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May/June 2023 issue

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Healthcare
News

Council fined for violent mother’s assault on social workers

Open-access content Friday 1st December 2017
From the archive:  Just so you know, this article is more than 3 years old.

Council fined for violent mother's assault on social workers

Two London Borough of Brent social workers visited the child's home on 21 July 2015 to carry out a safety plan assessment when the incident happened.

As they were taking notes, the mother struck both social workers over the head with a metal object. One of the workers was knocked temporarily unconscious and later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Both received serious wounds to the head.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the local authority had failed to follow its corporate lone working policy or guidance on violence and aggression. No risk assessment was completed and staff were not adequately trained. The council also failed to add an aggression marker to the child's file to make the social workers aware of the hazards posed by the mother who was known to have a history of violence.

London Borough of Brent pleaded guilty to breaching s 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The council was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £10,918 in costs at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 29 November.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Neil Fry commented: "Violent and aggressive incidents are the third biggest cause of injuries reported to HSE from the health and social care sector.

"The local authority in this case failed to adhere to and implement its own systems and procedure for the management of lone working and violence and aggression against social workers. This risk could have been reduced in a number of ways, including carrying out the visit in a controlled environment, such as the local social workers' office."

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 Hospital’s poor patient protection leads to £333,000 fine for NHS Trust

Thursday 30th November 2017
The patients, aged between 72 and 92, sustained fatal injuries after falling while in the care of hospitals run by the trust. Four fell at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford; the fifth died of injuries at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. The deaths took place between June 2011 and November 2012.The HSE found a lack of close supervision of those in a confused mental state. Investigating officers found poor communication about the measures to stop frail patients falling had made the situation worse.
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 Alberta law would let workers refuse unsafe work

Monday 4th December 2017
If passed, Bill 30: An Act to Protect the Health and Wellbeing of Working Albertans would protect those who refuse dangerous work from reprisal, including the loss of compensation or benefits. It would also ensure they are educated on potential workplace hazards.
Open-access content
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 IOSH 2017: Day 1

Monday 20th November 2017
The strongest came from IOSH chief executive Bev Messinger who launched the conference with an overview of progress on the WORK 2022 strategy that aims to improve safety and health standards worldwide by collaboration and influence. As an aside to an overview of IOSH’s aims for its WORK 2022 strategy which aims to help cut the estimated work-related death toll of 2.78 million a year by collaborating with and influencing bodies worldwide, Messinger told delegates her brother-in-law had been killed in a workplace accident on 12 October.
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 *UPDATE* Healthcare co served enforcement notice to increase OH staffing

Thursday 16th November 2017
As we previously reported, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched an investigation into Ramsay Health Care (UK) Operations after an employee reported concerns in June 2014 about how its internal occupational health (OH) service was run.
Open-access content

 Multinationals plan 5.4% EHS spending rise in 2018

Monday 13th November 2017
Multinational businesses plan an average 5.4% increase in their environment, health and safety (EHS) budgets next year, according to new research by technology consultants Verdantix. A survey of 382 EHS directors in 31 countries found that 35% of respondents expect to increase spending on safety measures, while only 20% plan to raise investment in curbing greenhouse gas emissions.The survey covers EHS directors in businesses with annual revenues of at least $250 million (£191 million), including ConocoPhillips, BP and Rolls-Royce.
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 ISO now plans February launch for ISO 45001

Friday 10th November 2017
The publication, which is earlier than many predicted, will only happen if the ballot due on 25 January is successful, says the ISO communiqué. The working group that is part of ISO/PC 283 – the project committee developing the standard – met in Malacca City in Malaysia from 18-23 September to discuss the 1,600 comments submitted earlier this year to the public consultation on the second draft standard, DIS2.DIS2 was subject to a ballot of 69 national standards bodies in May and June and produced a result of 88% in favour of approving the latest draft.
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