BlueSafe
Aged Care Safety Risk Assessment

Aged Care Safety Risk Assessment

  • • 100% Compliant with Australian WHS Acts & Regulations
  • • Fully Editable MS Word & PDF Formats Included
  • • Pre-filled Content – Ready to Deploy Immediately
  • • Customisable – Easily Add Your Logo & Site Details
  • • Includes 2 Years of Free Compliance Updates

Aged Care Safety Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisation-wide risks associated with Aged Care operations using this comprehensive Aged Care Safety Risk Assessment, designed as a management-level tool for planning, policy, systems and governance review. Strengthen WHS Risk Management, demonstrate Due Diligence under the WHS Act, and protect your service from operational and legal liability across residential, respite and community care settings.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • Governance, WHS Duties & Safety Leadership: Assessment of board, executive and management responsibilities, safety culture, consultation arrangements and the integration of WHS into clinical and organisational governance.
  • WHS Risk Management System: Evaluation of policies, procedures, risk registers, hazard identification, risk assessment and control processes across all aged care activities and environments.
  • Resident Mobility, Transfer & Manual Handling Management: Management of resident handling plans, mobility assessments, equipment selection and safe systems of work to minimise musculoskeletal injury to workers and harm to residents.
  • Operation & Maintenance of Lifts & Hoisting Equipment: Controls for selection, inspection, preventative maintenance, safe operation, isolation and compliance of platform lifts, hoists and related mechanical aids.
  • Wheelchair Accessibility, Built Environment & Transport Interface: Assessment of building design, ramps, doorways, floor surfaces, vehicle access, pick-up/drop-off zones and transport handover processes for residents and visitors.
  • Workforce Competency, Training & Supervision: Systems for induction, competency assessment, refresher training, clinical skills, equipment use and supervisory arrangements for permanent, agency and casual staff.
  • Safe Staffing Levels, Fatigue & Workload Management: Review of staffing models, shift patterns, overtime, workload allocation, fatigue risks and escalation processes to maintain safe resident care and worker wellbeing.
  • Equipment Procurement, Maintenance & Asset Management: Protocols for selection, purchase, commissioning, inspection, servicing and lifecycle management of clinical, mobility and environmental equipment.
  • Medication, Cognitive Impairment & Behavioural Risk Interface: Management of risks arising from sedation, polypharmacy, dementia, delirium and behavioural and psychological symptoms impacting worker and resident safety.
  • Emergency Preparedness, Evacuation & Continuity of Care: Planning for fire, medical emergencies, missing residents, power loss, natural disasters and infectious disease outbreaks, including drills and business continuity.
  • Incident Reporting, Investigation & Continuous Improvement: Systems for capturing incidents and near misses, root cause analysis, corrective actions, trend analysis and feedback into governance and quality programs.
  • Contractor, Volunteer & Transport Partner Management: Controls for selection, induction, supervision and performance monitoring of contractors, volunteers, transport providers and other third-party service partners.
  • Psychosocial Hazards, Violence, Aggression & Distress: Assessment of occupational violence, resident and family aggression, emotional demands, trauma exposure, bullying and harassment, and support mechanisms for staff.
  • Information Management, Communication & Documentation: Management of care plans, handover processes, clinical records, WHS documentation, communication pathways and privacy considerations affecting safe care delivery.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Aged Care Providers, Facility Managers, Clinical Care Managers, Business Owners and Safety Managers responsible for planning, governing and monitoring safe aged care operations across residential, home and community care services.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. Governance, WHS Duties and Safety Leadership
  • • Board and executives not fully aware of WHS Act 2011 primary duty of care and officer due diligence obligations
  • • Lack of clear WHS strategic plan for aged care operations and community transport assistance
  • • Inadequate integration of WHS with clinical governance and quality systems
  • • Poor safety culture where staff accept risk as “part of the job” when assisting physically impaired members
  • • No defined safety roles, responsibilities and accountabilities for managers, supervisors and workers
  • • Insufficient consultation with workers, residents, families and wheelchair users on WHS matters
2. WHS Risk Management System
  • • Absence of a formal, documented WHS risk management procedure
  • • Inconsistent identification and assessment of risks related to mobility, lifting, transfers and wheelchair transport
