Mum’s heartbreaking warning after treadmill accident leaves son hospitalised
Mum’s treadmill safety plea: “I would never want this to happen to any of you.”
A US mum has taken to Instagram to alert families to the risks of home treadmills after her son, Crew, was rushed to hospital with severe burns.
“Crew suffered severe burns from a treadmill accident on both his forearms and his right leg while at a friends house. They took us in an ambulance to the Burn Unit at University of Utah Hospital and we have been here ever since, and will be here for at least a few weeks 😭 He had surgery Tuesday morning to perform skin grafts, and will have more done again tomorrow,” wrote mum-of-four, Latisha Springer.
Because the family doesn’t own a treadmill, Crew had no idea how dangerous the moving belt could be. His mum soon learned he wasn’t alone.
“They told us here at the burn unit that they treat a lot of kids for serious treadmill burns. So please take this as awareness and talk to your kids about the dangers of a treadmill.”
Treadmill safety for kids
Young children are most at risk of injury from treadmills. Most injuries happen when a baby or toddler moves to the back of the treadmill where they are out of sight and either touch the moving belt or gets their hand caught under it.
Treadmill injuries can include:
• Severe friction burns (these can take many months to heal and may even require a skin graft)
• Bruising and abrasions
• Blunt trauma
• Amputation.
“As parents, we know that accidents can happen in the blink of an eye and often when we least expect it. Having safety measures in place can help minimise this risk and help keep children safe in and around the home,” says Head of the Burns Unit at Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Dr Torey Lawrence.
Treadmill safety checklist
- Use when kids aren’t in the room (or place a play‑pen barrier around the machine).
- Always unplug after exercise and store the safety key out of reach.
- Choose models with protective covers and an auto‑stop switch.
- Always supervise older children if they are using a treadmill.
- Store your treadmill away from children’s reach.
