In August 2015, nurses at Casey Hospital's acute mental health unit were conducting a welfare check when they found a patient unresponsive in the visitors' toilet, having attempted to take her own life. She was transferred to the emergency department and died two days later.
Monash Health was fined $160,000 for breaching occupational health and safety laws by failing to protect non-employees from safety risks. The organization pleaded guilty to breaching section 23 of the OHS Act by failing to ensure non-employees were not exposed to health and safety risks. A WorkSafe investigation found that the patient was known to be at high risk of suicide, requiring frequent checks, and that a prior audit had identified the toilet as a safety risk, but no action was taken.
The court determined that Monash Health could have reasonably reduced or eliminated the risk and that effective methods to prevent suicides in mental health units are well known and should have been implemented.
