Gateshead supermarket worker stung by scorpion

Oct 3 2009 by Joanne Butcher, The Journal

A NORTH supermarket worker is recovering after being stung by a scorpion while unpacking bananas.

The produce section worker at Sainsbury’s on Team Valley, in Gateshead, was lifting a box of the fruit when the freak incident happened.

The scorpion delivered an agonising sting in the stomach after scuttling out from its hiding place.

Shocked co-workers managed to catch the scorpion and the injured man, who is in his 40s, was taken to Gateshead’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

He was not seriously hurt and was discharged the same day after treatment for the sting, said to be similar to a bee sting.

His partner, who asked not to be named, said: "I couldn’t believe it when they told me what had happened. We both work in produce at Sainsbury’s. He’s still got his sense of humour about it though, he’s been joking about it."

The scorpion, which was nicknamed "Colin" by Accident and Emergency staff, was taken away and killed by the RSPCA. The charity’s animal collection officer Dave Dawson explained: "The scorpion had to be put down, as it is a non-indigenous species." Scorpions are found across the southern hemisphere including parts of the USA, Africa and Asia.

Sainsbury’s said they were working to find out where the insect had come from.

"The RSPCA has confirmed that the scorpion is not poisonous and the sting is no worse than that of a wasp or bee," a spokesperson said.

"The Sainsbury’s colleague has now been discharged from hospital and is in perfect health.

"We sell 700 million bananas every year and incidents such as this are rare. We are now working with the supplier to find out how the scorpion got through all the safety controls."

Insect expert Mark O’Neill, from biology firm Tumbling Dice, has called for more people to be trained in identifying exotic species. He said: "We are not replacing expert taxonomists as they retire. This means that if someone is stung or bitten it may not be possible to get an identification even if images or a specimen are available."