  • • Failure to consider vulnerable residents (cognitive decline, behavioural issues, bariatric, high falls risk) in risk profiling
  • • Infrequent review of risk assessments for assistive equipment and platform lifts
  • • No systematic approach to capture, review and act on near misses in mobility and transfer incidents
  • • Risk registers not maintained, or not specific to each facility and community transport context
3. Resident Mobility, Transfer and Manual Handling Management
  • • Inadequate assessment of resident mobility and transfer needs, including wheelchair dependence
  • • Generic or outdated manual handling care plans that do not reflect current functional status
  • • Over-reliance on staff physical strength rather than engineered solutions (hoists, transfer aids, platform lifts)
  • • Insufficient supervision when new or agency staff assist with complex transfers and wheelchair manoeuvres
  • • Lack of standard procedures for escorting residents in wheelchairs through doorways, ramps and uneven surfaces
  • • Failure to consider residents with challenging behaviours or cognitive impairment during transfers
  • • Inadequate management of bariatric residents requiring specialised equipment
4. Operation and Maintenance of Platform Lifts and Hoisting Equipment
  • • Platform lifts for wheelchair users not installed or certified in accordance with applicable Australian Standards
  • • Lack of scheduled preventative maintenance and inspection regime for platform lifts and hoists
  • • Bypassing of safety interlocks, gates or emergency stop devices on lifts
  • • Inadequate pre-use checks by staff, leading to use of faulty or poorly adjusted equipment
  • • Uncontrolled use by untrained staff, family members or transport volunteers
  • • Absence of emergency response procedures for lift failure, entrapment or power outage
  • • Inadequate segregation of lift operating areas from other pedestrian and vehicle movements
5. Wheelchair Accessibility, Built Environment and Transport Interface
  • • Facility entrances, corridors, ramps and doorways not compliant with accessibility standards for wheelchair users
  • • Inadequate design or maintenance of ramps, handrails, kerb cuts and thresholds creating trip, slip and tip hazards
  • • Insufficient space for safe wheelchair turning and passing in corridors, lift lobbies and transport loading areas
  • • Poor integration between facility access points and vehicles with lifts or ramps (uneven surfaces, steep gradients, limited lighting)
  • • Lack of designated safe set-down and pick-up zones for vehicles transporting physically impaired members
  • • Inadequate signage, line marking and wayfinding for wheelchair routes
6. Workforce Competency, Training and Supervision
  • • Staff, volunteers and contractors not adequately trained in assisting physically impaired members and wheelchair users
  • • Inconsistent induction processes for new starters, agency staff and transport drivers
  • • Limited understanding of WHS responsibilities, safe systems of work and reporting requirements
  • • Insufficient supervision of inexperienced staff during complex care, transfers and lift operation
  • • No structured competency assessment for manual handling, mobility aids and platform lifts
  • • Failure to account for language, literacy and cognitive barriers in training materials
7. Safe Staffing Levels, Fatigue and Workload Management
  • • Inadequate staffing ratios leading to rushed care, shortcuts and unsafe transfers
  • • Reliance on single-worker assistance where two-person support is required for safe wheelchair transfers or lift use
  • • Excessive overtime and double shifts leading to fatigue-related errors
  • • Poor rostering practices that fail to match staff skill mix to resident acuity and mobility needs
  • • Insufficient break scheduling contributing to musculoskeletal strain and reduced attentiveness
  • • Over-reliance on a small number of “go-to” staff for high-risk mobility support tasks
8. Equipment Procurement, Maintenance and Asset Management
  • • Procurement of unsuitable or low-quality mobility equipment, wheelchairs, lifts and transfer aids
  • • Lack of standardisation across equipment types, leading to confusion and misuse
  • • Ineffective preventative maintenance and inspection systems for mobility and lifting equipment
  • • Equipment not promptly removed from service when faulty, missing parts or beyond service life
  • • Poor management of spare parts (brakes, tyres, footrests, batteries) for wheelchairs and lifts
  • • Failure to consult end-users (staff and residents) when selecting equipment
9. Medication, Cognitive Impairment and Behavioural Risk Interface
  • • Medication side effects (dizziness, hypotension, confusion) increasing falls and transfer risks
  • • Cognitive impairment leading to unpredictable movements during transfers or while using wheelchairs
  • • Behavioural disturbances or aggression impacting safe use of lifts and mobility equipment
