3 Burger King employees hospitalized with high levels of carbon monoxide
Three Burger King employees were hospitalized with high carbon monoxide levels after falling ill at the Pittsfield Township restaurant at about 4:30 a.m.
Pittsfield Township firefighters tested the inside of the restaurant at 4885 Washtenaw Avenue for heightened carbon monoxide levels, but left at about 9:30 a.m. after finding nothing unusual.
Pittsfield Fire Capt. Jeff Foulke said firefighters will return in a couple hours to test again. He said the firefighters responded to the restaurant at about 8 a.m. after the hospital alerted the department about three people being treated there for elevated levels of carbon monoxide in their bloodstream.
The night manager drove himself to the hospital, and two other male employees went there in another car after the morning manager came to work and noticed they didn't look well.
James James, the morning manager, said she called the night manager to let him know she was on her way to work.
"He said, 'Just be careful when you come in,'" she said. "He said his head was hurting."
When James came to work, she told the three people to go to the hospital. One crew member was pale, and another was complaining he didn't feel well, she said.
The night manager and a crew member started their shifts at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The other crew member started his shift at 8 p.m.
Customers were allowed in the restaurant while firefighters were testing the air.
Al D'Agostino, the township's deputy director of fire services, said it's not clear what caused the employees to get sick.
Comments
Puddn
Fri, Nov 13, 2009 : 12:03 a.m.
I used to manage the burger king on zeeb ed. The only thing i can think of is maybe the the fryer and broiler hoods were turned off or not operative. IF that were the case than smoke would have filled the building. I've seen that happen. But no one ever got sick.
MSU0284
Thu, Nov 12, 2009 : 7:26 p.m.
The morning manager's name is James James?
treetowncartel
Thu, Nov 12, 2009 : 2:26 p.m.
Gives a whole new context to "hold the pickle, hold the lettuce, speecial orders don't upset us..."
treetowncartel
Thu, Nov 12, 2009 : 2:03 p.m.
Now, now, you know what happens when you assume. This is the location where they had to tear the old building down for PR reasons. A former male employee had a proclivity for thickening the mayonaise without prior approvval from management. I think that was the the late 80's early 90's.
John of Saline
Thu, Nov 12, 2009 : 1:55 p.m.
I missed the address. Sue me.
dading dont delete me bro
Thu, Nov 12, 2009 : 1:51 p.m.
@john of saline... "...Pittsfield Township firefighters tested the inside of the restaurant at 4885 Washtenaw Avenue..." did you bother reading the article?
John of Saline
Thu, Nov 12, 2009 : 1:40 p.m.
I assume this is the one on Michigan Avenue, near Platt? I've seen smoke coming out of the roof-presumably from the hoods over the fryers and griddles. A few times, it's been a LOT of smoke, to the point that once I stopped to be sure there wasn't a fire! In cold weather, lots of vapor is normal, but is it normal when it's temperate out?
glimmertwin
Thu, Nov 12, 2009 : 10:40 a.m.
Great. If the food doesn't nearly kill you, the facility itself will. For the sake of those workers and others, I hope they get to the bottom of this and get it corrected.
dading dont delete me bro
Thu, Nov 12, 2009 : 9:37 a.m.
maybe they ate the food? B-( with problems like this i'm surprised "customers are being allowed in the restaurant still" the almighty dollar is boss i guess.
mannyredline
Thu, Nov 12, 2009 : 9:32 a.m.
I know someone who started a new job working the morning shift at Burger King on Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti. On their first day of work, something they were breathing in the kitchen made them sick. They kept going outside for fresh air and had to quit after only a few hours.