Victorian hospital faces charges over aged care resident chair incident

Victorian Hospital Faces Charges Over Aged Care Resident Chair Incident

A Victorian hospital faces charges under the OHS Act after an aged care resident died following a reclining chair incident in October 2021. WorkSafe has charged Benalla Health after the elderly woman fell when the back of the chair detached as a worker attempted to move it.

The 93-year-old aged care resident fractured her rib during the fall and succumbed to her injuries a week later.

What Happened During the Incident?

WorkSafe accuses the hospital of failing to ensure chairs used for transporting residents were regularly maintained. This type of equipment failure highlights ongoing concerns around maintenance obligations across residential care settings, home care providers, and broader support services within the aged care sector.

Reclining chairs, wheelchairs, and other mobility equipment form part of daily operations in aged care facilities. When such equipment isn't properly inspected, residents face serious risk—as tragically demonstrated in this case.

Court Proceedings and Next Steps

The aged care provider will appear before Melbourne County Court next month to face the charges. If convicted, the hospital could face a significant fine under Victorian OHS legislation.

This case follows similar incidents where organisations providing care services have faced legal consequences for failing to maintain safe equipment standards. For more context on related enforcement actions, read our coverage of a Melbourne aged care home facing charges over a COVID-19 outbreak.

Why Equipment Maintenance Matters in Aged Care

Aged care residents often rely on specialised chairs and mobility equipment for daily support. Facilities offering residential care, home care, or community-based services must implement rigorous maintenance schedules to protect vulnerable residents.

Key equipment maintenance practices for aged care providers should include:

• Regular inspection schedules for all mobility and transport equipment
• Documented maintenance records for chairs and other resident-use equipment
• Staff training on identifying equipment faults before use
• Prompt removal of faulty equipment from service until repairs are completed
• Clear incident reporting processes when equipment failures occur

Organisations delivering aged care services can strengthen their safety frameworks using resources such as our Care Services SWMS, which outlines safe work method statements tailored to residential and community care environments.

Supporting Safer Aged Care Through Documentation

Proper documentation underpins accountability across aged care services. Facilities can reduce risk exposure by adopting structured incident management systems, such as our Incident Reporting Policy, which supports consistent reporting when equipment or resident safety incidents occur.

Victorian providers seeking further guidance may also benefit from our OHS Manual – Victorian Version, designed to help organisations meet state-specific obligations for resident and worker support.

Additionally, our Incident Management checklists, forms, and registers provide practical tools for tracking equipment faults and near-misses before they escalate into serious harm.

Related Safety News

This incident adds to a growing body of safety news involving aged care and support services across Australia. Similar enforcement news has emerged from other sectors, including our report on a construction company facing charges over a workplace incident at Rottnest Island, and coverage of Defence facing charges over a fatal crash.

For Victorian organisations managing recordkeeping obligations, our OHS Recording Centre – Victorian Version offers additional information to help maintain compliant records across care equipment and incident histories.

Key Takeaways

• A Victorian hospital faces charges after an aged care resident died following a chair-related incident.
• WorkSafe alleges the hospital failed to maintain chairs used to transport residents.
• The matter will proceed through Melbourne County Court next month.
• Robust equipment maintenance and incident reporting services remain critical safeguards for aged care providers.

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