A FAST food restaurant was fined nearly £1m after a catalogue of errors left two employees with agonising burns from boiling hot gravy.

In one incident, a teenage worker at a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant had paper towels put over his injuries and was sent to hospital alone in a taxi instead of an ambulance.

Joshua Arnold, 16, was scalded across both arms when a boiling tub of gravy tilted and spilled as he took it out of a microwave oven.

Teesside Crown Court heard how two bosses rushed to see how he was, then made a phone call to ask what first-aid they should administer.

Joshua kept his arms under running water for 20 minutes and was told to put wet paper towels over his injuries, said prosecutor Stephen Uttley.

The towels dried over the raw burns, and had to be peeled off in an agonising procedure at hospital – where he had been sent by himself.

The accident at the Teesside Retail Park restaurant, Stockton, in July 2014 was followed by a similar one at nearby Wellington Square, also in Stockton.

In the second incident, a more experienced worker, Heather Storer, was also burnt by red-hot gravy in December 2015, the court heard.

She suffered third-degree burns to her right arm, hands, chest and stomach as she lifted a tub from the microwave, said Mr Uttley.

Judge Sean Morris heard how neither employee used gauntlets to protect themselves from injury as the fast food company guidelines dictate.

Joshua, now 19 and working in a duty free shop at Stanstead Airport, has settled on an out-of-court compensation package with KFC.

He said he had never been shown any guidance on how to carry out the hearing up task safely, and had done it just once before, supervised.

The court heard how there should have been two green gloves and a spare set at all restaurants, but there was just one at Teesside Park.

At Wellington Square, CCTV footage and Ms Storer's statement indicate there were no gauntlets at all, Mr Uttley told Judge Morris.

The company admitted two charges of failing in a duty of care to employees, and was also ordered to pay £18,700 in court costs.

Defence barrister, Sada Naqshbandi, said: "I want to apologise to both, and express regret for their injuries and suffering."

In the UK, the company has 880 restaurants – 235 owned by them, and the rest franchises – and has an annual turnover of around £450m.

Miss Naqshbandi said: "It is not a case where there has been cost-cutting at the expense of safety, or where there has been concealment of any nature."

The company employs a specialist health and safety team, and there are now warning stickers in microwaves, Miss Naqshbandi told the court.

Ms Storer had worked at Wellington Square and a branch at Wolviston service station of the A19, and had seen many people not use gloves.

In a statement, she said: "There seems to be a complete inability to use any personal protection equipment. It doesn't seem to be there."

After Joshua's accident, CCTV footage shows him at one point sitting on he floor as he nurses his injuries, and colleagues dodging around him.

Imposing fines totalling £950,000, Judge Morris said: "It was lucky it wasn't worse. It was just luck. Kitchens are dangerous places.

"The two cases are similar in that burns occurred as a result of inadequate supervision and the inadequate provision of safety equipment."

Councillor Steve Nelson, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s cabinet member for access, communities & community safety, said: “This is a huge fine that sends out a very clear message that all food business operators have a duty to ensure the health and safety of their employees and provide them with suitable training.

“Kentucky Fried Chicken (Great Britain) Limited did not maintain this responsibility and as a result, two of its employees suffered extremely painful but preventable injuries.

“Environmental Health officers conducted a very thorough investigation into these two very serious incidents, which has enabled us to bring this prosecution.

"Our officers are also available to offer advice to businesses and their employees on health and safety issues in the workplace.”

Rob Swain, Chief Operating Officer for KFC UK and Ireland, said: "The safety of our team members is hugely important to us, so we were shocked by what happened.

"We have robust processes and procedures in place, but on these occasions, they were not followed and we have accepted the prosecution."