A director of the nursery where a little boy was accidentally scalded has spoken for the first time about the incident.
Chris Stoker, of Bridge End House Nursery in Fixby, spoke out as 18-month-old Reuben Adams, of Deighton, recovers in Pinderfields General Hospital, Wakefield.
The toddler suffered burns to his face and left shoulder after apparently finding his way through a safety gate and somehow making it upstairs to a milk kitchen where a bowl of boiling water warming a feeding bottle for the children spilled over on him.
The accident left his 29-year-old mum Sarah Walker “distraught and in hysterics”. A member of the nursery staff has been suspended while a full investigation is carried out.
The Health & Safety Executive, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, (OFSTED) and Kirklees Council have all been informed and representatives from Kirklees were at the nursery this morning.
Mr Stoker said: “As a nursery our thoughts are with Reuben and his family. As a nursery we reported this accident to OFSTED and other relevant agencies immediately.
“The nursery manager and his key worker took Reuben to the hospital and stayed with the child. Once the parents and grandparent had arrived, upon the request of the hospital staff, they then waited in another room whilst Reuben was seen by the doctors. The staff only returned to the nursery once the child was being transferred.
“We appreciated the fact that mum was extremely upset and would not want to speak to anyone at the time. Mum’s phone was going straight to a mobile service, so as we could not make contact in this way an email was sent to mum the very same evening.
“Our focus now is thoroughly investigating this situation, to provide the answers that mum needs.”
The Examiner’s original story on Facebook generated a massive response with a huge number of comments.
Rebecca Broughton wrote: “I can’t imagine how heartbroken she (Sarah) must be. Hope little Reuben has a speedy recovery and heals well,” while Gemma Jones posted: “Accidents happen but there’s no way a baby should have been able to get into the kitchen and access boiling water. How awful x.”
And Sopphire Kozlowskyj-Wallace wrote: “Accidents happen, we are all human. Poor little solider, I’d be devastated but also imagine what the nursery nurse is going through.
“It would have taken a quick turn of the head for it to happen. We all have children, we all know this. My son attends this nursery in the other branch, (in Brighouse), and it’s fantastic. I hope he recovers well xx.”
