How to Prevent Injury in Bars and Taprooms
Give yourself a minute to daydream. Imagine being at your local hangout, hanging out with your very best friends and drinking some incredible beers. The beer tastes perfectly crisp with a nice foamy head that delivers a bouquet of fresh aroma with every sip. Of course you drink draft beer.
After all, it really is the best way to enjoy a frothy pint. Draft beer is almost always the freshest beer a person has available. A keg’s sturdy wall protects the beer from sunlight and oxygen, two environmental factors that affect the taste of a beer. Due to the lower cost of kegs compared to bottles and cans, draft beer usually sells out in bars very quickly, meaning there is a quick turnover for a new beer keg. Not to mention that these savings are usually passed on to the customer, who gets more beer for their money. It’s also kinder to Mother Earth as it avoids waste from packaging such as cardboard, bottles and cans.
The average customer is probably unaware of the amount of work that goes into making this experience enjoyable. Everything that comes in contact with the beer, from the keg to your glass, has to be spotlessly clean so that your beer tastes like nothing but your beer. To ensure a clean environment for the draft beer service, the line cleaning service is performed by either a wholesaler representative or a third-party beer line cleaner. The use of chemicals is essential to effectively cleaning beer lines. Therefore, it is important to follow safety precautions to avoid harm to customers and the person cleaning the line.
Don’t let a lawsuit happen to you
Earlier this year, a person was paid $8 million after being served a beer that contained a chemical cleaning solution for beer lines. The faucets were supposed to be out of service during the line cleaning, but somehow this message wasn’t fully understood by all staff. According to his attorneys, “Dr. Enwright immediately began to feel intense burning in his mouth, tongue, esophagus, and stomach. He then began convulsing, hyperventilating, and vomiting before the Henderson Fire Department arrived on the scene. Lawyers say doctors have Dr. Enwright later reported that he suffered permanent damage to nerves and tissues in his mouth, tongue and gastrointestinal system.” (Source: KVVU)
Just a few years ago, two women in Nebraska were accidentally served a chemical cleaning solution for beer lines while drinking cocktails in a movie theater. The solution was stored in a repurposed alcohol bottle when a bartender mistakenly added it to her drink. One of the women reported that she felt her “lips were burning off” after drinking her drink. Both women began vomiting and were treated for chemical burns and hospitalized. (Source: New York Post)
These are just some of the unfortunate situations that have become public knowledge. I personally know at least two people who have been unknowingly served a beer line cleaning solution. A former colleague of mine once called me in a panic because she had a sip of beer that started burning her lips and mouth. She quickly learned that the lines at the bar were being cleaned and the bartender had unsuspectingly poured her a jar of line cleaner. I advised her to seek medical attention and she was treated in the ER for minor esophageal burns. Lucky for her, the chemical wasn’t mixed at the recommended concentration to effectively clean beer lines. A weakened chemical solution is not an ideal cleaning agent, but in this case, the overly diluted chemical prevented my friend from sustaining more serious injuries.
Steps to prevent chemical ingestion in your taproom
Accidents like this can easily be prevented by taking a few precautions such as: B. Flushing the lines with water after cleaning and measuring the pH of the flush water to be sure no cleaning chemicals are left in the beer line. Bars or line cleaners should post signs at the pump tower reminding staff that a clean is in progress. There is no over-communication when it comes to security concerns. Those who handle chemicals should ensure all bottles are clearly labelled, properly stored in a designated area and have access to the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for each chemical used.
It is extremely important that the person or persons cleaning beer lines have been properly trained. Training can come from a technical school offering brewing education, courses offered by chemical and equipment manufacturers, or hands-on knowledge passed on by more experienced beer line cleaners. When selecting an employee training course or reviewing a beer line cleaner, make sure the design management training course has a prominent emphasis on safety.
I know these stories are scary, but they shouldn’t stop anyone from drinking draft beer. Draft beer is still the most affordable choice in a bar. Not only is it easy on the wallet, but it’s the best a person can achieve to enjoy a beer the way the brewer intended, aside from that that you get a sample straight from a serving tank in a brewery. It’s a rare and beautiful thing in this world when the cheaper option is also the highest quality option. Of course, this is only possible with a clean train system. We should never have to compromise on cleanliness for safety, or vice versa. The good news is that we don’t have to. Communicating and raising awareness about safety allows us all to continue enjoying beer without fear of injury. If you’re someone involved in serving beer, running a bar or restaurant, or maintaining a beer dispensing system, learn about the safety risks and precautions you can take.