Dundee woman sues Nando's after skin 'melted' by detergent

A woman has launched legal action against Nando's after being severely burned by industrial cleaning fluid while working in a restaurant.

Mairi Espie, 21, claims she was not provided with PPE when emptying a container of detergent during a shift at the Nethergate branch in Dundee.

The liquid splashed onto her jeans and "melted" the skin on her right thigh, leaving the university graduate with a permanent scar.

Nando's says it disputes the claims.

**Warning: This article contains graphic imagery**

Ms Espie, from Dundee, said she was tasked with changing the dishwater detergent during a shift in December 2019.

When she removed the old bottle, she said the liquid splashed on her and soaked through her clothing.

She was left with a three-inch sore and required specialist washing treatment at A&E to remove the detergent.

"It was absolutely agony - it felt like my leg was on fire," she added.

"I wasn't given any special apron or gloves or anything - we were just kind of expected to crack on.

"I'm now left with a permanent scar in a really prominent place on my body."

Ms Espie said she had to recover at home for more than a week after her injury.

However, she said the wound took "months to heal properly".

She said: "It's the scarring that upset me the most - I've got scars on both my legs due to the splash going everywhere but it's the right thigh that's the worst. It makes me feel so nervous to wear shorts or skirts.

"A legal action is not something I wanted to do but I felt I didn't have a choice because after it all happened I felt like Nando's just fobbed me off like it was nothing.

"If nothing else, I just hope it makes things safer for other people as there must be people all over the country who work in hospitality and see injuries like this all the time and think it's part of the job, but it's not."

Ms Espie is pursuing an employer's liability claim, which sets out that Nando's was responsible because it failed to carry out a risk assessment, provide Ms Espie with PPE and provide proper training.

Simon Hammond, partner at Digby Brown Solicitors in Edinburgh, said: "Workplace injuries are sadly a very common occurrence but what's really unfortunate is just how avoidable they are.

"If Nando's followed simple protective measures then Mairi would not have suffered like she has and you only need to look at the photo of her burn to imagine the pain she must have felt."

A spokesperson for Nando's said: "We strongly dispute these allegations. We cannot provide any further comment given this is an ongoing case."