During October 1977, a small Blantyre boy narrowly escaped injury when a 2 cwt. dentist’s light fell on to the chair on which he was sitting!
The youngster missed being hit by the lamp only because of his size, but the chair was badly damaged.
The incident happened in the new Blantyre Health Centre. Afterwards an examination was made of other similar lights. Two were found to be in a similar faulty condition, in Hamilton and East Kilbride.
Mr. Charles Downie, the Dental Administrator, explained what happened to reporters. “It was a new special light hanging from the ceiling. The light itself, weighing about 2 cwt., was fixed to the ceiling attachment by a split pin. The pin was not properly attached, resting only in the groove. We still don’t know quite how it fell.”
He went on: “It could have been very serious indeed.” Engineers ended up studying the metal to see what was the exact cause of the accident but could not determine if it was the maker’s fault or an installation fault. Mr Downie was not sure either and took time to reassure patients in Blantyre that there was no further need for worry or cause for concern when ‘sitting in the chair’.
Pictured in 2001 is the old Health centre, shortly before demolition.
