WorkSafe to revisit Mt Albert Aquatic Centre hydroslide after second serious injury

A person’s finger was ripped off after their ring became caught on a hydro slide at a popular public pool in Auckland. Photo / Mt Albert Aquatic Centre

A WorkSafe inspector is returning to an Auckland swimming pool facility following a second serious injury on its hydroslide.

The regulator said it would conduct a site visit at the Mt Albert Aquatic Centre later this month after a boy smashed his teeth on the slide just days after a WorkSafe inspection for a separate incident.

Last week, the Herald reported a man’s finger was ripped off after his ring snagged on a bolt at the slide’s entrance on December 27.

A WorkSafe spokesperson said it carried out an inspection on the slide two days later and that “improvements had been made”.

“The offending screws had been removed and there was a system in place to minimise the risk to participants.”

However, on January 2, a 12-year-old boy smashed his front teeth on a joint connector inside the slide.

Mason Rusher suffered nerve damage, a chipped tooth, and was told he may suffer lifelong dental damage.

Mason’s mother, Tanya Rusher, told the Herald the family paid $289 at two emergency dental appointments after the accident.

She said that she was unimpressed by the response of pool staff whom she said “couldn’t have cared less”.

“At no point did anyone shut the slide in regards to blood or the tooth floating around,” Rusher said.

Mason Rusher was told he would have lifelong dental problems after smashing his teeth on a hydroslide at Mt Albert Aquatic Centre. Photo / Supplied

WorkSafe said, “We are now also aware of reported injuries to a 12-year-old boy on January 2.”

A spokesperson said the watchdog planned to revisit the Mt Albert pools this month to assess whether the facility’s health and safety systems were compliant with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

“If further health and safety concerns are identified by the inspector during this assessment, further intervention may be required.”

Auckland Council and Community Leisure Management (CLM), which operates the pool on the council’s behalf, earlier acknowledged the distress Mason’s injuries caused to his family.

CLM director and general manager of operations Kirsty Knowles said staff followed the correct procedure when responding to the incident.

Knowles said improved signage around the slide would be installed within a week.

Auckland Council head of service partner delivery Garth Dawson said the slide had been inspected twice since August and that the council would work with the slide manufacturer and CLM to rectify any issues arising from the latest incident.