According to the BBC, the store at 150 Wharfside Street, Birmingham currently displays a notice stating that it has been subjected to a hygiene emergency prohibition notice issued by the council. The environmental health officers who attended the site were satisfied that the store ‘poses an immediate risk of injury to health’. Further details of what has caused the closure have yet to be revealed but Tesco have announced that they will issue a statement later today on the matter.
Whatever the cause of the health issue, it is clear that the environmental agency have moved quickly to remedy the problem by shutting down the store for an as yet undefined period. By doing so, they have minimised the risk of injury to both shoppers and staff and Tesco should be very thankful to them for doing so. If shoppers at the store were to suffer from illness or injury then Tesco might well be liable for any injury caused if they were found not to have appropriate procedures and checks in place to ensure the safety of customers who come to the store.
Tesco owe a duty of care to all visitors to the store. They have to make sure that they take such care as is reasonable to ensure that all visitors to the store are reasonably safe in attending the premises. If it comes to light that Tesco are at fault for this health risk then it may be appropriate for them to put in place new health and safety procedures to combat the risk of such an incident occurring again and potentially causing a risk of injury to shoppers.