If There Was A Substance Deadly To You Yet Harmless To Others......

[ToraToraTora]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy0ryvk4jj7o

Why would you ever trust any outlet to not give it to you?

[Canary42]

... and why wouldn't you always carry the antidote ?

 

The mother needs to bear significant responsibility for his sad death.

[Mozz71]

I would, but I would also have an epi-pen with me at all times if I was prescribed one.

[Canary42]

*this

[youngmafbog]

As said above.

There seems to be a lot of these cases happening, who in their right mind trusts a bored minimul wage worker (mostly poorly trained) with their life?

And what about the poor worker who gets it wrong/doesnt hear or understand?  Got to live with that for the rest of their life

[newmodarmy]

It's a tragic case, but it reads to me as if the mother didn't make it clear that only soya milk would do and under no circumstances should dairy milk be used.

[chelle7272]

I saw this on social media a few days ago and in that article the mother stated at the inquest that she didn't think the barista had heard her properly at the time!

Then according to this article, at the dentist where the daughter started vomiting apparently they offered an Epi pen and mother refused saying she would get some antihistamines....

https://www.barkinganddagenhampost.co.uk/news/24517322.barking-costa-worker-gives-evidence-hannah-jacobs-inquest/

 

[Gromit]

The mother knew her daughter was allergic to cows milk. So she didn't order cows milk she ordered soya milk.    
Sounds like the shop was sloppy about hygiene and didn't wash the jug before using it, and it was contaminated with diary milk.   
An entirely preventable death because the barista did not understand what they were doing due to poor training.

[ToraToraTora]

yes gromit but why would ever trust a starbucks or any outlet? If it's something so deadly why take a chance at all? It's like that deat in a curry house because it had nuts in it, if it was me I'd never trust any outlet to prepare food for me.

[New Judge]

“An entirely preventable death because the barista did not understand what they were doing due to poor training."

If only it was that simple, but that’s not what the Coroner found at all:

“Dr Radcliffe said: ‘The root cause of this death is a failure to follow the processes in place to discuss allergies combined with a failure of communication between the mother and the barista.’ “

There was a factual dispute over what precisely the mother had told the Barista. In any case, in my view anybody who suffers from a life-threatening allergy to milk and goes to a place awash with the stuff for a cup of coffee is irresponsible in the extreme. To do so without an effective treatment with them simply adds to that irresponsibility. 

Busy staff in such outlets should not be expected to take responsibility for somebody’s safety in this way. They should simply make it clear that they cannot ensure their offerings are free from allergens and leave it to the individual (or their parent/guardian if they are too young to take that on themselves) to make a decision. 

[Canary42]

I do agree NJ, the onus must durely be on the customer.

[Canary42]

*surely

[douglas9401]

See also "may contain traces of nuts".

It's not someone else's problem in such life and death situations 

[New Judge]

I've just looked up Costa's information on allergens:

"We can't guarantee that unpackaged items or hand-crafted drinks are safe for those with severe allergies due to shared equipment."

That'll do for me. The girl's mother is an idiot.

[New Judge]

//See also "may contain traces of nuts".//

I once saw that written on a packet of Brazils.  🤣

[Peter Pedant]

I thought it was crazy - allergies -  and so you go and buy something that is iffy

" I asked them to wash out everything and make it with soy" yeah, like they did

[barry1010]

Especially as every town and city has vegetarian and vegan coffee shops/cafes.  They are much better suited for those with dairy allergies and are usually more attentive to customers 

[gylly]

Costas own website states that a Hot Chocolate made with soya milk could still contain cows milk. Probably because they can't guarantee that the hot chocolate powder is dairy free.

[tomus42]

No I would not. I will never understand why people with allergies play Russian roulette with their food.

If I had an allergy like this I wouldn't eat anything I hadn't prepared myself.

[jno]

I wonder if Costa's website contained the sentences cited in this thread at the time of the death?

[New Judge]

"I wonder if Costa's website contained the sentences cited in this thread at the time of the death?"

I'm pretty sure they did but cannot prove it.

However, even if they didn't, anybody who suffers from a life-threatening allergy to milk (or has a child who does) and who buys a drink in premises where the overwhelming majority of drinks they prepare contain milk really needs their bumps felt.

It is not the responsibility of hospitality outlets to keep people safe when they are unfortunate enough to be allergic to an everyday product which they use, and they should not need to post notices to remind their customers of that.

I disagree with the coroner's findings. The root cause of this tragedy was the child's mother taking her to premisies where there were large quantities of what, for the child, is a deadly substance. She should never have set foot in the place. It was exacerbated by neither of them carrying the effective antidote they both knew she might need.

People need to take responsibility for their own safety.