A school trust in Surrey has been fined after part of a pupil’s finger was amputated. The five-year-old boy, a Year 1 pupil at Danetree Primary School in Epsom, had been leaving the toilet on 15 June 2022 when his right hand slipped and went into the hinge side of a door. There was no door guard installed, and he trapped his right hand in the door. This led to the tip of his middle finger becoming detached as his right hand was stuck in the door. A teacher found the tip of his middle finger, and the boy underwent surgery to re-attach his finger at St Georges Hospital in Tooting, London.

Although younger pupils in Key Stage (KS) 1 were taught in a newer building where hinge guards had been fitted on the doors, the incident occurred in a separate building where the older children in Key Stage 2 were taught. The KS 1 pupils would use the KS 2 building at least once a week to use its library and learn about music and science. While in this building, the KS 1 pupils were allowed to use the toilets unsupervised. A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into the incident found GLF Schools, the trust that runs Danetree Primary School, had failed to identify the risk to its KS 1 pupils while using the toilets. This meant hinge guards were not installed on the toilet doors of the building where KS 2 pupils were taught.

The trust was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £6,875.70 in costs at Staines Magistrates’ Court on 30 October 2024. The HSE principal inspector said: “This little boy and his family could have been spared a lot of pain and upset if the trust had installed widely available, effective, and inexpensive hinge guards on the doors the young children had access to. I would ask all schools to review their estates to make sure they have hinge guards where needed so no other children are hurt in this way when at school.”

The Health & Safety Service advise Premises Managers to:

• Review current risk assessments – a finger trapping risk assessment template is available in the Primary General section on EEC, and is also listed as a key risk assessment for Primary Schools to complete from the Burgundy Pack: Programme of Risk Assessments
• Check applied actions relating to doors and gates to check for suitability and sufficiency
• Read through the new Finger Trapping Guidance and make use of the Premises Manager check list

Learn more: 

Guidance for schools
School trust fined after pupil injured | HSE Media Centre
Finger Trapping Incident