Aged Care Provider Fined $150k Over COVID-19 Training Failures

St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Victoria has been fined $150,000 in the Melbourne County Court after pleading guilty to failing to provide employees with the information, instruction and training necessary to work safely and without risks to health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The court heard that St Basil’s employed 106 workers across a 54-bed hostel, a 72-bed nursing home and a 24-bed dementia unit.

In March 2020, the Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA) issued guidelines aimed at preventing and controlling COVID-19 transmission in residential aged care facilities. The guidelines covered recognising COVID-19 symptoms, routes of transmission, appropriate selection and use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and clearly assigning responsibility for ensuring staff were trained and competent in outbreak management.

The court was told that St Basil’s updated its infection control plans and placed written pandemic resources in the staff room and main office. Between March and June 2020, some workers received information on PPE use during five COVID-19 training sessions delivered by external medical practitioners, or via shift handovers and at the start of shifts.

However, a significant number of workers did not attend any of the training sessions. St Basil’s admitted that it failed to ensure all staff received information, instruction and training on the required PPE items, the correct sequence and method for donning and doffing PPE, and how to identify a suspected or confirmed COVID-19 case requiring PPE to be worn.

In July 2020, a personal care attendant who had worked the previous day notified St Basil’s that they had tested positive for COVID-19. The court heard that, following this, 45 workers at the facility contracted COVID-19.

WorkSafe Chief Health and Safety Officer Sam Jenkin said that ensuring every employee understands how to manage health and safety risks is critical to protecting workers, residents and visitors.

Mr Jenkin emphasised that training is a core duty under work health and safety obligations, not an optional add-on. He said employers must provide suitable information, instruction and supervision to all workers, regardless of how frequently they attend the workplace or how often they encounter a particular hazard.

He described the events at St Basil’s as a heartbreaking reminder of the consequences when health and safety controls, including comprehensive training, are not fully implemented. He also extended condolences to the families and loved ones affected by the outbreak.

This case highlights the importance for aged care providers and other high-risk workplaces to maintain robust WHS management systems, supported by clear policies, procedures and documented training programs. Employers should ensure that critical risk areas such as infection prevention and control, PPE use and outbreak management are embedded into their safety management framework and regularly reviewed for effectiveness. Resources such as structured WHS management systems and policy frameworks, like those available at BlueSafe Online, can assist organisations to meet their legal duties and improve safety outcomes.