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My son (13 year 8) managed to sand a good chunk off the tips of 5 fingers including a good portion of the nails as well today in DT class. the teacher did manage to take him out of the class and pop him in to another DT class room of year 10 students for their teacher to take him to the first aid room, where eventually a first aider cleaned the bleeding fingers and pop some plasters on to them.
At the time and for the rest of the day he was feeling sick and said his fingers hurt, they did nothing.
Not once did the school attempt to contact us as the school policy is only if they have a bump to the head or administer medication.
Whilst Charlie was ushered out of class his mate did a similar thing but only to 1 finger, and when he was with Charlie washing his finger in another DT class turned green and collapsed on to him.
My wife ( a nurse) has sorted out his dressings and contacted the Dr's
Obviously when we found out I phoned the school to find out what is going on but in the last 2 hours they have not managed to contact us.
Complaints to the school and academy trust will be going in tomorrow, anyone else we should be contacting?
Complaints to the school and academy trust will be going in tomorrow, anyone else we should be contacting?<br /><br />
Daily Mail?
What safety instructions had been given to your son prior to this?
Was he meant to be using the machine?
I can't help with the legal stuff but can confirm that it hurts like a bitch when you do it, especially with a bench sander.
Not once did the school attempt to contact us as the school policy is only if they have a bump to the head or administer medication.
So is the complaint that policy is no good or they should have gone against policy in this event?
I mean, it does sound quite serious but before going all Falling Down what actually is your complaint about and what do you want done about it. Being clear in your own mind is likely to get a better response in my mind than simply raging that "this isn't right and someone has to be punished!!"
This was pretty regular rite of passage in my woodwork lessons in comp in the 80s.
So is the complaint that policy is no good or they should have gone against policy in this event?
I mean, it does sound quite serious but before going all Falling Down what actually is your complaint about and what do you want done about it. Being clear in your own mind is likely to get a better response in my mind than simply raging that “this isn’t right and someone has to be punished!!”
Indeed, to me it sounds like the complaint is around it taking too long for first aid to be given, or that you weren't informed fast enough?
If the latter, and policy was followed, then the complaint would be that the policy should be revised?
Just how bad is the injury? "sand a good chunk off the tips of 5 fingers including a good portion of the nails" sounds like it should be a straight to hospital job?
This was pretty regular rite of passage in my woodwork lessons in comp in the 80s.
as was throwing chisels at each other.............kids nowadays
You didn't mention any power tools. Please assure us that this was a belt sander injury, not just your son rubbing his bloody finger stubs up and down a bit of course sandpaper out of sheer boredom?
Sounds to me like you lad learned a lesson today that he will not repeat.
Came to offer advice about what primer and gloss to finish them off with. Disappointed.
This was pretty regular rite of passage in my woodwork lessons in comp in the 80s.
Same, along with drilling holes in anything that didn't bleed, and occasionally things that did.
Any chance he could do some crime tonight? He aint getting caught...
Complaints to the school and academy trust will be going in tomorrow, anyone else we should be contacting?
what is your complaint? That he got hurt in school, or that they didn’t immediately contact you about what they perceived as a minor injury?
if it’s the former - your son probably learned more today than he has in the year so far about safety in woodwork, listening to teachers instructions and empathy for those who have hurt themselves! You may be about to teach him that “whatever story you tell us we will believe and the school will be at fault”.
if it’s the latter, how serious do you want it to be before they call you? A paper cut? A grazed knee? Your criteria seem unlikely - presumably a broken arm, major laceration needing stitches, a seizure, would all get you called but are neither a head injury nor dealt with by medication so it’s likely you are getting a 13yr olds version of the policy. Did he explicitly ask them to call you? Is he the only 13 yr old in the country without a phone, or at the only school in the country with such a strict phone policy that after injuring himself he couldn’t call you himself?
Any chance he could do some crime tonight? He aint getting caught… unless they are still bleeding - then the DNA might be a bugger!
DT teacher here.......
I would be very good to know, what machine they were using, what were they sanding and how was the guarding set.
A belt sanding machine (my guess, it could be a sanding disc and nothing much changes provided there is a quarter guard) is at that level of risk that I would expect to have given full instructions for it's use, observed them using it safely but after that in future lessons that would be on my remote supervision list - i.e. I would expect a competent adult to be in the room, the kid to ask permission before using, but not directly 1-2-1 supervising it's use. I'd also have given instructions about the minimum size of object that could be used on the machine, the minimum distance their fingers needed to be from the belt and that all objects to be sanded must be flat to the bed and not hand held or held on edge.
