£1670 for exploding shower door at pool- please help

[Showerexplosion]

My children attended a hotel swimming pool with my mum where they all have membership. A few weeks ago a shower door exploded while they were in the changing rooms. My mother maintains that my children did not touch the door and that it simply exploded.

Neither of my children were hit by the broken glass despite both being in only swimming costumes.

Today she received an email stating:

At approximately 16:10, the glass shower door in the ladies’ changing room was found shattered. Photographic evidence is attached. You reported the damage to Reception at that time, but no explanation was provided. Given the seriousness of the situation and the safety risks posed to other guests, we immediately initiated a full and detailed investigation.

As part of this investigation, we commissioned an independent professional specialising in glass safety and installation to assess the damaged door. Their expert conclusion was clear: the door did not fail due to a defect or spontaneous breakage. The shattering was consistent with improper handling or misuse, and not with normal or appropriate use of the facility.

We also reviewed our CCTV footage covering the Spa and Wellness area. The footage confirms that only yourself, xxxxxx and xxxxxx were present in the changing facilities during the time the damage occurred. No other individuals entered the area before or during the incident. This evidence, combined with the professional assessment, leaves no doubt that the door was broken due to inappropriate use while your grandsons were in the changing room.

The cost of replacing the door is £1,674.00. A detailed breakdown of the replacement cost is attached for your review and we request that you notify your insurers of this cost as we are seeking reimbursement of the replacement of this shower door caused by your actions.

In addition, due to the seriousness of the incident, the safety implications, and the behaviour that led to the damage, we have taken the decision to cancel both xxxxx and xxxxx memberships with immediate effect.

Are we liable for this cost? Are we entitled to a refund for the cancelled memberships - we have only used one month of a 3 month membership for both of them.

I include the pictures they sent me. Any help with how to respond greatly appreciated.

I think maybe that’s what the hotel used!

This happened to a glass partition in my old workplace between the front office and the service desk. It was very scary! Call their bluff and tell them you need to see the report by their “professional”

My friend's oven door exploded and it had never been used, so it can definitely happen. She thought a bomb had gone off. They hotel are being CF's and need to pay for it themselves

Happened once to me with a safety glass pan lid. I assume it's to do with heat and humidity and, as you say, some degree of shoddiness. Even if someone did shut the door too hard, that shouldn't happen. I don't see how this can be your family's fault.

Did your mum contact the spa after the exploding door? If a door had exploded near my children in a changing room I’d have been following up with the premises about that for health and safety reasons to make sure the changing rooms were safe in future especially if there were others doors the same. I’d also ask for the glass safety report. Surely if one door has exploded and they have others the same they all need to be checked for safety reasons in case of any flaws in them? I wouldn’t be jumping to any conclusions at the moment as to why your children’s memberships were cancelled until I had the full facts of the door safety report.

I’d also be asking them to expand on this part. In addition, due to the seriousness of the incident, the safety implications, and the behaviour that led to the damage, we have taken the decision to cancel both xxxxx and xxxxx memberships with immediate effect. I’d want to know exactly what they mean by behaviour that led to the incident.

Safety glass absolutely can explode- I have some glass table mats and one shattered on the kitchen table without anyone touching it. I have also had a chopping board do the same.

Not really safety glass if it explodes this easily! My pan lid at least stayed in one exquisitely cracked and unusable shape.

I've had several fridge shelves spontaneously explode. Come back to find the food dropped down and covered in glass

I'd get a solicitor to write back. To get refunded for the membership. Glass can implode.

I presume the premises are inspected regularly and in particular the glass shower doors would be examined regularly.
I would be asking for a copy of the inspection reports prior to the accident. How old are the doors? Was there any evidence of rust? Or other imperfections? Any recommendations? What about the other doors? The areas where the hinges were attached do look a bit rusty.

Absolute jokers. They're using words like 'evidence' and 'no doubt' without awareness of what this means in practice.

If you're satisfied it was nothing to do with your kids, go in big.