  • • Inadequate communication of behavioural risk factors to staff involved in transport and physical assistance
  • • Lack of strategies to manage wandering or exit-seeking behaviour in proximity to ramps, stairs and vehicle zones
10. Emergency Preparedness, Evacuation and Continuity of Care
  • • Lack of comprehensive emergency plans that account for immobile residents and wheelchair users
  • • Insufficient evacuation aids (evacuation chairs, sleds, bariatric devices) for limited-mobility residents
  • • Unclear roles and responsibilities during fire, lift failure or external emergencies affecting transport
  • • Inadequate training and drills for staff on evacuating residents who rely on wheelchairs or platform lifts
  • • Failure to plan for loss of power affecting lifts, hoists and powered mobility devices
  • • Poor coordination with emergency services regarding site layout and resident mobility profiles
11. Incident Reporting, Investigation and Continuous Improvement
  • • Under-reporting of falls, near misses, lift incidents and wheelchair-related events
  • • Superficial incident investigations that fail to identify root causes and system failures
  • • Lack of feedback to staff on investigation outcomes and corrective actions
  • • Poor integration between clinical incident management and WHS incident processes
  • • Failure to track and trend incidents related to manual handling, lifts and accessibility
  • • Delayed implementation or verification of corrective and preventive actions
12. Contractor, Volunteer and Transport Partner Management
  • • External transport providers not meeting organisation’s WHS and accessibility standards for wheelchair users
  • • Contractors and volunteers unaware of site-specific risks, emergency procedures and mobility support protocols
  • • Inconsistent verification of licences, competencies and insurances for transport and lift service providers
  • • Poor coordination between facility staff and external drivers when transferring residents to and from vehicles
  • • Lack of clear expectations regarding use of wheelchair restraints, ramps and vehicle-mounted lifts
13. Psychosocial Hazards, Violence, Aggression and Distress
  • • Exposure of staff to resident or visitor aggression during personal care, transfers or wheelchair assistance
  • • Emotional distress for residents during lifting, transfers or use of platform lifts, particularly for those with trauma histories
  • • Work-related stress from high emotional demands, time pressure and repeated exposure to deteriorating health
  • • Bullying or poor communication within teams impacting safe coordination during transfers
  • • Lack of support and debriefing following serious incidents involving physically impaired members
14. Information Management, Communication and Documentation
  • • Inaccurate or outdated care plans and mobility profiles leading to inappropriate assistance or equipment use
  • • Fragmented documentation systems between nursing, allied health, transport and maintenance services
  • • Critical information about wheelchair requirements, lift restrictions or behavioural risks not communicated at shift handover
  • • Reliance on undocumented “local knowledge” rather than formal records
  • • Insufficient visibility of temporary changes in resident status (e.g. post-fall, post-surgery) affecting transfers

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

Don't worry if a specific hazard isn't listed above. Once you purchase, simply log in to your Client Portal and add your own custom hazards at no extra cost. We take care of the hard work—creating the risk ratings and control measures for free—to ensure your document is compliant within minutes.

Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • Aged Care Act 1997 (Cth) & Aged Care Quality Standards: Governance, consumer dignity, personal and clinical care, and organisational service delivery.
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines
  • AS/NZS 4801 / ISO 45001 (OHS Management Systems): Occupational health and safety management systems — requirements and guidance for use.
  • Safe Work Australia – How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks Code of Practice: Practical guidance on risk management duties.
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice: Requirements for safe workplaces, including aged care environments.
  • Safe Work Australia – Manual Tasks Code of Practice: Guidance on managing risks from hazardous manual tasks in healthcare and aged care.
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice: Controls for falls risks affecting residents, visitors and workers.
  • AS 3745: Planning for emergencies in facilities — emergency response and evacuation planning.
  • AS 3003: Electrical installations — Patient areas: Requirements for electrical safety in clinical and care environments.
  • Relevant State/Territory Healthcare and Aged Care Guidelines: Local regulatory requirements for clinical and WHS risk management in aged care settings.
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

$79.5

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