Despite all that kids mess up by not following instructions from time to time. Where I am concerned about that narrative is two similar incidents is such quick succession. That rather indicates poor training or they were being asked (or allowed to get away with) sanding lumps of whatever that were too small. Also, after incident number one the class would be having a refresher at your kid's expense before anyone else used it.
As to the not phoning parents - clearly not seen the injuries and they could be worse than they sound and your wife will know better as a nurse but my threshold would be beyond minor injury involving a plaster and someway before a trip to A&E.....dictated by school policy and determined by the nurse/first aider responsible for such things at the school.
such a strict phone policy that after injuring himself he couldn’t call you himself?
Touch screens are hard to operate with bloody stumps as fingers 😀
Why has your wife contacted the Dr's? If he needs extra assistance to your wife's dressings why isn't she taking him to a walk in clinic or A&E.
It starts with covering your hands in PVC glue in primary school..
The students should have been given a full demonstration on how to safely use the sander and the teacher should have given explicit instruction to keep fingers well away from the belt/disc at the very minimum. One to one tuition or peer observation would be a good idea.
Find out from your Son what information he had been given before using the sander before going in all guns blazing.
We all make mistakes and have accidents, hopefully he learns to keep his hands away from anything sharp.
[i]Same, along with drilling holes in anything that didn’t bleed, and occasionally things that did.[/i]
I remember a class where we learnt to set the height/depth on a pillar drill so it drilled into, but not through a bit of metal. when one of the kids was mouthy about how stupid and easy it was the teacher got him to demonstrate -
- by measuring how thick his finger was between the pad and the nail, setting the drill accordingly and then holding the kids hand onto the drill base plate and lowering the drill. All the time reminding him how simple it was (might have used the same sweary phrase used by the student).
He did stop before the drill got too close, but after the kid had wet himself.
I did this on a rotary sander attached to the back of a lathe... lost two fingernails.
Gets you out of PE for ages.
Parents weren't informed but this was the 90s
I would step carefully. The fact that his mate seems to have deliberately injured himslef immediately after your son hurt himself seems to imply that not much common sense was in evidence from the pupils. If there was no permanent damage I would settle for an informal chat with the relevant teachers rather than demanding an official inquest.
No D&T back in my day. Separate technical drawing, metalwork and woodwork classes. Motor vehicle technology was an option too.
I do remember a kid dropping a chisel on his foot in woodwork. There was a lot of blood and the most godawful scream. I still wince thinking about it. The teacher called him a clumsy idiot and didn't rush to get him any help.
The main surreptitious cottage industry in metalwork was making 'kung fu stars'. They were neither well made nor very aerodynamic but could be sold for a reasonable profit in the playground.
Tech drawing was reasonably safe apart from drawing pins on chairs and the odd stabbing with a compass.
Tech drawing was reasonably safe
I permentantly tattoed my art teacher with a little black dot by accidently stabbing him in the hand with a Rotring drafstmans pen! Thankfully he saw the funny side of it!
One of these bad boys 😀
Not a tech teacher but I am a teacher. I wont comment on the injury specifics as I haven't seen it, wasn't there etc... I. Hope your son is ok.
However, you phoned a school with an issue that is not life threatening. No reply within 2 hours seems entirely normal. If I was asked to call a parent at 8am this morning the soonest I would have been able to was 5.15 post meeting. 5 lessons, break time supervising students, lunch time supervising students, meeting immediately after school. Not a hero, just standard fare for teachers, we can't always phone back promptly, even if we would like to im afraid.
Ooh let's have some workshop incidents.
A large lathe chuck narrowly missed my head as it flew off and the metalwork teacher's foot as it landed.
Our woodwork teacher took the end off his thumb on the circular saw - what chance did we stand?
I permentantly tattoed my art teacher with a little black dot by accidently stabbing him in the hand with a Rotring drafstmans pen!
Can't do that with a CAD workstation.
sandboy
Full MemberThe students should have been given a full demonstration on how to safely use the sander
STW never fails to deliver 😆
This thread makes me feel old,I am laughing at all the 'wrong' parts 😅
Ooh let’s have some workshop incidents.
I once jacked my car up to do something, can't remember what, but the ground wasn't level enough..you can guess where this is going....
I heard a creaking that was one of the axle stands starting to slip/fold... I've never moved so fast in my life.
Could have been very messy, probably lethal... luckily a semi squished axle stand and ruined underwear was the worst of the damage.
@fasthaggis, it’s called covering one’s behind.
One of the reasons why I went back on the tools is because common sense isn’t that common and unfortunately, parents want someone to blame rather than seeing it as an accident and hopefully, learning experience.
Risk assessment and method statements are in place for students to follow.
If for some reason they didn’t watch the demonstration or listen to instructions then it’s on the individual if something like this happens.
