The Importance of Door Safety in Schools

Schools are supposed to be a safe haven for children where they can learn and socialise in peace without fear of injury or upset. And whilst the governing bodies, education officials, and parents campaign tirelessly against better teachers and to stop bullying, very little is done about the actual physical state of the school building.

Children are likely to get finger trap injuries after heavy doors shut on their joints and fingers. Even though the number of door-related injuries in schools is not very substantial, it is still a matter of concern. This has highlighted the need to address the school's buildings themselves and as such, over the summer and Christmas holidays, many schools around the U.K. are carrying through necessary maintenance work to ensure the safety of the children once they return to school.

Some of the smaller repair and maintenance work that falls through to be completed on a regular basis can be the most dangerous to children, as they put danger in their path every day. Ensuring that appropriate door safety measures are in place may seem like common sense, however, a number of schools have inept door safety or no safety at all. At busy times of the day, this can lead to door-related accidents, which can lead to some serious injuries.

While door safety products have the primary objective of protecting the surface, edge, and corners of the doors themselves, the knock-on effects are significant for school children. Schools are busy places and there is a fairly high amount of traffic moving through the doors daily. This means that damage can occur to the doors, creating sharp corners and splinters. While minor injuries such as cuts, grazes, and splinters are more common, cases of surgical treatments and finger amputation are not unheard of either. Door safety products can significantly limit the amount of such injuries school children suffer from regularly.

Door safety is a basic consideration that every school should take into account. It is crucial that they remain on top of building maintenance and replace any materials that are less effective due to old age or hard usage. Government regulation needs to step up during inspection times to include any physical problems a school may have and force them to fix these before granting them a complete inspection.

Don’t make your child be put in danger because of no door safety in schools. Make it a point to ask the school to update their safety measures and get other parents behind you.