THE DAILY BS: HOW MUCH CAN YOU HANDLE?
SPARE ME THE BS (I’ve got things to do)
- Three customers at a Forest City, North Carolina, Chili’s suffered chemical burns when an industrial degreaser was apparently mistaken for a drink ingredient.
- A power-washing contractor’s chemical was left in an unlabeled container near the bar; two employees later experienced symptoms after tasting it.
- Health officials suspended the food-service permit and reinstated it after sanitation and corrective measures.
LAY IT ON ME (I’ve got time)
When you order a margarita at Chili’s, you expect tequila, lime, and maybe a little salt around the rim. Industrial-strength cleaning supplies don’t usually make the ingredient list.
Three customers at a Chili’s in Forest City, North Carolina, suffered chemical burns in or around their mouths on Wednesday after drinks were apparently prepared with a granulated degreaser. The Foothills Health District traced the trouble back to a power-washing contractor’s cleaning chemical.
According to health officials, an employee received the material Monday and stored it in an unlabeled container near the bar. Another employee preparing for Wednesday’s lunch service mistook the granules for sugar or salt and used the substance in margarita preparation. Because evidently the industrial supplies had earned a place at happy hour.
Customers quickly reported burning sensations. Instead of immediately treating an unknown chemical exposure as a signal not to taste the stuff, two employees reportedly sampled the suspect mixture and experienced symptoms themselves. That’s one way to turn three injuries into five.
Local authorities said three customers sought medical attention, and the employees were evaluated at urgent care. Inspectors suspended the restaurant’s permit and required affected equipment and preparation areas to be cleaned and sanitized.
Environmental health workers later reinstated the permit after corrective measures were taken. Chili’s acknowledged an isolated incident and said it was supporting the people affected and working to prevent a repeat.
There was even a discrepancy about the customer count: Chili’s referred to two injured guests, while the health district identified three customers. In a chemical exposure incident, those are numbers worth getting right.
The fundamental rule isn’t complicated: Industrial chemicals get clearly labeled containers, not a mystery jar within reach of the bartender. It shouldn’t require an elaborate workplace training seminar to distinguish a margarita ingredient from something intended to clean concrete.
The restaurant has been cleared to resume service. Whether its customers will be quite as enthusiastic about ordering another round is another question. Somewhere in North Carolina, somebody is probably taking a very careful look at the salt shaker.
DBS WIRE SOURCES (I have all day)
- Fox News — Original report
- WRAL — Local health district reporting
- FOX Carolina — Official response
- WYFF — Corrective measures
