Joshua Arnold was only 16 when he was scalded by gravy while working at Kentucky Fried Chicken in Teesside Retail Park

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A FAST food worker who received second degree burns after being ordered to move a tub of red hot gravy without gloves has spoken of the ordeal.

Joshua Arnold was only 16 when he was scalded by gravy while working at KFC in Teesside Retail Park.

Evening Gazette 4 A fast food worker who received second degree burns after being ordered to move a tub of red hot gravy without gloves has spoken of the ordeal

Evening Gazette 4 Joshua, originally from Easterside, Middlesbrough, but now of Essex, is still reeling from his injuries two years on

The teen says he was left with severe burns on his arms – but staff packed him off to hospital in a taxi rather than an ambulance.

Joshua, originally from Easterside, Middlesbrough, but now of Essex, is still reeling from his injuries two years on and said: “I was working in the kitchen and was asked to take a large tub of hot gravy from the microwave.

“We were supposed to wear oven gloves when we did it as they were red hot and so I asked for some but a supervisor told me there weren’t any around and to just move it without them.

“The tub was really heavy and it dropped and spilled all over my hands and arms.

Evening Gazette 4 Joshua suffered the devastating burns because there were no protective gloves to wear

“The pain was unbelievable and I was told to put my hands in cold water then someone wrapped them in paper towels and cling film.”

Rather than call an ambulance, staff put Joshua in a taxi and sent him on his way to A&E where he was found to have second degree burns.

He spent the next two months seeing doctors for check ups and was sent his P45 while still recovering.

Joshua’s dad, David Arnold, 51, said the chicken chain have a lot to answer for.

He said: “I was at work when I found out Josh had been injured and so rushed over to the hospital.

“I went in and there was no record of him but then he turned up in a taxi.

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“They had wrapped his arms in wet paper towels which had dried out by the time he arrived so when they were removing them his skin was coming off as well.

“It just seems like there were no safety procedures in place at all.

“He said he asked for gloves but a supervisor just said that he needed to hurry up as they were busy.

“To be honest I never wanted him to go back there.”

Joshua now works in Essex and has said the horrific experience has put him off working in the fast food industry for life.

Evening Gazette 4 A KFC representative pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches at Teesside Magistrates’ Court

He added: “My hands are better now but they do get quite uncomfortable during the winter and in the summer I have to cover them up from the sun otherwise

they go very red.

“I received compensation but it’s took them two years to finally admit they were at fault and I just hope it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

A representative for fast food giant KFC appeared at Teesside Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to indicate a guilty plea over the incident on July 14, 2014.

David Whiting, a solicitor appearing on behalf of the chicken chain, will appear at the court again on November 23.

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