Letter to strongly refute the points made. Your mum strongly didn't provide an explanation because she was shocked, and trying to safely remove your children, one of whom has additional needs.

Tell them they have failed in their duty of care, that you would like to see the report in full, and that you reserve the right to seek a professional second opinion as it is your understanding that glass absolutely can shatter due to poor installation and care (they'll be on dodgy ground already as they would have cleared up).

Tell them you have no intention of revisiting a place that lacks such basic care and safety standards, and ask them to confirm they'll be refunding your costs in full.

Copy your letter to their head office, the local paper and your MP. If they're a big chain they won't like that.

Send them a link to this thread! Heaps of examples of spontaneous breakage

My shower door just shattered. All DH did was push the door to open it and the whole thing shattered around him. The supplier said that it once happened in the showroom when no one was near it (when we went to order a new one). Completely possible for it to break like that with no misuse.

Yes. A glass door exploded in an office where I was working and nowhere was anywhere near it at the time.

Happened to the rear window of my car once. Sometimes there can be micro scratches and chips that you can't see that create pressure.

Yes, my sister's shower screen did. She was sat downstairs at the time. Scared the life out of her!

How is a 6 year old in a swimsuit meant to have even done this??

Honestly you could threaten to sue THEM for the safety issues and trauma caused by an exploding glass door right next to your child. That might shut them up.

My Dad used to fit bathrooms and conservatories. During his career, he had 2 shower doors and one conservatory explode while still under warranty. He got them replaced by the manufacturer.

He said they replace them no questions asked because it is impossible to prove if it was caused by a fault during manufacturing, microscopic damage during transit, poor workmanship, or accidental damage, so they just replace them to avoid damage to their repuation or legal issues. Glass manufacturers actually expect X number of units to fail and have this written into their profit margins.

This is why glass floors are not made of glass but a combination of glass and plastic; no glass, no matter how thick, is immune to manufacturing defaults.

I think you should be querying the quality, fitting and maintenance standards of the door and fixtures and fittings generally at that pool, not paying repair costs. It's great that no one was injured, and why wasn't it the pool's policy to check no injuries first.

I would definitely contest it.
I would want to see the report that proved damage due to misuse, and at that misuse at that time, not prior mis-use which caused a weak spot leading to spontaneous explosion at a later time.
I would want to see proof that it was your children who did the damage.
I would would suggest that an independent investigation was required, as if the damage was caused by improper maintenance then your children were put at risk by their negligence.
I would suggest that cancelling the children's membership when one is autistic could, in absence of proof that they had deliberately caused criminal damage, constitute discrimination against a protected characteristic.

I am no law expert, but they would be my first thoughts and I would definitely run them by a lawyer if they are expecting you to pay out £1700

It absolutely does, due to micro scratches and temperature changes. My mums oven door exploded whilst it was off and she was in the next room with nobody in the house.

Id say the “investigation” is bullshit. This door exploded.

Why not? It’s down to the terms of the insurance, surely?

Apologies, I haven’t RTFT for an hour or so but having thought on it would just summon my inner Lynne Faulds Wood and go back to them and say:

It is well known that glass shatters if not properly installed.

I am alarmed to learn from your letter that not only have you put my children at risk with unsafe facilities but you are also recording a private shower area on CCTV.

In the circumstances, you should consider yourselves fortunate that I am not usually as litigious as you. I look forward to hearing from you within 48 hours confirming that no further action will be taken and outlining how you plan to reinstate our membership.*

*you never know, they might like to give you some free months for your inconvenience and distress

You always have the option of threatening to go to the press if they don’t see sense (indeed they might have picked this thread up already…)

Excellent suggestion.
I'd add that (because OP mentioned their child as ASD and they think the hotel is trying to 'get rid' of them) that you are considering this could be discrimination under the Equality Act. Your family didn't do it, and there is no evidence that they could have done it, and the hotel is harassing a 6 yr old with ASD. Won't look good in the media. Take it to the head office - ignore the local hotel.

I’d be asking to see their “expert report”