Barrow venue bosses call for plastic glasses
Last updated at 16:26, Sunday, 30 December 2012
BARROW venue bosses already using plastic glasses for drinks have welcomed calls to enforce new safety rules.
A national petition with 119,000 signatures is aiming to get glass bottles banned from late-night venues.
In Barrow, a woman, 19, needed hospital treatment after being hit by a glass in Kavannas, Cornwallis Street, on Christmas Eve.
Mike Fallon, chairman of Barrow Licensed Victuallers’ Association, said plastic is “the way forward” in late-night venues.
At his Theatre Bar venue, he switches to plastic cups at busy times, but said plastic bottled beers were not easily available.
Mr Fallon said: “I get that many in who drop their glasses and you can’t get through (the crowd) to sweep it up.
“Once it gets to a nightclub environment, that’s when it needs to happen.
“If it’s going to be one, it’s got to be one for all. Something has got to be done about it and I’d welcome it.”
Matt Blackburn, general manager at V-Forty in Abbey Road, favours pouring draft beers and shorts into plastic glasses, but makes the decision based on a risk assessment.
For example, for a 60th birthday party he would serve in glasses, but for the recent Boxing Night event with DJ Derrick Carter he used plastic.
Mr Blackburn said: “I use plastic glasses, but I don’t use plastic bottles for the pure fact of the cost and it’s hard to get them.
“We try and get as many people as possible to have their bottle poured into a plastic cup, but most people prefer not to.
“So it’s something we’re kind of already enforcing and I know for a fact other places are doing it as well.”
Gary Wood, general manager at the Nines in Dalkeith Street, where all drinks, even bottles, are poured into plastic cups on busy occasions, would also be in favour of a ban on glass.
He said: “When there’s a gig and we’ve got 300 or 400 people in, it makes things a lot safer.
“The problem if a rule does come into effect is getting the brands onside – at the moment, only certain brands of beer do plastic bottles.”
First published at 16:34, Friday, 28 December 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
Prehaps mr fallon needs to pay some attention to state of his pubs toilets in an evening... They are unsafe and probably caused more injuries than are caused by bottles/glasses in the town. Having fallen over in theatre bar (had not been drinking!) on the extremely slippery wet floor I was informed that "that's how it is!"
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Plastic glasses ?? Try just having some common sense.
Posted by Andy on 31 December 2012 at 20:38