Death of a residential care user

Death of a Residential Care User Left Alone in the Bath

A company providing community residential support services to people with intellectual disabilities has been sentenced over the 2016 death of an intellectually disabled person in their care.

Investigations by WorkSafe NZ into the incident found adequate policies and procedures had not been implemented to manage the hazard of bathing vulnerable service users in its care.

What Went Wrong

WorkSafe New Zealand's message is clear: drowning risk in the bath must be identified and assessed, with appropriate controls put in place to protect the health and safety of vulnerable users. Having a control plan on paper serves no purpose if a business fails to implement it in practice.

Support workers and care providers are expected to translate written procedures into daily routines, particularly when assisting a person with limited mobility or cognitive impairment during bathing. Robust care services SOPs help ensure this kind of oversight becomes standard practice rather than an afterthought.

This company had not learned from a previous incident in 2014, where a service user drowned after being left alone in the bath. The business was ordered to pay a fine of $425,000 and reparation of $75,000 to the victim's family.

Organisations delivering in-home or residential support should review their bathing and personal care procedures regularly. Reliable home care services safety packages and documented lifting and transfer procedures, such as patient handling safe work method statements, give support staff clear guidance for managing high-risk tasks safely.

The original media release can be found on the WorkSafe New Zealand website.

High Risk of Injury from Cranes and Lifting Equipment at Work

WorkSafe Queensland has put the spotlight on cranes and lifting equipment because of their potential to cause serious injury to workers, following a number of incidents this year at Queensland workplaces.

The risk of incidents involving cranes and lifting equipment has been broken down into five categories by WorkSafe Queensland, with practices identified to prevent future occurrences.

Five Broad Risk Categories

• Incorrect crane selection and siting
• Incorrect slinging and rigging techniques
• Loose objects falling from loads being lifted
• Loads colliding with adjacent structures or plant, causing items to dislodge and fall
• Equipment not being used in accordance with manufacturer's instructions

For further guidance, refer to the Tower Crane Code of Practice 2017 and Mobile Crane Code of Practice 2006, published by WorkSafe Queensland.

The original article is located on the WorkSafe Queensland website.

Related Reading

For more workplace safety insights, see our reports on the rising workplace death toll, why the workplace death toll rolls on, and how the death toll in the workplace continues to rise.