22/02/2010 - Safety crackdown on curry diners
Health and safety bosses have launched a number of inspections at curry restaurants across Birmingham following a spate of accidents.
Environmental Health officers and Birmingham City Council have visited several restaurants as part of its "curry crackdown" and found many tandoori ovens are not being maintained properly.
The inspections were triggered following incidents in which employees were being seriously burnt when they lit the tandoors.
Safety officials found only two out of 27 restaurants had their ovens checked by qualified engineers and just 14 establishments were using a safe method for lighting the oven.
Councillor Neil Eustace, Chair of the Public Protection Committee, says: "The results of our inspection were shocking.
"The cylindrical design of the tandoor with an ignition source at the bottom, means that when gas builds up inside and an employee leans in to light it, the oven effectively becomes like a cannon.
"The potential for injuries is high and that is why we have served a number of enforcement notices".
Copyright © Press Association 2010
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