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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To complain to the school? To not complain????

29 replies

Fromdeepestperu · 15/04/2013 18:38

My ds, age 8, slipped on some wet floor in the cloakroom at school (by a drinking fountain) and cut his leg. This cut bled a lot, needed 7 stitches at the local minor injury clinic and is extremely painful! It will also mean that my very sporty ds is out of action in that department for a while!

I bear no malice about the accident as it was just that - an accident. The school is otherwise great, and is being particularly fantastic with my ds and his special needs (dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD).

However, I keep going cold all over thinking how much more serious this incident could have been if it had been his head that had taken the impact.............. I would hate this to happen to another child.

Should I just assume the school will be looking into the situation, or should I write in? If so, who to?

Thanks all for any opinions/advice/suggestions!

OP posts:
HollyBerryBush · 15/04/2013 18:41

What do you want done? If you make a complaint, you need to put your satisfactory resolution in the complaint.

TigOldBitties · 15/04/2013 18:43

I don't know as realistically, its would be very hard to police the area around a water fountain, unless someone is there after every individual uses it to check for spillages or sprays.

I think I would just chalk it up as a bad luck accident and leave it at that. I'd be confident the school would have taken any reasonable measures to prevent such things but like you said it was an accident and they do happen.

The only thing I can think of is a mat of some sort to absorb water but then it could be said people may trip over the mat etc.

DS4 fell down some stairs at school and I have had to just accept that it was an accident and thats that.

livinginwonderland · 15/04/2013 18:44

i think complaining is a bit silly. it was an accident. floors get wet near drinking fountains, especially when young kids are involved. what do you want? for a member of staff to stand there and dry the floor everytime some water spills on it? i don't really see what complaining will achieve here.

LoganMummy · 15/04/2013 18:45

Could you talk to the school, not to complain but as feedback and just say you would like an update as to what steps they are taking to make the area a bit safer (slip resistant floor etc?)

Original poster
Fromdeepestperu · 15/04/2013 18:48

Apparantly, there is some special 'anti slip' flooring in the toilets to prevent slipping accidents. Perhaps they could put some around the water fountain? Or have the water fountain outside??

I don't want to 'complain', I just want to try and prevent a repeat occurance!

Afterall, water on the floor is basic 'elf n safety' isn't it? At my work, you have to put signs all over the place if the floor is wet or you would face legal action if anyone slipped and injured themselves!

My dilemma is whether to contact the school to make suggestions or whether that would be seen as stating the obvious! However, if it was obvious, shouldn't they have made the area safe in the first place?!

Oh I don't know..............

OP posts:
Original poster
Fromdeepestperu · 15/04/2013 18:49

Thanks, Logansmummy, that was what I was considering doing, but just wasn't sure whether even that would be 'over the top'!

OP posts:
RedHelenB · 15/04/2013 18:49

The school would have had to log the incident & there is no way that they would not look at the fountain & see if they can negate any risk factors.

MrsMangoBiscuit · 15/04/2013 18:50

We had drainage round our water fountains at school, tiles with ridges in that fed down to a drain, so the water ran away, but you couldn't slip even when it was wet.

As LoganMummy says, I'd be talking to the school, not complaining, just asking how they were planning to address it.

Original poster
Fromdeepestperu · 15/04/2013 18:50

Again, that's what I was also wondering, RedHelenB, which is why I wondered if it was 'over the top' to contact the school at all!

OP posts:
HollyBerryBush · 15/04/2013 18:51

You could do a one liner to the Head along the lines of:

Little Jimmy slipped and injured himself at the drinking fountain today, necessitating stitches. I understand there is anti slip matting in the lavatories, would it be possible for this to be extended to the fountain area?

Yours etc

Says it all with out being aggressive or confrontational.

How did he cut himself though? What was poking out?

LeeCoakley · 15/04/2013 18:51

You could sugggest non-slip flooring if there isn't any, but I think that is usual in 'wet' areas in schools anyway. It is completely unworkable to have the area mopped after each use as you obviously realise. I'm glad your ds didn't suffer a major injury though and will now know to take extra care when near the fountain in future.

Original poster
Fromdeepestperu · 15/04/2013 18:54

That's the strange thing, HollyBerryBush, he says he just hit it 'on the floor' and it 'split open'. My dh, who collected him after the school rang, said you could see the bone, so it was a pretty deep cut!

There is definitely no drainage, or anti-slip flooring around the drinking fountain.

OP posts:
HollyBerryBush · 15/04/2013 18:57

That's awful! I hope he's ok

Original poster
Fromdeepestperu · 15/04/2013 18:59

He was very shaken, and found the whole 'repair' procedure traumatic! However, I think he's now quite enjoying the novelty of being an invalid...... I doubt it'll last long though!!

OP posts:
Floggingmolly · 15/04/2013 19:02

There will always be water round a drinking fountain. To sustain such an injury he must have been running quite fast, was he? Running indoors is usually forbidden, that's probably what they'll tell you.

quoteunquote · 15/04/2013 19:03

Just ask for a meeting with the head,

and at it ask what they have put in place to prevent it happing again.

ask to see the accident book, make sure the wording is an accurate description of what happened,

If you agree with the solution they are offering, ask when it will be completed ?

Your son demonstrated there is a problem, it's perfectly acceptable and reasonable to expect to be informed the preventive measures put in place to lessen the chances of a repeat performance.

non slip flooring is a simple solution.

Original poster
Fromdeepestperu · 15/04/2013 19:16

That seems sensible, quoteunquote.

Ds says he was doing pe, asked to go and get a drink, and was told to 'be quick' (fair enough) by the pe teacher. So, I imagine that a certain degree of speed was involved!

OP posts:
CwtchesAndCuddles · 15/04/2013 19:27

Write to the the Chair of governos asking that this be looked into at the next Health & Safety meeting - they should have them regularly. This will ensure thay are aware of the incident and have an opportunity to put measures in place to prevent another accident.

Original poster
Fromdeepestperu · 15/04/2013 20:12

Another good idea, Cwtches. So, what's it to be? Head? Chair of Governors??

OP posts:
SarahAndFuck · 15/04/2013 20:19

If you don't want to complain, can you write and just state the facts as they happened and ask for reassurance as to what measures they are going to take to act upon the risk and ensure it doesn't happen again and when they intend to put those measures in place?

trinity0097 · 15/04/2013 20:26

I would just check to see if they need any further infomation from you for the Accidnt report, if hospital treatment is needed then I think it's notifiable.

FannyBazaar · 15/04/2013 20:27

If it was his head, I assume it would also bleed quite a bit and involve being stitched or glued at the local minor injuries unit. At least that's what's happened to me and my DS with our head injuries!

I hope everyone is simply told to take care in corridors, especially if the floor is wet and no running inside. Nothing more. Not everything in life has a sign up or a procedure and one day, hopefully, they will have to face such dangers without anyone risk assessing them and will find it a breeze.

BlackeyedSusan · 15/04/2013 20:35

it is easy to sort. get the same mats that they put under the water trays in nuserys and reception classes.

CwtchesAndCuddles · 16/04/2013 08:20

As a school governor myself I would say write to the Chair of Governors, with a copy to the Head. That shoud ensure some action!

littleducks · 16/04/2013 08:36

I would mention it nicely as others have suggested. There are mats under the ones at my kids school and the corridors are carpeted near the younger children's classrooms/areas which reduces risk of slips (and possibly injury if they do).