Ikea fined £75,000 after toddler loses two fingers in store accident

Published on 04/06/2012 01:49

IKEA has been fined £75,000 after a toddler had two fingers sliced off in a store travelator.

The two-year-old boy was holding his father’s hand while standing on the travelator when he lost his balance on the down slope.

As he fell, he put his hand down and it became trapped between the skirting and pallets treads, which acted as a guillotine. The gap was bigger than the legal limit of four millimetres.

The boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was rushed to hospital and underwent emergency surgery.

Both fingers were amputated about halfway down after the 2007 accident in the store in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.

The flat pack specialists admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.