£28m school is shut after three days as pupil hit by falling door
A NEW state-of-the-art school had to close yesterday after a six-year-old girl was injured when a sliding door fell on her.
Thursday’s incident came only three days after the £28million North West Community Campus opened in Dumfries.
The P2 pupil was taken to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary and has since been allowed home. She suffered ‘superficial bruising’.
The campus experienced problems last month when a leak was discovered. Posts on social media suggested a ceiling had collapsed. Construction firm Graham blamed an issue with the sprinkler system, saying this had caused ‘sagging and superficial damage’.
After the latest incident, Dumfries and Galloway Council said the doors had been removed. The school was yesterday closed for safety checks.
A text was sent out to parents on Thursday, saying: ‘As you may know, there was an incident today in school where a sliding door came off its rails.
‘A child was hurt but following being checked out, the child is home safely with their family. These doors were removed. As a further precaution and for your fullest reassurance, we have decided to ask the children to stay at home tomorrow.’
It added: ‘This time will be used by us to give staff and therefore yourselves, the fullest confidence that there are no outstanding concerns. School will reopen on Monday.’
The North West Community Campus replaced Lochside and St Ninian’s primary schools, Maxwelltown High School and Langland special school. Finishing touches were carried out by contractors on Monday.
Last month, a large section of the ceiling at the school was brought down by the contractor, Graham, after saturated tiles were discovered.
Following an investigation, the cause of the damage was given as ‘incorrectly attached brackets’ for the sprinkler system which had caused movement in pipework and led to a leak.
The council said at the time it would not take ownership of the building until all construction work had been completed to its satisfaction.
A spokesman for Dumfries and Galloway Council said the pupil hurt on Thursday was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.
She added: ‘As a result of an incident yesterday involving a sliding door, a primary school pupil received bruising to a leg. Appropriate first aid procedures were followed.
‘We asked pupils to stay at home today so that we can carry out checks in the building... the campus will open again on Monday.’
In April 2014, Keane Wallis-Bennett, 12, died at Liberton High School in Edinburgh after a wall in a changing room in the PE block collapsed on her.
Last year, a Fatal Accident Inquiry found that ‘innocent high-spirited behaviour’ of pupils may have caused the ‘inherently unstable’ wall to fall on the schoolgirl.