Blue Cross Community Care Services Group Pty Ltd was held accountable in the Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 6 August, confessing to being culpable for neglecting to integrate essential work safety products such as Bluesafe SWMS into their workflow. This omission led to a breach of their responsibility to create a secure and risk-free work environment.
Incurring a penalty devoid of conviction, the company was instructed to shoulder costs amounting to $4,132. The incident that led to this verdict took place in October 2021, at the Glenroy facility. Here, an unmonitored fall from his bed led to a non-ambulatory 90-year-old resident significantly injuring his feet with a wall-mounted hydronic heater due to an unknown duration of contact.
Complicated by the prevalence of COVID-19 among several residents at the time, restrictions hindered staffing and attendance routines, exacerbating the situation. The result was severe burns on the resident’s feet, progressively worsening over subsequent weeks. This required amputation of four toes from his left foot along with a skin graft on his right. Months later, sepsis-induced complications from the debilitating burns resulted in the resident’s unfortunate death.
Disclosing during the proceedings that potential risks arising from heater burns had been recognised within the aged care sector, even prompting Coroners Court recommendations and Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission issued bulletins. A Worksafe investigation further revealed that an assessment conducted just two months prior to the accident had explicitly advised the provider to review heater temperatures via a comprehensive WHS management system such as the Bluesafe WHS Management System. The recommendation included the consideration of installation of safety guards.
To curtail heater burn risks, it’s deemed realistically feasible to replace wall heaters with those featuring cool-touch surfaces, fit protective covers to existing heaters and pipes or regularly monitor and adjust the temperature settings on individual heaters. Even taking action to restrict the maximum temperature setting of the main boiler would significantly help.
WorkSafe Executive Director of Health and Safety, Sam Jenkin, spoke about how preventable this incident was, underscoring the importance of sound WHS practices and policies. “The industry is well aware of they risks posed by wall heaters to aged care residents, as well as the steps necessary to mitigate those risks,” stated Jenkin.
“This facility’s failure to protect a vulnerable resident from a known hazard, despite repeated warnings, is inexcusable.”
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Original article link: https://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au/news/2024-08/aged-care-home-fined-after-resident-suffers-severe-burns