“The managers told me to put mustard on it”

New Survey by National COSH Shows
79% of Fast Food Workers Suffer Burns on the Job

McDonald’s Workers File OSHA Complaints

A new survey, commissioned by National COSH, shows a high rate of burns and other injuries among workers in the fast food industry.

Read the survey memo from Hart Research here.

Read detailed survey results here.

Read a press release about OSHA complaints against McDonald’s here.

Read National COSH Executive Director Mary Vogel’s comments here.

The survey, conducted by Hart Research is the first of its kind to ask fast food workers about their working conditions . Seventy-nine percent of workers report getting burned on the job during the past year. Fifty-eight percent have been burned multiple times. Astoundingly, one-third of those surveyed said that they have been told to treat burns with condiments like mustard or mayonnaise rather than burn cream.

Responding to these hazardous conditions, McDonald’s workers in 19 cities have filed 28 OSHA complaints. Workers say that understaffing and pressure to work too fast – hazardous conditions often created by the company’s computer system that dictates staffing levels and the pace of work – are the main drivers responsible for workplace injuries.

“The fast food industry is made up of many profitable companies and franchises,” said Mary Vogel, executive director of National COSH. “These companies need to schedule for safety… and invest in safety.”

“We have to do a lot better than offering workers a packet of mustard after they get burned.”