Company training has always been equal parts important and annoying. But a recent inquest found some eLearning courses fail to warn companies when employees struggle through education and testing. For 13-year-old Hannah Jacobs, the consequences ended with her death.

In February last year, Hannah’s mother ordered a hot chocolate drink with soy milk substitute for her daughter, who had a known severe allergy to cow’s milk. Hannah became ill after taking a sip of the drink while waiting in a dental surgery and died shortly after.

An inquest heard it was company policy that customers who ask for a nondairy product or state they have an allergy to be shown a book that is kept under the till, which confirms the presence or risk of allergens in each food or drink item. The barista at Costa Coffee in Barking, run by franchisee SBR Trading, had not followed that policy, even though the barista had completed the company’s mandated allergy training.