RCD would have prevented severe injury

East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust has admitted breaching the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 in connection with an incident at the Conquest Hospital in St Leonards-On-Sea in which an employee suffered an electric shock from a steam cleaner.

Despite advice from the equipment manufacturer, the Trust failed to supply an RCD(residual-current device) to mitigate the effects of shock, and it was fined £8,000 with costs of £8,4671. An HSE inspector commented: "Hospitals need to assess the risks from all electrical equipment, but particularly equipment that is used in a wet environment, and put in place suitable measures, such as RCDs, to protect their employees, as a way of reducing the risk of incidents like this happening."

Article created by Editor. (info@safetynetscotland.co.uk)