A Popeyes worker was severely burned by hot water over her entire arm on April 10, 2023. In her CalOSHA complaint, the worker stated, “The manager did not call an ambulance or offer to take me to the hospital, and the store manager made fun of me and said, ‘What are you doing, taking a bath?’” There was no first aid kit at the store, and management put ice on the burn, which can damage the skin in cases of severe burn. The worker was told to talk to someone on the phone who did not understand Spanish, the worker’s primary language. After 20 minutes, the worker was crying in severe pain and asked a coworker to take her to the hospital. The manager sent them to a clinic that could not treat her, where they called an ambulance to take the worker to the hospital for treatment. The worker missed over two weeks of work to recover. This was the second time she had a burn injury at this store. The first time was August 2022, when a hot tray fell on her.
