McDonald's In Peru Deemed To Violate Safety Rules

Illustration (Pixabay)

SANTIAGO - Peru's labor inspectorate found McDonald's Corp franchise in Latin America, Arcos Dorados, guilty of six violations of local health and safety laws. Meanwhile, the Manpower Ministry's regulatory agency (Sunafil) is proposing that the company be fined US $ 254,000 for the death.

Reported by Reuters, this sanction was given after the death of two employees in a restaurant kitchen due to electric shocks from a drink machine. Alexandra Porras, 18, and Carlos Campo, 19 were electrocuted earlier this month at a McDimald's restaurant in Lima. They were electrocuted while cleaning the kitchen.

Due to this incident, a number of people held a demonstration carrying posters with photos on them and reading, "Justice for Alexa and Gabriel." The two of them have worked at the restaurant for several months.

Manpower Minister Sylvia Caceres said the government had improved health and safety regulations. The government has implemented a better inspection system every year.

"We must prevent companies that violate labor standards," said Caceres, adding that further action was being considered for this problem that afflicted McDonald's.

Meanwhile, Arcos Dorados, which operates all 29 McDonald's restaurants in Peru, did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the sanctions.

Arcos Dorados, which operates McDonald's restaurants across South America and the Caribbean, said last week that McDonald's stores in Peru would remain closed until he completed his own investigation into what happened.

A few days ago, as reported by Reuters, the general manager of McDonald's operations in Peru, José Andrade, said the beverage supply machine at the fast food restaurant that caused the death of Alexa and Carlos was due to power problems.

He added, the manager of the restaurant where this incident occurred, did not report this to the company. "Unfortunately, the information that the machine was not working and took people by surprise was only known by the local manager and did not increase so that immediate action could be taken," he told Peruvian television station Canal N last week.

For this incident, Arcos Dorados stated, the McDonald's restaurant was not operating for two days for a period of mourning and investigations. The company will decide whether to continue using the beverage machine or not after this investigation is underway.