Little Dreams Nursery fined after infant burned by boiling bleach

Little Dreams Nursery in Aberdeen has been fined £7,500 after admitting to breaching health and safety regulations following an incident in November 2021. A 10-month-old boy sustained severe burns to his leg and forearm after tipping over an unattended bucket containing boiling water and bleach.

During court proceedings, the nursery admitted to having insufficient risk assessments and unsafe cleaning systems. The incident was described by Sheriff Harry Small as “entirely preventable and avoidable”.

Additional reports indicate that the nursery's manager, Nicola Park, received a 36-month warning from the Scottish Social Services Council after failing to call an ambulance immediately following the injury. The child's family, represented by Digby Brown Solicitors, described the incident as “indefensible” and expressed frustration that it took five years for the nursery to admit fault.