Coca-Cola pays worker compensation after blinding

John Houghton, 56 was blinded when a pipe burst, spraying caustic cleaning fluid into his eyes.

The incident happened when a colleague accidentally stood on the pipe and a defective clamp gave way, causing it to explode in Houghton’s face.

He was treated in hospital but was unable to see for three days, and needed four weeks off work to recover.

Scars from burns​

He regained his full eyesight but was left with scars from burns to his left shoulder and upper leg.

Houghton’s union Unite took up his case and CCE admitted liability and settled the claim out of court for almost £6,000.

A CCE spokeswoman said: “​We take the wellbeing of our employees very seriously as part of our ‘safety first’ culture. ​

“We continuously invest in our resources, processes and equipment to ensure that we minimise the risk of accidents happening and are proud of the strong safety record at Wakefield. This was an isolated incident which was investigated thoroughly to ensure we understood what happened and then changed our maintenance procedures to ensure such an accident does not happen again.”​