Alder's Tone

Today I visited the Toys R Us store at Fort Kinnaird retail park, Edinburgh, with my son of 8 months and his parental grandmother. The events that followed soon escalated a minor complaint into a major concern.

On the shop floor (last aisle of the store, in front of the pre-school Fisher Price and Bruin branded toys) a member of staff was seeking passage through to the store front pulling a trolley. On this trolley stood, on its end and standing approximately 7 feet high, a child’s slide, both metal frame and plastic slide. On negotiating passage through the customers the slide toppled and fell. Despite the best efforts of his grandmother to stop the slide falling, my son was struck in the face by the falling slide.

I immediately challenged “Andy D.” for not having the slide tethered to the frame of the trolley (which had high handles at either end but no sides). He said “we don’t have any” and after a short retort from me suggesting he should go and get some he carried on to the shop front with his unstable load. "Andy D." apologised for the accident.

My son was unhurt, apart from a small scratch near his left eye. The incident was reported to customer services and an accident report lodged. My report was to be a minor suggestion about work practice. What I was told shocked me to the very core.

“We are not allowed to buy tethers”. “We have no budget to buy stuff like that”. “Head office make the rules”. “You probably think this is a poor excuse”. Only one of those quotes I totally agree with. I was at a loss to hear that the store has no budget to buy safety equipment. Even after being challenged about the safety of his actions a member of staff continued to carry goods in unsafe manner. “Andy D.” struggled getting through the till area, with the slide almost toppling a second time, AFTER being challenged, AFTER being told to get a tether, AFTER my son was struck.

I consider my son lucky, had his pushchair not taken the main impact of the slide as it fell his injury could have been much worse.

We all make mistakes, it’s how we deal with them that matters. In this incident it was the failure of “Andy D.” to seek help after an incident, and the pathetic excuses offered by customer services and a total reluctance to take any responsibility that suggest Toys R Us need to look at safe working practices and increase the priority given to safety.

For the sake of a few pounds for a tether strap for each trolley this is wholly unforgivable. What started as a minor incident has uncovered a wholesale disregard for safety, which I will not let lie.

I would like your views on whether this is a reportable accident under The Reporting of injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995, and I will verify them with the Health and Safety Executive.

Time of accident: ~ 12:10 Saturday 19 May 2007.