Unfortunately it’s the way these days.
Please do consider how much your emotions are driving this. For example, if your son fell of riding around a red route and took off a load of skin, would you put in a complaint to the trail manager? Or would you consider risk a part of riding and your son will be fine long term?
At what point is there responsibility for your son to take more care? Those machines are there and used by classes, and have been for decades, and most of the time the users don't sand thier fingers off...
Nothing in life is safe. No one can promise, and you cannot expect, complete safety. On occasion incidents happen.
Preparing children and young adults for life means allowing them learn how to manage risk judgements first hand - and that means taking managed risks. He will be careful around power tools for life. Lesson learned.
Also know that the teacher and other staff are all at home tonight sh*tt*ng bricks about those complaints you are threatening, and reflecting what they need to do differently.
IMO it's reasonable to ask how things occurred. To learn from. I'm intrigued what your goal is with the complaints you're ready to throw around before you've got full facts and before your emotions have calmed down.
@sandboy..it was your username and comment I was pointing out,not the safety guidance 😉 😆
😂 sorry, bit slow tonight!
Something here does not quite add up to me. I guess when your kid is hurt everything seems serious but "managed to sand a good chunk off the tips of 5 fingers including a good portion of the nails" is a serious incident probably requiring a trip to hospital IMO not " a first aider cleaned the bleeding fingers and pop some plasters on to them" if the sanding has gone thru the skin into the pulp underneath and removed fingernails its a serious disfiguring injury. Or do you mean just the free part of the nails not going into the nail bed? Just thru the top layers of the skin which will hurt and bleed but will heal perfectly well.
If it is the more serious version then the School did not act well at all. If its the less serious version then is the OP over reacting ( understandably) to his kids injury?
Sounds to me like you lad learned a lesson today that he will not repeat.
Every day's a schoo.... Oh, wait 🤦🏻♂️
OP I hope your son's OK - but I really do despair sometimes 🤷🏻♂️
I'm sure he's learned to listen more carefully to instructions today.
The main surreptitious cottage industry in metalwork was making ‘kung fu stars’. They were neither well made nor very aerodynamic but could be sold for a reasonable profit in the playground.
this just gave me a proustian moment. Innocent times, making pointy things to poke and throw at each other.
On the rare occasion I maim a pupil in my science lessons I usually try to call home that day to speak to parents. Preferably before the child gets home and blames me! I've only been to court once in 20 years so it mostly works well.
Thread didn't go how the OP hoped did it, common sense on display
Please assure us that this was a belt sander injury, not just your son rubbing his bloody finger stubs up and down a bit of course sandpaper out of sheer boredom?
That would definitely show a great deal of tenacity if nothing else.
Great post Matt.
To add to my last post after a moment to think about it........damaged all 5 finger tips - I'd put my money on your kid attempting to sand a sheet bit of material (mdf, ply etc) thinner (or saving elbow grease finishing by hand) by holding it flat against the belt. It slips and you sand all your fingers. That'll be a freestyle manoeuvre only considered sensible in a 13 yr old boy's mind!
Please assure us that this was a belt sander injury, not just your son rubbing his bloody finger stubs up and down a bit of course sandpaper out of sheer boredom?<br /><br />
No no no. You’ve got to use very fine grit wet and dry, slightly wet. That way you get the top layer off without feeling a thing. More 80s woodwork memories flooding back
Can we do Bunsen burners now?
I cut the palm of my hand quite deeply in my metalwork O level- off to the nurse, butterfly stitches and back to the exam. I passed. My first thoughts from the OP about the second pupil doing the same as his son were that they’d seen a good plan for time off hence only one digit- minimum pain for maximum gain!
I think it’s a wonder we all survived practical subjects in the 70’s - as for chemistry lessons…
Did you not teach him rule #1? Never put your fingers where you wouldn’t put your dick?
Can we do Bunsen burners now?
Teacher demonstrated boiling water in a pyrex pot for some experiment and we had to replicate this, sent away to collect items needed and continue at desks. For some reason unknow I picked up a plastic pot, lit burner and commenced the boiling of water. The stench of burning plastic and smoke filled the room then set off fire alarm and the blackboard duster bounced off my head simultaneously... happy days
70s chemistry lessons. Two of my class ended up in hospital as they got bromine solution on their hands from shaking test tubes full of it. The solution had been made wrongly and was 100x as concentrated as it was supposed to be. Iirc
We also blew up a fume cupboard making aluminium tri iodide and stealing magnesium ribbon to set on fire in the playground was both a sport and a challenge
Physics? We attached a van der graff generator to the inside door handle of the physics lab last lesson before lunch. When the teacher went in after lunch the shock rather surprised him