Child at gym burnt hand on my hair straightener

[Geraderaus]

I had a rather alarming thing happen this morning and would appreciate your take on it. I was at the gym in the changing room after a work out. I was drying my hair like I do there regularly and had plugged in my hair straighteners and they were sitting on the surface in front of me. I do this regularly, it's allowed to use your own things like this in the gym and many people do.

A woman with a toddler about two years old came next to me and she stared drying her hair. We were both stood up and the toddler was climbing on a little stool. The toddler reached across to my hair straightener (heating up, the plates were very hot) and I quickly said "no don't touch that!" And moved them to my other side further away from the child (who had not touched them by this point). The mother saw this and batted her child's hand away. The mother was not speaking English to the child so not sure if she understood me it in the context it couldn't have been more obvious what was said.

I continued to dry my hair and the child was toddling about and trying to grab things like my make up bag which I just kept moving away from him but it's a small area and it was all within his reach. The mother seemed to tell him off once or twice. When I was still drying my hair the toddler lunged at the straighteners and they fell to the floor burning his arm, probably quite badly. I rushed as best I could to grab them and move them but it happened in a split second and was too late by then. The mother was hysterical and screaming at me in a language I didn't understand, she was furious and other people came over including staff.

The child was taken to hospital and gym staff have noted my name and contact details. Can there be any repercussions for this? What did I do wrong?

The OP would only be at fault if she were using the straighteners contrary to club policy.

Unfortunately, in the eyes of the law, as they were your straighteners, it is totally your responsibility to keep them safe from other users

Bullshit.

Exactly. Please quote the statue and section this would fall under seeing as you seem to have stated a fact.

What if I were in a cafe drinking coffee.

I notice a child running around said cafe. They run by my table and almost knock the coffee. I tell them to be careful and move the coffee away.

They then do it again and coffee fells on them and they get burnt.

Is that my fault? Or should the child be being supervised better?

Unfortunately, in the eyes of the law, as they were your straighteners, it is totally your responsibility to keep them safe from other users

I doubt it. If this was the case the courts would be backed up with claims such as 'Sally at costa coffee V mum of wandering toddler who wouldn't listen'.

For the pp who mentioned about straighteners not being allowed in gyms. There's a whole hair drying room thing at our local leisure centre/gym. There's a long line of mirrors with tables and a certain number of hairdryers ready for anyone to use on safety cords and when done with you pop them back into the holes on the shelf. Right at the end. There's also a pair of straighteners on cords too.

The law of tort and cases involving injured children is rather complex. The OP did all she possibly could to stop the child, which is incidentally all the law would require of her if my memory serves me correctly. The responsibility was untimately with the Mum.

even the child should have been supervised better.

Hence why you'll often see notices around public places such as "all children under X should be supervised at all times". I get it's not easy, I have a DS with SNs who's testament to that (doesn't recognise danger) but it's still ultimately my responsibility to protect / supervise him.

You should be able to use your hair straighteners in an adult environment without the fear of errant toddlers burning themselves.

The toddlers mum was at fault for not supervising such a young child. It's ludicrous to suggest anything else. You warned the child off... What were you supposed to do in the alternative?! Not use them because another adult can't control their offspring?

Hmmm Hermionewoozle was also wandering about a gym open boxing day, none in my area, judging by the ten pages of comments and the op has only posted a couple of comments, am wondering if this is another metaphorical topic for fail bait.

It's an adult gym, with adult changing spaces for which I pay a fairly hefty fee

Did the op say it was an adults only gym? I couldn't see this although may have missed it. My gym welcomes children, they also don't allow people to plug in hairdryers etc.

LdnMum2015

No one has said anything about the gym being open Boxing Day.

Ldnmum2015

Hmmm Hermionewoozle was also wandering about a gym open boxing day, none in my area, judging by the ten pages of comments and the op has only posted a couple of comments, am wondering if this is another metaphorical topic for fail bait.

RTT!
The op posted this first on 22.12.16

A changing room isn't an adult environment. Whilst the mother here does sound too lax, it is easy to get distracted as you juggle getting changed after taking a toddler swimming with watching said toddler. I wouldn't let a toddler interfere with other people's things but I also wouldn't expect something dangerous to be lying around.

I would argue as the adult it was the mothers job to stay calm. Getting hysterical at these moments rarely help the kids. Accidents happen op. You did nothing wrong.

The mother should have been watching her dc more closely.

The OP started this thread on 22 Dec (not Boxing Day).

But my gym WAS open for a few hours on Boxing Day!