Consuming Alcohol Whilst Operating Machinery

[mazza1975]

I worked for an employer at a busy curry house / pub the owner would often sit in the pub and drink bottles of pills then come into the kitchen and operate the chip fryers I wandered if there was any law against this also he cud be verbally aggressive when he was drunk I put in a grievances about it to which I had many statements of f co workers sayin her did drink and go in the kitchen and offer to help fry the chips and that he was a lovely man something I never saw as I saw a drunk , the grievance people did not feel this was as issue that he drank and went in the kitchen and my grievance was unsuccessful u however goin to tribunal but am representing my self and I.m not the brightest person but I no a drunk when I see one

[woofgang]

whats the question?

[Obiter]

The question is; is it illegal to fry chips when you've had a few bevies?

[Maydup]

Mazza - did he deny the drinking? Do you still work for him?

Did you know you can get free support from ACAS. I think its worth calling them on their helpline.

http://m.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2042
0300 123 1100

[RATTER15]

Not against the law to my knowledge. Operating machines whilst drunk could be an issue to the Health and Safety Inspectorate though.

It may be worth giving ACAS a phone call.

[Svejk]

People shouldn't make chips when they're drunk but I cant see what that has to do with an employment tribunal (doubt they'll be interested)
Why did you finish/get sacked/laid off. Not everything's a law-suit.

[ummmm]

Frying chips is not like operating a 360.

My uncle fell asleep in a 360 once....and he was sober.

[mazza1975]

No I dont work there any more and he admitted to havin a drink and also other members of staff said he drank to but cus I.m the only one who deemed it not safe I was hounded out the company

[Old_Geezer]

I would not know but would hope that there was a law against it in a work situation, but I suspect that there wouldn't be one in a private foolish behaviour scenario. I think employees have a right not to be bullied also, which you seem to imply might be the case.

[Obiter]

What's a 360?

[ummmm]

It's a big JCB digger thingy.

[mazza1975]

The consuming of alcohol is just one issue , I have many others for example I worked weekly but got montly wage slips that never matched what I had earned, also I raised a grevian ce due to be bullied but because the person I complained about had been there for 25 years they said if you dont like her leave , I burnt all my face as I was not trained properly so they faked my health and safety training schedule but has no signature on from myself they told me cus I suffered witj depression it was probably best I dont tell no one , and when I went off sick and was entitled to sick pay they gave me a wage slip that said I had been paid to much and deducted a ficticious amount to make it look like I had not qualified for ssp

[Obiter]

Thank you. I didn't know that. This site is a mine of information.

[mazza1975]

Im not talkin about comin home and fry in some chips after goin to the pub this was a big huge kitchen with massive fryers a busy kitchen with uo to 15 people in there I now work in a chip shop but dont see them gettin drunk lol

[ummmm]

But fryers have temp control and are very unlikely to catch fire. If there's 15 other people there surely that lessons the risk.

[Maydup]

There are two issues here.

Firstly being hounded out of your job for trying to get something done about the working environment and the other is the health and safety of this man frying while under the influence.

The first is the one you should concentrate on at the tribunal and ask ACAS for some help. Think too about what you want the outcome to be.

The second issue is for the health and safety executive. If you want to stop him using that fryer when he's drunk, start by reporting him to your local council environmental health dept.

[Obiter]

"...frying while under the influence ".

Haven't come across that offence before in all my criminal law books.

[mazza1975]

Wel like said i work in a chip shop and woukd not be happy if my boss was drunk whilst operating the fryers and I got hurt ,

[Maydup]

Nevertheless, it might be worth a glance through the Employment Law books Obiter. Its no fun working for a loud mouth pi$$head in charge of a fat fryer.

[Obiter]

We have only the OP's word that he is a " loud mouth pi$$head in charge of a fat fryer."

[Maydup]

Of course, but lets assume he's telling the truth hence his post here.