Care provider prosecuted after resident drinks toilet cleaner
16:12 - 17/02/2011
Care provider prosecuted after reside...
A Sheffield-based care provider has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and fined £15,000 after an elderly resident died as a result of drinking toilet cleaner.
Derek Johnson, an 80-year-old retired accountant, had been living at Newfield Care Home, in Sheffield, for just over a month when he inadvertently drank toilet cleaner in July 2009. He was admitted to hospital after he began vomiting blue liquid, but he died within hours.
The toilet cleaner had been noticed in Mr Johnson’s room earlier that day but was not removed. As a result, Mr Johnson, who was frail, registered blind and showed symptoms of dementia, was left unattended with the dangerous chemical for several hours.
A subsequent investigation by the HSE found that Palms Row Healthcare Ltd, the operator of Newfield Care Home, had insufficient systems to control dangerous chemicals and prevent access to unsafe areas by vulnerable residents. Trolleys carrying hazardous substances were frequently left unattended and there were no procedures in place to ensure that the contents had not been tampered with.
Palms Row Healthcare were issued with three Improvement Notices and prosecuted by the HSE. They admitted breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc act 1974 at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court and were ordered to pay costs of £14,472.02 in addition to the £15,000 fine.
Speaking after the case, Mr Johnson’s brother, Ray, said: “Derek was placed in a nursing home for his own safety and yet my very act of trying to keep him safe resulted in his death. I cannot reconcile this feeling and battle with it daily. I am still trying to come to terms with what I see as the untimely death of my big brother.
“We hope that lessons will be learned from what happened to Derek so that other families do not have to suffer the same heartache and loss that we are still suffering.”
Perry Leeks, Managing Director at First Response, says: “This is a truly tragic case which demonstrates exactly why health and safety should always come first for an organisation such as this. Too often people dismiss health and safety measures as unnecessary red tape, but poor health and safety management can cost lives and therefore it should always be taken seriously and should be top of the agenda for any care provider.
“We can offer a wide range of health and safety training courses, including Health and Safety for Care, the CIEH-accredited Level 2 Health and Safety in Health and Social Care, Risk Assessment for Care Managers and COSHH Awareness (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health).
“For more information on any of these courses, please call free phone 0800 310 2300 to speak to one of our advisors today, or e-mail info@firstresponsetraining.com”
Derek Johnson, an 80-year-old retired accountant, had been living at Newfield Care Home, in Sheffield, for just over a month when he inadvertently drank toilet cleaner in July 2009. He was admitted to hospital after he began vomiting blue liquid, but he died within hours.
The toilet cleaner had been noticed in Mr Johnson’s room earlier that day but was not removed. As a result, Mr Johnson, who was frail, registered blind and showed symptoms of dementia, was left unattended with the dangerous chemical for several hours.
A subsequent investigation by the HSE found that Palms Row Healthcare Ltd, the operator of Newfield Care Home, had insufficient systems to control dangerous chemicals and prevent access to unsafe areas by vulnerable residents. Trolleys carrying hazardous substances were frequently left unattended and there were no procedures in place to ensure that the contents had not been tampered with.
Palms Row Healthcare were issued with three Improvement Notices and prosecuted by the HSE. They admitted breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc act 1974 at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court and were ordered to pay costs of £14,472.02 in addition to the £15,000 fine.
Speaking after the case, Mr Johnson’s brother, Ray, said: “Derek was placed in a nursing home for his own safety and yet my very act of trying to keep him safe resulted in his death. I cannot reconcile this feeling and battle with it daily. I am still trying to come to terms with what I see as the untimely death of my big brother.
“We hope that lessons will be learned from what happened to Derek so that other families do not have to suffer the same heartache and loss that we are still suffering.”
Perry Leeks, Managing Director at First Response, says: “This is a truly tragic case which demonstrates exactly why health and safety should always come first for an organisation such as this. Too often people dismiss health and safety measures as unnecessary red tape, but poor health and safety management can cost lives and therefore it should always be taken seriously and should be top of the agenda for any care provider.
“We can offer a wide range of health and safety training courses, including Health and Safety for Care, the CIEH-accredited Level 2 Health and Safety in Health and Social Care, Risk Assessment for Care Managers and COSHH Awareness (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health).
“For more information on any of these courses, please call free phone 0800 310 2300 to speak to one of our advisors today, or e-mail info@firstresponsetraining.com”
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