Spotlight on health and safety in the region's care homes

HSE/NE/202/09 27 May 2009

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has joined forces with local authorities (LAs) across Yorkshire and the North East to ensure that health and safety is a top priority for some of the region's most vulnerable people and the staff who care for them.

In February residential and nursing care homes around the region were invited to attend health and safety awareness events in Doncaster, York and Durham. The events focussed on some of the everyday risks for residents and those working in the homes.

As a follow up to these events, HSE and LA inspectors will be carrying out a series of unannounced inspections within the Yorkshire and North East region over the next six months.

Health and safety issues relating to hot water, hot surfaces, unguarded windows, Legionella, manual handling, latex, bed rails and migrant workers will be high on the agenda when the inspections take place. Owners and managers can expect strong enforcement action if they are found to be contravening health and safety regulations.

Over the last two years, there have been 34 fatal accidents to service users, several of which resulted in prosecution. In addition, there have been significant numbers of injuries to employees with 4,503 incidents reported in accordance with RIDDOR 2006/07 (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations).

The most common causes of injury to employees were attributed to handling (34%), physical assault (24%) and slips and trips (21%). The most common major injury to the public arose from trips and falls (45%).

Chris Flint, HSE Principal Inspector said: "Inspectors from HSE and the local authorities will be visiting care homes and focusing on the most important health and safety issues for staff and residents. 

"They will be visiting some homes who sent staff to the events in Durham, Doncaster and York to see how they have been able to put into practice what they have learned.  However, most of the inspections will be at homes that didn't send anyone to the events to help ensure that they have control measures in place for the most serious health and safety issues."

Notes to editors

National statistics for fatalities and injuries relating to the care home industry are detailed below:

1. Please note, HSE is responsible for inspecting nursing care homes and Local Authorities inspect those which are non-nursing.
2. Information relating to health and safety issues affecting the care homes industry can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/index.htm.
3. Advice and information about controlling Legionella can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/index.htm.
4. Information on some of the risk areas inspected in care homes, such as bed rails, can be found at www.hse.gov.uk/lau/lacs/79-8.htm.

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Issued on behalf of HSE by COI News and Pr North East