Accident at Nursey

dickydonkin

amus wrote: »

I have decided I will not be putting a claim in on my sons behalf I will however point out to the nursery my concerns about the safety of the units.

This is suggesting that I have said that I am putting a claim in, which I have not. Not in the OP or elsewhere in the thread.

This is my last contribution to this thread.

In your original post, you quoted that you were 'reluctant' to put in a claim - fair enough - but you were at the time obviously undecided.

That assertion is confirmed by your later post (highlighted above) where you have then 'decided' that you won't be putting in a claim.

By virtue of the content of your original post suggesting that you had not dismissed outright the possibility of claiming, many other contributors also added their opinions (for which you asked) many of who also highlighted the potential pitfalls of taking the litigious route.

I can walk into most workplaces and identify hazards and their associated risks, however, it is important to realise that not only do the hazards need to be identified, but also the users of the premises and equipment in which they wil be evident.

Doors, floors, furniture would not factor in an environment where in the main adults are working.

However, in a nursery, even play equipment intended for children can potentially injure a child - usually by impact - so rather than try to pad every piece of furniture - which is an unrealistic proposition - I would suggest that how the children are monitored would be a more efficient method of risk management.

Isn't it strange where we worry about corners of furniture potentially causing injury, but we give our kids shoes with wheels on to play with (roller boots) and let them climb up frames in parks - obviously not wearing roller boots!

Obviously if a toy has been identified an a choking hazard, then it should be removed. If an item of furniture is deemed dangerous (i.e. protruding screws/splinters etc) then repair it or remove it.

You just cannot eliminate every potential hazard within a nursery and it is unrealistic to attempt to do so - but reducing the risks to an acceptable level is achievable and even then, a toddler who may still be unstable on his/her feet will still invariably get bumps and bruises irrespective of any stringent controls are in place.

My daughter when she was about eight, fell over when using roller boots and her face impacted hard with the pavement.

Her poor face was black and blue and she had two very black eyes.

You should have seen the disapproving looks I got in the street when people saw her injuries.

Did I stop her using roller boots? Of course not.

It was an unfortunate incident and this kind of thing happens and is all part of growing up and learning the consequences of risks at an early age.

tori.k

custardy wrote: »

regardless of the OPs motives.
I would expect a nursery to have things like corners suitably covered.
My boys nursery has all corners covered(that I have seen)
shielding round radiator pipes
anti pinch covers in the door hinges etc

But these things just happen, my youngest nursery had all thes things but by chance he managed to gash his eye on a rounded edge of a plastic toy kitchen set-up, he still sport's a 2inch scar thats barely noticable (one of many)

I've got one of those kids that always manages to walk away without a mark when it's something serious yet ends up in A&E for the daftest of reasons (no joke he managed to break his ankle just by the angle he kicked a football at school)

unless there is a team of kids smarting the same cuts at the nursery really it just a case of these things happen

dizziblonde

Even the rounded corners on early years furniture can hurt - I permanently had bruises on my legs from catching the corners of tables and drawer units as I walked around (the half-hexagonal tables were my particular nemesis). However furniture is kind of an essential in rooms - especially early years settings where the amount of stuff you have to store is absolutely, completely, totally bonkers.

babysteps24

why was he running in nursery? Our nursery has a walk dont run policy, if its not in place maybe you should suggest it?

custardy

tori.k wrote: »

But these things just happen, my youngest nursery had all thes things but by chance he managed to gash his eye on a rounded edge of a plastic toy kitchen set-up, he still sport's a 2inch scar thats barely noticable (one of many)

I've got one of those kids that always manages to walk away without a mark when it's something serious yet ends up in A&E for the daftest of reasons (no joke he managed to break his ankle just by the angle he kicked a football at school)

unless there is a team of kids smarting the same cuts at the nursery really it just a case of these things happen

yup,the question is how the nurery has mitigated the chance of injury.
I had my boy at the zoo one day and he fell flat on his face with no help from anything but his own feet.
nobodys fault mine and his(since i wasnt holding his hand)
so falls happen. however a pointy peiece of furniture increses the changes of a greater injury

mishkanorman

custardy wrote: »

yup,the question is how the nurery has mitigated the chance of injury.
I had my boy at the zoo one day and he fell flat on his face with no help from anything but his own feet.
nobodys fault mine and his(since i wasnt holding his hand)
so falls happen. however a pointy peiece of furniture increses the changes of a greater injury

I agree with this, its not the accident that would bother me but how they reacted to it.

Did they log it correctly ? Ensure it wasnt preventable ? Dismiss it as 'one of those things' ? blame the child ? fob the mother off ? Has it happened before ?

Its not unreasonable of the OP to make sure its a one off accident and not a lack of care on the nursery's part.

leoniestacy

i use to work in a nursery, one day this boy was running he tripped over my foot, and went straight into a table leg, he had cut open all his eye which needed glueing. i still feel guilty 5 years on that this was my fault, but the table didnt have sharp edges but still manged to cut himself, i think putting a claim in is a bit ott accidents do happen as a mom you should know this

anotherginger

To be honest I don't have time to read all the replies, but just want to say:

Because your son went directly to hospital from the nursery, the nursery are legally obliged to report the accident to the Health and Safety Executive. Enforcement for H&S at nurserys is under the control of your Local Council. IF the nursery has done what they legally need to do, then the HSE will notify your council and your council will contact you as part of their investigation into the accident. If you think they haven't reported the accident I would give your Councils Environmental Health department a call and they will follow this up. All accidents in workplaces where a member of the public goes directlyto hospital is reportable under health and safety legislation (known as RIDDOR).

dickydonkin

anotherginger wrote: »

To be honest I don't have time to read all the replies, but just want to say:

Because your son went directly to hospital from the nursery, the nursery are legally obliged to report the accident to the Health and Safety Executive. Enforcement for H&S at nurserys is under the control of your Local Council. IF the nursery has done what they legally need to do, then the HSE will notify your council and your council will contact you as part of their investigation into the accident. If you think they haven't reported the accident I would give your Councils Environmental Health department a call and they will follow this up. All accidents in workplaces where a member of the public goes directlyto hospital is reportable under health and safety legislation (known as RIDDOR).

I wasn't going to add anything else to this thread, but it is important for the OP to realise that the nursery has 15 days after the incident to report it to the HSE contact center and this process may still be ongoing.

choccymoose

The nursery also has a duty to inform Ofsted of any accident on the premises involving a child requiring hospital treatment. Ofsted will require that the nursery sends them a risk assessment of where it happened and how they have minimized the risk in the future. Likely to be ensuring children walk indoors and that's about it ! Or should be, we are creating a society of risk averse children who as they get older dont know how to manage risk with all this claiming !

My son knocked himself out twice in reception class, I didn't consider putting a claim in just saw it as what it was an accident.