Dad in hospital after cut in swimming pool

Dec 18 2012 by Gavin McInally, Paisley Daily Express

A dad who temporarily lost sight in one eye after injuring himself at a public swimming pool is suing leisure bosses for damages.

The 48-year-old Barrhead man, who has asked not to be identified, sliced his finger open while showering during a trip to the pool with his three-year-old son.

First aid staff at Barrhead Sports Centre cleaned and bandaged the cut but just days later he was referred to the accident and emergency ward at Paisley Royal Alexandra Hospital where doctors told him an infection from the wound had spread to his eye.

The cellulitis – a bacterial skin infection – had flared up, temporarily leaving him without sight in one eye, but luckily doctors were able to treat the condition.

He said: “What happened to me was really quite shocking and the infection was pretty serious – I couldn’t see properly it had got so bad.

“I cut myself while using the shower because the metal bracket which is suppose to hold the pipes tight to the wall was loose which meant when I pushed the shower button my finger got jammed and cut open.

“It wasn’t a particularly bad cut although there was quite a lot of blood and I didn’t think too much about it after it had been reported to staff and I’d been bandaged up.

“But, a few days later, my eye had swollen up and doctors told me it was because the cut had become infected and through my bloodstream, had reached my eye.”

After discovering that another swimmer had also been cut using the same “dangerous” shower, the Barrhead dad decided to take legal action against East Renfrewshire Council.

He added: “When a friend of my wife heard about my injury she told us that she’d cut her finger exactly the same way on the same shower and had reported it to staff at the time, which was before I cut myself.

“So, if the staff had acted upon that information and spent 10 minutes fixing a bracket to the wall properly I’d never have cut myself or got that infection.

“What’s even more worrying is that I’ve been back to the pool several times since and as of last week it still wasn’t fixed.

“Considering the amount of young children who use the pool, it’s frightening to think that such a dangerous shower has been left for weeks.

“My hope is that it is fixed before some unlucky kid loses a finger while having a shower.”

An East Renfrewshire Council spokesman last night confirmed that they were aware of the incident. He said: “We are aware of this gentleman’s claim and it is currently being looked at by our insurers.”