Ensuring a Safe Environment for the Workers-Need of the Hour
Ms. Hunt, of Winslow, in Buckinghamshire, who had been working in the Swan house care home since 2002, faced physical assault by an elderly patient Jack Tooby in September 2005. She was alone in the dementia unit and was assisting a patient to go to the toilet when the incident took place. Though she managed to alert a colleague, she suffered a trapped nerve and neck and shoulder injuries.
Jack Tooby was a patient known to have violent tendencies. Neither did the care home train its personnel to deal with such patients nor did they take into account the risk that they are posing on their employees. This is the opinion expressed by Jack Thompson of Thompson solicitors. He says that the care home displayed negligent behaviour in not creating a safe environment for Ms. Hunt. As a result of her injuries, Ms. Hunt could no longer continue in her career and had to shift to helping adults with learning problems.
The Head of Health of UNISON’s South Eastern Region, Steve Brazier expresses the opinion that care workers face a lot of problems due to aggressive patients. He says that one in every three workers get attacked every year. A larger number is attacked in reality, but a significant majority goes unreported. Many care workers also are subject to verbal abuse and other forms of aggression.
Mr. Brazier says that the care homes must ensure the safety of their employees. This can be done by assessing the risk posed on them accurately and by training them to deal with this risk. The care homes should also maintain an adequate number of staff in the care home. This claim was settled out of the court and Ms. Hunt was awarded £12,500 in damages.
Employers have a duty of care towards ensuring health and safety of the workers and members of the public; Courses, leading to the award of the NEBOSH National General Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health, can be of benefit to organisations in providing the knowledge to manage safely and effectively in compliance with both the organisation’s policy and best practice in health and safety. See NEBOSH e-learning - for information on a web-based training course accredited by the National Examination Board for Occupational Safety and Health











