09 January 2024 , 10:18
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A seven year old was rushed to hospital when he was 'crushed' by an interactive whiteboard in a freak accident at school.
Elias was injured when a digital whiteboard fell off the wall and landed on him at St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School in Tamworth.
The incident, which happened in May 2023, left Elias in serious pain and has led to calls for stricter safety checks on equipment. The family were told by doctors that if the board had hit his head, it could have been fatal.
The family have said they are now worried that other children might be in danger.
The family were told by doctors that if the board had hit his head, it could have been fatal (Handout)
The Health and Safety Executive has investigated the incident. (Handout)An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the initial installation of the whiteboard was substandard and it came loose with minimal force. Staffordshire County Council said it is working with partners to ensure all other equipment meets safety standards.
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Dad Matthew Batchelor told Birmingham Live: "It flattened him. They had to get two members of staff to pick the board up so they could get him out from underneath - he was seriously hurt. We took him down to Good Hope Hospital who suspected he had fractured his pelvis. Luckily there was no fracture, but he was still in a tremendous amount of pain."
"He was off school for eight weeks in total - he couldn't walk for three weeks and was crying out in pain every time he turned over in bed. One of the consultants said to us that if it had hit him on the head it would have killed him - it could have been much worse."
The interactive whiteboard was put up by Capita Entrust, a company that provides services to local-authority schools. The Health and Safety Executive has written to the firm asking them to make sure all future installations are checked and meet industry standards.
Matthew Batchelor, the boy's father, has spoken of his concern about other children being at risk from faulty smart boards. He said: "These whiteboards are used everywhere. We want them all checked. We're worried about kids in schools across the country - as well as those at academies who fall outside the remit of Staffordshire Council."
"We're asking headteachers to contact whoever installed their boards to make sure they're carrying out the right checks to ensure that they're safe. This has been a horrible situation for us as a family, and we wouldn't want it happening to anyone else. We know that accidents happen, but we need to learn lessons from it."
A spokesperson for St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School said: "We have received the outcome of the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) investigation into an accident in May 2023 where an AV screen came off the wall in the school, injuring a child. Their investigation has found fault with the installation.
"As a result, the HSE has informed the company who installed the screen of these findings. The HSE has informed the school of this outcome and has been clear that there is no fault on the part of the school. The Governing Board of St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School also conducted its own investigation of the circumstances. Our thoughts remain with the child and his family and we hope that his recovery will be as speedy as possible."
Staffordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Education Jonathan Price said: "Our health and safety team was alerted to this incident on 26 May, which was reported to the Health and Safety Executive for investigation on 31 May once we had received all the relevant information that they require. Since receiving the outcome of their investigation, we have been working with our partners Entrust to ensure the necessary improvements are made. Our sympathies remain with Elias and his family, and we are working hard with Entrust to ensure an incident like this doesn't happen again."
A representative from Entrust responded to the situation, saying: "We accept the findings from the HSE. While the risk of this happening again is very low, we are taking steps to ensure it does not recur."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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