What Price Staff Safety in the Health System?

摘要

Traditional health care has focussed on a patient treatment/curative paradigm that takes precedence over preventative health measures. In this scenario, staff safety provision tends to be addressed only as a reactive response to unwanted incidents. The eighties' Robens style legislation ― intended to encourage industrial best practice and to prevent (limit) unwanted incidents ― has in practice served to encourage a post-incident culture of blame and financial punishment. National and state authorities fund and administer occupational health and safety research programs. Professional bodies and multi-disciplinary committees prepare standards, guidelines and codes of practice. Various bureaucracies evaluate workplaces and award certificates of accreditation or quality assurance for numerous industries. Many health facilities highlight the fact that clinical outcomes meet pre-determined criteria ― yet fail to address conditions for staff safety while achieving those outcomes. Attitudes create major determinants of individual behaviours, workplace cultures and social community environments. This paper reflects the experience of a safety scientist and ergonomist in dealing with this reality and the resulting financial implications for the health system and the community at large.