Overview
- St John assessed about 40 people at the Woolston centre, transporting five children and two employees to Christchurch Hospital, with one initially in serious condition.
- Patients sustained chemical burns with blistering, were decontaminated at the scene, and were then taken for further treatment.
- Fire and Emergency described the substance as a corrosive steriliser product that was mistaken for detergent and applied to a slip-and-slide.
- Eighteen St John units responded, including nine ambulances and a Major Incident Support Team vehicle, and a hazmat unit was deployed as a precaution.
- Kindercare says it will conduct a full internal investigation and WorkSafe has opened a formal probe, while some parents reported they were not notified directly by the centre.