Sector Update
Child sustains first and second degree burns
The Learning
The Education and Care Regulatory Unit (ECRU) continues to warn approved providers about the dangers of surface temperatures when exposed to heat from the sun and have consistently provided information to the sector since 2021.
Despite numerous notifications being sent to approved providers from ECRU, burns are still occurring at education and care services across Western Australia. Simple changes implemented could avoid burns, such as:
- ensuring children are wearing appropriate footwear and clothing prior to going outside
- conducting temperature checks of outdoor play equipment, or any surfaces exposed to the sun
- ensuring educators are following ‘Sun, Safety’ policies and procedures
- implementing appropriate monitoring systems to ensure staff are following policies and procedures
- ensuring all staff are sufficiently trained to identify potential hazards to children and implement strategies to minimise these hazards.
The Incident
A child aged one year and 11 months sustained 1st and 2nd degree burns to the bottoms of their feet whilst attending Sparrow Early Learning Wanneroo.
At approximately 1.30pm on the day of the incident, children began waking up from their nap time. One educator was inside changing children’s nappies as they awoke from their nap, whilst the other educator took the children who were already awake to the outdoor play area under the shade.
The educator in the outdoor play area began preparing the children to be ‘sun safe ready’, however became distracted when two other children became involved in an altercation and went to settle them. In this time, a child walked away onto the hot outdoor surface without shoes or socks on.
The child walked and stood on a section of bike path which was painted black and exposed to direct sun. Within a couple of minutes, the educator noticed the child on the bike path and brought the child back to the group under the shade. The maximum temperature that day reached 28.3 degrees.
Educators at the service did not notice the burns to the child’s feet until the child was collected later that afternoon. The child subsequently required medical attention.
The Penalty
Sparrow Group WA Pty Ltd (Sparrow) was ordered to pay $11,000.00 for failing to ensure that every reasonable precaution was taken to protect children being educated and cared from harm and from any hazard likely to cause injury, contrary to section 167(1) of the Education and Care Services National Law (WA) Act 2012.
Sparrow was also ordered to pay $1000.00 for failing to take reasonable steps to ensure that staff follow the policies and procedures required under regulation 168 of the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2012 (National Regulations), contrary to regulation 170(1) of the National Regulations.
Additionally, Sparrow was ordered to pay $2,000.00 towards the Department of Communities’ legal costs.
More information on the SAT order is available on the eCourts website.