A London nightclub has been fined £120,000 ($150,000) after four women were hospitalised by ingesting sodium hydroxide instead of salt with their tequila shots.
Tiger Tiger, a nightclub in West London has been fined £120,000 in court after a barman believed he was getting salt from a box in a dark storeroom, but retrieved sodium hydroxide instead, commonly known as caustic soda and used to clean drains because it is very effective at breaking down fats and proteins.
Four women took “toxic cleaning chemicals” with their tequila shots, also believing they had been served salt, and had an instant reaction to the compound, which causes chemical burns. They were hospitalised with burns, bleeding in their mouths, and vomiting in December 2021.
A3D2 Limited, the owner of the nightclub in Haymarket, just yards from London’s famous Picadilly Circus, pleaded guilty to health and safety violations The Times reports of the judgement. Police attended the scene, closed down the bar and interviewed witnesses at the time. An officer discovered the container in a back room and found it was labelled as containing caustic soda.
Councillor Aicha Less of Westminster Council said of the incident: “The shocking details of this case show a lack of attention and proper process for handling toxic cleaning chemicals. This incident shows that overlooking basic safety measures can have the most serious consequences.
“We hope the significant fine awarded in court acts to all businesses as a warning, preventing this from ever happening again.”
