Cuddles Childcare Centre in Byford, Perth, fined after toddler suffered burns to foot on playground
Toddler suffers horrific second-degree burns while walking around barefoot on a 39°C day – as nursery faces thousands of fines
- A girl suffered burns to her foot
- She played at the nursery in Perth
- Center was fined $14,000
A daycare has been fined $14,000 after allowing a toddler to play barefoot outside on a 39°C day, leaving her with horrific second-degree burns.
The year-old girl wandered into the outdoor playground of the Cuddles Early Learning and Childcare Center in Byford, south-east Perth, on a sweltering day in February last year.
She was wearing no socks or shoes and suffered terrible burns to the ball of her foot as a result.
The Department of Communities conducted an investigation after the incident and found that staff at the center had not adhered to sun safety policies.
The case was referred to the Western Australian State Administrative Tribunal, where the fine was imposed.
The year-old girl was in the outdoor playground of the Cuddles Early Learning and Childcare Center (pictured) in Byford, south-east Perth, on a sweltering day in February last year
At the time the child suffered her burns, she was under the care of a member of staff who had been working at the center for four months but had not been given an introduction.
While the incident was accepted as a one-off, the tribunal found that other employees interviewed failed to remember the sun safety procedures in place.
Staff were also not reminded or tested on the procedures, nor were there any visible signs about hot weather policies around the center.
The tribunal found that the center had shown genuine remorse over the incident and had taken several steps to increase safety from the sun.
These included making sure staff had read sun safety procedures, allowing staff to use hoses to cool down outside of play areas, making sure there were procedures boards in the center and weekly updates on the provide policies to employees.
The tribunal ruled that the center had failed ‘to ensure that all reasonable precautions had been taken to protect children raised and cared for by the service from harm and from any danger which might cause injury’.
The center was ordered to pay $14,000 and an additional $1,500 for the Department of Communities’ legal fees.
The child was playing outside on a sweltering day when she suffered second-degree burns on her foot (stock image)