To think that my son should not have been able to trap his hand in the Next lift?

[maggiethemagpie]

I was shopping at the big Next store in Manchester city centre today. We were coming down in the lift from the children's department to street level and my three year old son put his hand in the gap between the doors and the wall, when the lift stopped the doors opened and squashed his hand - I had to pull it out. I didn't see what he was doing as I was preoccupied with my other child.

Although I can understand that the door has to go somewhere when it opens am I right in thinking that a lift in a shop selling children's clothes, so there is likely to be a lot of kids using it, should be more childproof than that?

I can't fault next management once alerted they came and took a statement and said they'd call their lift engineer out but surely it should not have happened in the first place?

[KingJoffreysBloodshotEye]

Next is cheap and nasty.

Lifts included.

[cansu]

Tbh I think it is your responsibility to supervise him when in lift. That said I would say it is nobody's fault, you were distracted (not unreasonably) and he did something daft. I really don't think the shop can be held responsible. If he had tripped on the escalator, pulled a display on top of himself etc etc. would this be the shop's fault?

[BoneyBackJefferson]

has he also managed to get his hand stuck behind a hand dryer?

[PureMorning]

Sorry but he is three. Watch him properly

[GemmaWella81]

Yabu....

Lifts are lifts... Consider it a lesson learned in where not to stick yr fingers. Clearly not that horrendous otherwise you'd be telling us his injuries.

[londonrach]

Surely as the mum you should be watching him.

[Viviennemary]

It's impossible to say if the lift met safety regulations. That would be up to a H & S inspector. I wouldn't think anything is completely childproof.

[nancy75]

You are quite right he shouldn't have got his hand stuck - if you had been watching him properly he wouldn't have been able to get his hand stuck

[Artandco]

It's common I think. A child got his hand stuck in lift in science museum last week. Came right out though so had just went with door not actually stuck.

I think just have to be extra careful near them and drum into children they must touch ( although like I said I think it's just shock not injury if hand goes in as gap)

[McFox]

The world cannot be fully child proofed. Sorry, but it's up to you to supervise your child in lifts, on escalators etc.

[pilates]

YABU

[DancingDinosaur]

This happened to my ds in a hospital lift. A passerby had to pull his hand out as I couldn't do it. Tbh I don't think theres anything you could do physically with the lift to prevent it. I'm a lot more careful now.

[WineWineWine]

I would say that it is your responsibility to supervise him.
Yes you were distracted, which happens, but that doesn't make an incident that happens when you are not looking, someone else's fault.

[KnackeredMuchly]

Sounds really unfortunate but I agree with the posters who say that lift doors need to be taught as a big no no. There are only so many safety guidelines you can follow, some things can never be safe.

[DiaDuit]

look- lots of things that could be prevented happen. however nobody wants to live in a world completely bubble wrapped so yes accidents will happen. as a parent you need to be super vigilant (not always possible but more often than not it's just not watching rather than not being able to watch) the world is not responsible for your child's total safety, there is an element of responsibility on your part.

[LiveAndLetDie]

Whilst I can understand being momentarily distracted by your other child, I think this is one of those situations when you really do need eyes in the back of your head. He's 3, I think you should have been paying more attention to him. When mine were that little, I was paranoid about lifts and kept tight hold of their hands the whole time we were in the lift. One hand holding theirs, other holding the buggy, and making sure to stand back from the doors. I don't really think you can blame Next.

[Notmadeofrib]

We were recently in France and visited a castle with an open cliff edge. Yep, full 30m drop, no fence. Various other drops left exposed. Seems that in some countries you're supposed to look out for hazards all on your own.
Were you hoping someone would suggest you sue them?

[phantomnamechanger]

as long as he is OK, what's the issue? are you going to do a sad face for the dailyfail to try and get some vouchers because of the "trauma" you both suffered?
At the end of the day he is your child and was in your care. he could just as easily have tripped down the stairs or walked into a shelf while you were distracted. Kids have minor accidents all the time. We as parents have to make them aware of the things they need to be careful with. Lift doors being just one of many you would encounter on a shopping trip.

[DrankSangriaInThePark]

Of course it shouldn't have happened in the first place. Because his hand shouldn't have been in the gap, should it?
It's a door. They open.
Kids need to learn not to put their hands where doors are going to do that pesky door thing.

[Sirzy]

Hope he is ok. But as others have said for the mechanisim to work really it does need to have a gap.

DS loves lifts but the rule is he stays away from the doors at all times.

[LadyLuck10]

It was your responsibility to watch him but you turn around and push the blame on someone else. I'm sure it was a lesson for him to learn too.

[MammaTJ]

Nope, he should not have been able to do it, he should have been properly supervised by you.

No compo to be had, move along.

[waithorse]

YABU.

[reallywittyname]

How childproof do you think a lift can be? They have automatic doors, with recesses for those doors to slide into. The working parts have to be accessible to engineers and fire crews. Kids need to learn where there fingers can and cannot go and it's their parents' job to teach them. It's irrelevant that you were in a shop selling things for children.

[reallywittyname]

*their fingers.