St Basil’s Homes for the Aged in Victoria, where 50 residents tragically passed away in the early months of the pandemic, has been sentenced to a $150,000 fine after pleading guilty to a charge of failing to provide information, instruction and training necessary to enable employees to work in a way that was safe and without risks to health.
St Basil’s operates a 54-bed hostel, a 72-bed nursing home, and a 24-bed dementia unit in Victoria where they employ 106 workers across those workplaces.
Following the March 2020 publication of guidelines focused on controlling the transmission of COVID-19 in residential aged care facilities, St Basil’s updated its infection control plans and provided written pandemic resources in the staff room and main office. Over the following two months most workers were provided information on the use of PPE during five COVID-19 training sessions delivered by external medical practitioners or during shift handovers and commencement. As per the guidelines, the training included information relating to the identification of COVID-19, routes of transmission, stocking and use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
However, the company failed to implement a means of ensuring that all employees received the training and consequently, with five employees not receiving the training on how to properly don and take off PPE and the circumstances around when PPE need to be worn.
Forty-five aged care residents became infected with COVID-19 and died within a month from virus-related complications. A further five residents died from alleged neglect, according to a coronial inquest.
WorkSafe Chief Health and Safety Officer Sam Jenkin said ensuring all employees knew how to manage health and safety risks was crucial to protecting everyone in a workplace.
“Training isn’t just an optional extra, it’s business critical, and employers must ensure they provide appropriate information and instruction to all workers – regardless of how often they are in the workplace or face a particular hazard,” Mr Jenkin said.
“The tragic events at St Basil’s were a heartbreaking reminder of why health and safety matters, and our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those impacted.”
WorkSafe offers free guidance to employers on Controlling COVID-19 risks in healthcare and social assistance and information about the legal duty on employers to provide a safe workplace, including the provision of information, instruction, training and supervision.
Read more: Aged care COVID deaths: Families outraged by small fine for St Basil’s aged care home