Care Home Fails to Provide Safety to Worker
A care home was ordered to pay a sum of £12,500 as compensation to one of its employees, after a patient hit the latter, causing several injuries and loss of job.
The incident happened in September 2005, when 56-year-old Ms Hunt was alone in the dementia unit of Swan House care home, in Winslow in Buckinghamshire, and helping an old patient, Jack Tooby, to go to the toilet. He attacked her, but she somehow, rang the emergency alarm. However, the assault left her with trapped nerve, shoulder and neck problems, which made her unfit to lift anything. As a result, she was forced to leave her job.
She had worked there since 2002, but did not receive any training to protect her. The matter was settled out of court. Ms Hunt now works for people with learning disabilities.
David Thompson, from Thompsons Solicitors, felt that the employer in this case was fully responsible for the injury caused to the employee, because they never trained her to handle violent patients. Moreover, they were aware of his history, and should have placed him under better care.
Steve Brazier, Head of Health for UNISON’s South Eastern Region, was in favour of proper risk assessment to ensure better safety provisions for the care workers, as one in three cases of violence are reported every year. This is only an estimate to show the vulnerability of the workers. To tackle this problem; duties should be allotted based on the training of the workers, and the history of the patient they have to handle.
Accredited courses leading to the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health are designed to help those with health and safety responsibilities to carry out their duties at work more effectively and to protect the organisations for which they work. Click NEBOSH Training to learn more on the management of safety and health.