Simple hygiene reason a woman was awarded $27,000 in compensation after she slipped on a grape in a Coles supermarket
- A woman was awarded $27,309 for injuries she suffered after slipping on a grape
- The court found Coles should have cleaned the grape from its fresh meat section
- Workers said grapes pose one of the biggest slip and fall hazards to customers
A woman who slipped on a grape while grocery shopping has been awarded more than $27,000.
The ACT Court of Appeal ordered Coles pay the Canberra woman $27,309 compensation for expenses she suffered after slipping on a grape in its Woden store.
The money will cover her general damages, domestic assistance and out-of-pocket expenses.
The court heard the woman was shopping in the store’s fresh meat section when she slipped on a grape.
A woman has been awarded more than $27,000 after she slipped on a grape at a Coles in Woden, Canberra (above)
It was initially found Coles had not breached its duty of care by failing to notice the grape but the Court of Appeal found the discarded grape was the result of an inadequate cleaning system.
‘That system carried with it the likelihood that spills and items on the floor would be missed because there was no dedicated attention paid to that issue at any particular time,’ it said.
‘It inevitably subordinated the detection of spills and hazardous items to the performance of the staff members’ other duties.’
The court previously heard from employees who said grapes are one of the products that pose the biggest slip hazard.
The ACT Court of Appeal found Coles should have a dedicated system to clear slip hazards – like the grape that caused the woman’s fall
They said customers – particularly with young children – will often carry grapes around the store to eat while shopping.
So, grapes can be left discarded on the floor almost anywhere within a store rather than just the fruit and veggies section.
The court found that Coles should have a dedicated system to prevent slip and fall hazards around its stores.
‘A system of dedicated inspection would have detected a grape or other spill or slip hazard in the area,’ its judgement said.
‘Thus, if a reasonable system would have included hourly (or more frequent) inspection, the probability is that such a system would have prevented the harm that occurred.’
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