HORRIFIC HAND INJURY
KIERAN Sawers’ hand will likely never move the same way again, after it was sucked into a disc sander during a class at Northern Beaches State High School.
Flesh was torn off the 12year- old student’s hand, with his family still unsure what the permanent damage will be or if a skin graft will even be possible.
The Year 7 student was pushing a piece of perspex into the disc sander unsupervised on September 13 when his hand slipped.
“I was pushing the perspex into it and ... my hand got sucked down,” Kieran said.
“When I first looked at it there was lots of red but it wasn’t pouring out, it just looked white, like white bone, I think that was the tendon.”
An ambulance, including an advanced care paramedic, was called to the school. Kieran’s father Terence said his son has since undergone two surgeries, with one more scheduled on Thursday.
“There was quite a lot of skin and flesh lost, exposed tendons, cartilage damage and some fractures as well,” Mr Sawers said. “I’m frustrated that it’s been able to happen. Apprentices can’t even use machinery without being supervised, I’m frustrated that a school where we send them to be effectively safe wasn’t really safe.”
Workplace Health and Safety officers are investigating the incident.
“WHSQ has locked down the equipment and the school is prohibited from using it until clearance is given,” a spokesman said.
“As part of WHSQ’s comprehensive investigation, all relevant witnesses will be interviewed including the injured student and his family.”
Mr Sawers said Kieran was shown how to use the machine once.
“From what ( Kieran has) explained to WHSQ, I don’t think he was given adequate training on how to use it unsupervised,” he said.
“That was only the third time using the machine and he had only been given a quick demonstration to that prior.”
On Thursday doctors will decide if Kieran’s fingers have healed enough so that skin from his thigh can be grafted on to them. Mr Sawers said they’d know two weeks later if the surgery had worked.
“He’s got a bit of a challenge on his hands, but he’s young,” he said.
The Department of Education didn’t respond by deadline.