Door Hinge Protection in Schools
16 November 2015
Recently a child sustained an injury to a finger when it became trapped in a door in a KCC school resulting in medical treatment to reattach the tip.
This is a reminder that KCC requires Reception and Year 1 classrooms be fitted with hinge protection to avoid further injuries to younger children. In terms of the remaining classrooms, a risk assessment must be carried out to assess the need for door hinge protection and to ensure children are aware of the risk of trapping their fingers in the same way. Some KCC schools have already decided to fit hinge protection to all doors in their schooland your risk assessment will determine if this is a requirement in yours.
In special schools where the risk to pupils may be greater, it is likely hinge protection will be required on all doors.
Please remind your pupils of the dangers and consider fitting hinge protection where necessary.
Contact Details
KCC Health and safety team for Kent
Telephone: 03000 418456
Email: healthandsafety@kent.gov.uk