McDonalds USA: Burns treated with mustard

Shocking details about workplace safety at McDonalds in the United States were made public by the U.S. group Fight for $15. Employees have to handle hot oil and grills in an "irresponsible manner," the group said. 79% of fast-food employees have been burned at least once in the course of their work - and at McDonalds in particular, they have been advised to use questionable methods of treatment.

Matisse Campbell, an employee at McDonald's in Philadelphia, reported that one of his co-workers suffered a severe burn while disposing of hot oil. His manager advised him to smear mayonnaise on the wound - because: "Our first aid kit is just an empty box," says Campbell.

Brittney Berry, who has worked at McDonald's in Chicago since 2011, slipped on the wet floor and landed with her arm on a hot grill. Her supervisor's idea was to treat the burn with mustard - Berry then had to be taken to the hospital by ambulance and suffers from nerve damage in her arm to this day.

Now, 28 McDonalds employees from 19 different U.S. cities have filed a complaint against the fast-food giant with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The workers complain that many of the accidents only occur because the pressure at work is extremely high - and that at the same time there are hardly any first aid materials available.

McDonalds is defending itself against the complaints - in its opinion, the activists from Fight for $15 want to harm the corporation: "These complaints are part of a larger strategy by activists to attack our brand and are solely aimed at generating a large media response."

The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration has launched an investigation. McDonalds faces heavy fines - up to US$ 70,000 per case.

"My supervisor advised me to treat my burn with mayonnaise," McDonalds employee Brittney Berry says.

The activists of "Fight for $15" show dangerous working conditions in the fast food industry.