Warning to parents: Washing machine door shatters, injuring little boy’s face and hands

Apr 28, 2023

A little boy was injured when the glass of a washing machine door shattered and left deep cuts on his face and hands — sparking a warning to other parents.

"(Please) keep your children away from washing machines," UK-based mother Tory Johnston posted on Facebook recently.

The distraught mum said she was cooking dinner while her little boy, Marley, was watching the washing machine "go round like he always does" when she heard a "bang".

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"I turned around and watched the glass shatter all over my baby's face and hands," she said.

Johnston, who added she had a Beko washing machine, posted photos of the aftermath of the incident showing shards of glass and drops of blood on the floor.

Photos also showed blood covering the baby's face, neck and hands.

"His lacerations are so bad that he is being taken to surgery," she said.

"Please keep your little ones away from the front of your machines. This could (have) killed my precious baby."

Johnston said she was speaking up to "raise awareness" of the incident.

The Facebook post drew attention, gathering thousands of comments expressing concern and confusion over the incident.

"OMG how scary, hope the baby is OK — how the hell did it shatter like that," someone said.

"I hope your little one is doing OK, I have shared as it could kill someone else's baby, I hope (you’re) doing OK (too)," another said.

"That's horrific, I hope baby's better soon," someone said.

Others were quick to point out that similar incidents have happened with their own washing machines.

"God bless her, that happened to my washing machine literally only me got hurt a piece of glass in my leg but why does this happen because it wasn't overloaded and there was only a little bit in the wash," someone commented.

"Speedy recovery little one. I remember my washing machine went like this luckily no one was hurt," another replied.

"The same thing happened to my washing machine ... luckily the kids (weren't) near it as (they) always (used) to be. Hope he's feeling better (soon), thinking of you all," someone said.

A Which? investigation in 2016 revealed hundreds of cases of washing machine doors exploding, citing that two in five were Beko machines.

The investigation found 280 reports of washing machine glass doors cracking or shattering since 2010, and 115 of those were Beko washing machines.

Beko, which also retails in Australia, said the issue was "extremely rare".

"Out of more than three million washing machines sold by Beko since 2010, there have been 115 reported incidents, less than 0.003 (per cent)," Beko told Which?.

Beko has been approached for comment.

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