Posted:
Jul 14, 2015
By Laura McCallister, Multimedia Producer
By Emily Rittman, News Reporter
NORTH KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -
During this week's extreme heat, a concerned
customer captured what she calls unsafe working conditions at a fast
food restaurant.
Employees at the Wendy's at 1208 Armour Rd. in North Kansas City were grilling and frying up food without air conditioning.
The week’s oppressive heat has been scorching the metro. Monday it felt like 115 degrees in the shade.
When the A/C went out inside the Wendy’s, people say the temperature reached about 120 degrees. Employees tried to beat the heat the best way they could with an employee even bringing in a fan from home.
“I said, ‘Are you serious?’ They said, ‘Yeah, we haven't had any air conditioning.’ I said, ‘It's got to be hot back there.’ The guy said, ‘Yeah, it's like 122 degrees,’” said Kemberly Creager, who reported the A/C outage.
She felt for the men and women in the Wendy’s kitchen.
“One gentleman got sick a couple of times that worked there. The lady at the front counter said she had passed out. Customers didn't want to stay,” Creager said.
The concerned customer went in search of the manager.
“I said, ‘Where is the manager?’ ‘The manager is not here.’ I said, 'Well why are you here?’ ‘Because if we leave, we will be terminated,’” Creager said of her conversation with the employees.
A spokesperson for the Wendy’s franchise said, “Employee welfare is extremely important to us. As soon as we knew the air conditioning broke, we worked to fix it. The air conditioning was out for two hours. No employees were forced to work.”
“I heard from another customer who was in town for a funeral that these conditions were going on since last week,” Creager said.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration sent an inspector to investigate a formal complaint.
“We understand units do break down. You need to get them fixed or you need to close your restaurant down,” Creager said. “Not only are you causing your employees to suffer and someone could be sick from it, you are also allowing people to perspire in food.”
The franchise spokesperson said they are meeting with management.
An OSHA spokeswoman said employers must protect employees from heat stress. They encourage water, rest and shade.
Employees at the Wendy's at 1208 Armour Rd. in North Kansas City were grilling and frying up food without air conditioning.
The week’s oppressive heat has been scorching the metro. Monday it felt like 115 degrees in the shade.
When the A/C went out inside the Wendy’s, people say the temperature reached about 120 degrees. Employees tried to beat the heat the best way they could with an employee even bringing in a fan from home.
“I said, ‘Are you serious?’ They said, ‘Yeah, we haven't had any air conditioning.’ I said, ‘It's got to be hot back there.’ The guy said, ‘Yeah, it's like 122 degrees,’” said Kemberly Creager, who reported the A/C outage.
She felt for the men and women in the Wendy’s kitchen.
“One gentleman got sick a couple of times that worked there. The lady at the front counter said she had passed out. Customers didn't want to stay,” Creager said.
The concerned customer went in search of the manager.
“I said, ‘Where is the manager?’ ‘The manager is not here.’ I said, 'Well why are you here?’ ‘Because if we leave, we will be terminated,’” Creager said of her conversation with the employees.
A spokesperson for the Wendy’s franchise said, “Employee welfare is extremely important to us. As soon as we knew the air conditioning broke, we worked to fix it. The air conditioning was out for two hours. No employees were forced to work.”
“I heard from another customer who was in town for a funeral that these conditions were going on since last week,” Creager said.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration sent an inspector to investigate a formal complaint.
“We understand units do break down. You need to get them fixed or you need to close your restaurant down,” Creager said. “Not only are you causing your employees to suffer and someone could be sick from it, you are also allowing people to perspire in food.”
The franchise spokesperson said they are meeting with management.
An OSHA spokeswoman said employers must protect employees from heat stress. They encourage water, rest and shade.