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School governing bodies warned of dangers of using hazardous substances after a student was left with only two fingers

News Release issued by the COI News Distribution Service on 12 October 2009

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning school governing bodies to ensure that correct risk assessments are undertaken and precautionary advice is issued when pupils are using hazardous substances.

The advice comes after a 6th form student was left with only two fingers after using plaster of Paris to make a cast of her own hands in an A-Level Art and Design class.

Today the Governing Body of the Giles School of Church End, Old Leake, Boston, Lincolnshire, was fined £16,500 and ordered to pay £2,500 costs at Boston Magistrates' Court.

They pleaded guilty to breaching both section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and regulation 3 (1) (c) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.

On January 31, 2007 during a regular A-Level Art and Design Class, a 16-year-old girl decided to make a cast of her own hands using plaster of Paris.

Noting that a pupil had done something similar a few weeks beforehand, she sought advice from her teacher as to how to do this.

Unaware of the chemical reaction causing extreme heat which occurs when plaster of Paris is mixed with water, the student placed her hands directly in the substance in order to make the cast. It fast began to set and she realised her hands were stuck.

Fellow pupils and the classroom teacher tried to help but to no avail and an ambulance was called.

Paramedics arrived and they also tried to remove the cast but found it was not possible to prevent the plaster of Paris from setting further. They took her to Boston Hospital, Lincolnshire, and she was later transferred to the Burns Unit at Nottingham City Hospital.

In the meantime the chemical reaction between the substance and the girl’s hands meant that her fingers were so severely burned that they required amputation. She spent a length of time in hospital and made subsequent repeated follow up visits.

Due to the extensive nature of the injuries she suffered the amputation of the thumb, middle, ring, index and little fingers to her left hand and the thumb, little and ring fingers to the right hand. In total she is left with just two fingers on her right hand.

A risk assessment, required by law, for the handling of hazardous substances had not been carried out, the class pupils had not been told by their teacher of the potential dangers of plaster of Paris and the pupils had not been instructed to wear gloves or other protective equipment when handling the substance.

In addition, the school’s Governing body did not report the incident. The HSE was told by the plastic surgeon who treated the burns.

It is important to note that the school’s Governing body was deemed responsible and not the local authority because the school has foundation status and is therefore not governed by the local authority.

HSE inspector Jo Anderson said:

“Today we have heard the dreadful consequence of not carrying out proper risk assessments in the classroom. It is simply not acceptable that pupils in a classroom setting are not informed and prepared for the risks involved in handling hazardous substances.

“The message we want the public to understand is that risk assessments in educational establishments must not be viewed as burdensome, but instead, paramount to pupil safety.

“This case has prompted a general drive for HSE to offer advice and awareness at independent schools.

“Governing bodies of independent schools must realise the importance of the implementation of health and safety measures to prevent further incidents which can have such a drastic effect on student’s lives.”

Notes to editors:
1. Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 states that employers should conduct their undertaking in such a way as to ensure , so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in their employment who may be affected thereby are not exposed to risks to their health and safety

2. Regulation 3 (1) (c) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 state that employers and responsible people notify the enforcing authority by the quickest possible means or send a report of an accident arising out of, or in connection with work which resulted in an injury requiring hospital treatment

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Issued on behalf of HSE by COI News and PR East Midlands.
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