A ‘potential for death’

Just days before Saint Kentigern College students received ‘‘lifethreatening’’ cuts to the throat during a production of Sweeney Todd, a student received a razor cut to the neck at rehearsals.

Despite this, real razor blades were still used on opening night, causing an almost 5cm deep cut to one student, revealing the trachea and some cartilage, a WorkSafe report shows.

The report, released under the Official Information Act, found an incident report recorded a student receiving a ‘‘scratch’’ while acting out the throat-cutting scene three days before opening night.

On the opening night of the performance two students were injured. One of the students had an 8cm laceration across his throat, measuring almost 5cm deep.

Both boys had to be operated on under general anaesthetic to repair their lacerations, the WorkSafe report stated.

‘‘Major veins and arteries are located in the region where contact with the straight razor is made. Damage to these veins, and especially the arteries, was life threatening,’’ the report stated.

WorkSafe found the two straight razors used in the production were considered sharp and could easily cut through paper.

‘‘The harm involved. . .was significant,’’ the report stated. ‘‘There was a potential for death.’’