Earlier this week I was involved in an accident at a local McDonalds drive-through, which saw me suffer severe burns to both legs. It happened during a busy evening period and therefore the lids weren’t correctly secured to the cups, with the handover going wrong from the collection booth to my car as I sat in the driver’s seat. I will now need to attend regular doctor’s appointments for the foreseeable and will likely be left with scars as a result.

This was a genuine accident and I don’t want to take this further or put blame on anybody.  But what I want to see is a rethink from McDonalds in the way they handle hot drinks orders both in store and particular in drive throughs. Research has shown this type of accident is quite regular across the country and although I was quite lucky in the positions of my burns, there will be others who suffer worse injuries to their bodies or even face if no action is taken.

My ideas include:

·       Taller cup holders for drinks that offer greater protection, grip and more balance when carrying drinks regardless of temperature.

·       Hot drinks to be issued with a verbal warning from staff whilst handing over to customers (similar to that in restaurants).

·       Potentially leaving drinks to cool down for a short period of time before handing over to customers (particularly in drive-throughs).

·       Staff to receive further guidance and training in presenting hot drinks to customers. This could include a double check by different team members that lids have been tightened correctly.

·       More support on how to deal with hot drink burns on site and dealing with the aftermaths of such incidents.

I know these will be difficult to implement and any changes won’t stop similar accidents from happening, but I want to reduce the risk of somebody else suffering worse injuries. I am more than happy to hear other suggestions and I ask that these are put in the comments.