when an accident is no one’s fault. Regardless of how an accident happened, if it happened while on the job, an injured worker may receive benefits.
Source: Chicago Tribune, “Sweet ending after worker scalded by hot caramel,” Rosemary Sobol, April 3, 2012