Poor health and safety practices result in death of infant at nursery

30 May 2006

Following a tragic fatal incident at a Worcestershire nursery in March 2004, a nursery owner has been fined £12,500 and ordered to pay £10,000 costs.

Dawn Wilson, the owner of Sticky Fingers Nursery in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire pleaded guilty to breaching  S.3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 which led to the tragic death of Cameron Lindsay, a seven month old infant in her care.

Wilson admitted failing to operate the nursery in such a manner as to ensure that persons not in her employment were not exposed to risks to their health and safety.  Wilson had previously been cleared of manslaughter in this case.

The incident happened when Cameron was left unattended in a badly assembled chair at the nursery. The infant's head became trapped in the chair and he perished from asphyxiation within a period of 20 minutes.  At the time of the incident, Cameron was left on his own whilst staff went outside with other children.

The emergency services were called to the nursery, but Cameron died at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. 

Cameron’s family stated “the image of the pained expression leaving Cameron’s face as he died will remain with us forever”. 

They went on to state “We had entrusted Cameron's care into a nursery that had sold itself on its high standard of care and professionalism, a nursery whose latest Ofsted was good - a report we subsequently felt merely scratched the surface. The facts surrounding that fateful morning speak for themselves”.  They went on to say that the sentencing at Hereford Crown Court on Friday 7th April did little to take away their pain.

Judge David Matthews told Wilson “he was entirely satisfied that (she) fell short of the required standard to ensure the health and safety of that child”.

The Sticky Fingers nursery has since closed.

(Source – BBC News online 7th April)