Trapping Fingers in Doors can cause Life-Long Problems according to BAPRAS
Both the BBC and The TIMES have reported today that the British Association of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (BAPRAS) is urging parents to fit doorstoppers and hinge protectors on doors around the house to cut the number of fingertip injuries.
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), an estimated 30,000 children crush their fingers in doors in homes, schools, cars, nurseries or in shops every year.
A plastic surgeon at the Royal Free Hospital, London and spokesperson for BAPRAS, Anna De Leo said:
“Fingertip injury alone can result in 20% loss of hand strength and can prevent people from pursuing their chosen career in the future”.
“Injuries to fingers and hands mean tying your shoelaces, typing, holding a mobile phone or eating become a lot more challenging.
“And this is nothing compared to the impact of a finger amputation.”
Fingertip injuries are the most common hand injury seen by reconstructive surgeons and 1 in 6 results in amputation.
As the RoSPA figures state above, finger-trapping accidents aren’t just confined to the spaces within the home.
We shared a story reported by the Leicester Mercury in June 2017 after a nursery was fined £6,000 by Leicester City Council after a two-year-old boy trapped his fingers in a door. The child was taken to a hospital to be treated and underwent an operation. The prosecution for the city council, Jane Sarginson stated:
“Finger guards should have been in place to prevent such injuries to the children.”
In July 2016, a six-year-old boy lost the tip of his finger after his middle finger became trapped in the hinge of a classroom at Danes Hill Prep School. After an hour-long surgery, the missing part of the boy’s finger could not be re-attached.
It’s important that all buildings who cater for young children such as schools and nurseries have the right safety measures in place to prevent accidents from occurring when preventable.
At Fingershield Safety has been providing door finger guards to schools, nurseries, leisure centres and domestic homes since 1999.
The presence of hinge guards and door stoppers is something that often gets overlooked, but having safety measures in place is important for preventing finger-trapping injuries, which as discussed above, can have lifelong consequences.
At Fingershield Safety, we provide FREE Door Risk Assessment Surveys to schools and nurseries to check all your doors and any existing guards which may be in place, we will then provide a copy of the risk assessment for you to keep in your Health and Safety file.
