Teen tyre fitter burned by acid in workplace accident secures five-figure settlement

Just two weeks after turning 17, Harris Yost-McManus suffered painful second-degree burns to both feet in a workplace accident.

As a tyre fitter employed by We Restore Alloys Limited in Kirkcaldy, Harris’ typical duties involved removing tyres from wheels in preparation for the wheel restoration process.

But on the day of his accident he had been tasked with helping in the acid room, removing already chemically stripped alloy wheels from the acid bath and replacing them with new ones.

He was expected to do it all by hand - and fast.

Harris recalled: “It’s a busy place so my manager always wanted things to be done as quickly as possible – he’d shout at you if you were going ‘too slow’.

“I remember I’d just started to put a wheel in the bath when the acid started spilling over the side. Someone must have overfilled it.

“It went all over my feet and legs and I felt a hot and tingly sensation straight away.

“I got home and I actually had to peel my socks off. It was horrific - really horrific.”

The 17-year-old made an appointment with his GP the following day where it was confirmed he’d suffered second-degree acid burns to both feet.

He was prescribed antibiotics to ease the swelling and ward off infection and was signed off work for two weeks – but despite this official Doctor’s line, bosses would only allow Harris to be off work for one week.

The young tyre fitter was bed-ridden during his time off and was in agonising pain when he tried to walk…

But the pressure from his employer meant Harris returned to work - just one week post-accident – still suffering from severe pain and discomfort.

He was fired two months later.

Harrison had considered making a claim for compensation but didn’t act on it – that was until he found out another worker employed by We Restore Alloys Limited had an open case with Digby Brown.

He said: “I honestly couldn’t be bothered making a claim at first because I was feeling so down after the whole ordeal. My mental health really took a beating and it was the last thing on my mind.

“But there was another boy in the company who’d been injured and he’d passed my number on to his lawyer.

“It all went from there.”

Fiona Bisset from our Kirkcaldy office supported Harris’ claim for compensation against his employer.

After investigating the circumstances of the accident, collecting medical records, witness statements and photographs of the acid room, it was clear that We Restore Alloys Limited had failed in their duty to carry out a suitable risk assessment and implement safe work processes.

The alloy repair company had also failed to provide suitable PPE for the task – despite Harris asking for this.

The teenager from Fife said: “I was wearing steel toe-capped boots that day and had asked my boss if those were okay to wear – he said yes.

“All the PPE they provided was left in the acid room and would be covered in the stuff – gloves, aprons, you name it.

“I was only told after my accident that everyone should wear boots when they were in the acid room – but they were not good boots.

“Half the rubber was melted away. You could turn them upside down and acid would drip out of them.

“That aside you were usually rushing about between jobs and had no time to put on the boots anyway.

“The boss did not want any ‘mucking about’. There was no time to put anything on at all.”

Fiona instructed an expert report from health and safety specialists and though the site inspection was initially refused by the other side, Fiona secured a court order to gain access.

This expert report, which included detailed measurements and photographs of the alloy repair premises, played a key role in supporting the argument that Harris' injuries were caused by failings in health and safety.

As Harris' employer continued to deny liability a court case was duly - and rightly - raised in the All Scotland Personal Injury Court meaning they could now not avoid dealing with the claim.

With the extensive evidence Fiona had gathered, insurers for the alloy repair company agreed to a settlement - two months before the court hearing - of £11,000.

Harris – now father to a nine-month-old daughter – concluded: “The service was brilliant. I’d like to thank Sean who helped me at the beginning of my case and Fiona who continued the fight for me until the end.

“You have this perception of what a lawyer is like – serious, stuffy even – but Fiona was amazing and quite funny as well. I didn’t expect to have a good laugh with her but it really helped lift my spirits honestly and put me at ease.

“Going through the process was worth it – I can definitely say that.”