Safety audits at residential aged care facilities

Compliance checks will be carried out by SafeWork SA at residential aged care facilities across the state.

The checks will look at how staff are using equipment and other techniques to move residents with limited mobility from one location to another.

This could include transferring residents from a bed to a chair or bath, from a wheelchair to a toilet, or repositioning them in their bed.

“Residential aged care workers play a vital role in our community and it’s important to protect them from injury. Workers need the right skills, processes and equipment to move residents safely,” said Kyam Maher, Attorney-General of South Australia.

“The campaign will also help protect aged care facility residents who are particularly vulnerable.”

SafeWork SA inspectors will provide education, operational guides and checklists to ensure staff follow correct procedures.

Facilities found to be non-compliant may be issued with compliance notices to remedy the matter within a specified timeframe if it cannot be addressed while the inspectors are onsite.

“SafeWork SA will work with facilities so they can deliver long-term improvements to the way equipment is used to handle people,” said Glenn Farrell, Executive Director at SafeWork SA.

“The audit will focus on both educating the industry on their obligations and ensuring compliance, requiring any improvements to be implemented within specific timeframes.”

Equipment commonly used to move residents in aged care facilities includes ceiling hoists, patient lifters, stretchers, wheelchairs and slide sheets.

The long-term campaign will look at:

• staff having appropriate training
• equipment that is accessible and adequately maintained
• facilities adequately controlling risks associated with hazardous manual tasks.
   

It will also cover private and state-run residential aged care facilities throughout metropolitan and regional SA.

Manual handling of people continues to be a significant issue in the aged care industry.

“Lack of quality and sufficient equipment in the sector is a concern for our members,” said Donna Douglas, Lead Organiser – Aged Care, United Workers Union.

“Workload and not having enough staff to safely care for the residents is both dangerous and heartbreaking for our members.”

From 2019 to 2023, ReturnToWork SA received an average of 733 claims per year within residential care services, in particular aged care residential services.

The Australian Work Health and Safety Strategy 2023–2033 identifies health care and the social assistance industry as one of the six high-risk industries that contribute to 70% of fatalities and 58% of serious workers compensation claims.

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