Safety advice offered in a bid to bring down care home accidents

Date:

15 October 2009

Release No:

SCO/174/09

A health and safety seminar is taking place today, 15 October, in Falkirk for care home owners across central Scotland to help bring down the number of accidents.

In the past two years 977 work-related accidents, including one work-related death, have been reported in Scottish care homes and though the majority of injuries have been to employees, a number of care service users have also been hurt (see Notes to editors).

Those who attend will get advice on such topics as how to manage the risks of slips and trips, the moving and handling of people and other risks affecting those using the care home service.

The Care Commission will talk about the importance of maintaining good health and safety standards and the inspection process.

Tracy McTaggart of HSE said:

"This event in Falkirk was organised following the success of two similar seminars in Edinburgh and Lanakrshire. I am extremely encouraged by the interest shown - it demonstrates the industry's real desire to take its health and safety responsibilities seriously to protect its workforce and clients from accident and ill health.

"Even in well-run care homes accidents can and do still happen, some of which result in serious injury or even people losing their lives. Many of these can be avoided by taking simple steps to avoid slips, trips and falls or by lifting and moving loads correctly."

Stuart Mackenzie, the Care Commission's development manager for Adult Services Regulation, said:

"Good standards of care are not just defined by the personal experiences of individual users. The wider environment and surroundings in the care services that people live in are just as important when it comes to measuring the quality of care.

"We work closely with all providers to ensure that the National Care Standards are being met and both staff and people in care services are supported through the promotion of good risk management."

Notes to editors

1. In Scotland in 2007-08, across all industries 4081 people were injured and there were five fatalities at work, as a result of a slip, trip or fall, costing the country over £67 million. This accounted for nearly one third of all work related accidents in Scotland.
2. During the period 2006/07 and 2007/08 there were 202 injuries to care service users in Scottish care homes. The majority of these (51%) were due to Slips and trips, and 15% due to a low fall.
3. The Care Commission regulates a wide range of services for adults, children and independent healthcare, and provides healthcare advice. It ensures all registered care services in Scotland provide quality care services, and ensures that people who use care services, and their families and carers, know what to expect from good quality services.

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Issued by COI News and PR Scotland.