The Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust has been prosecuted after it failed to take appropriate measures to prevent at least 23 dermatitis cases amongst staff from 2007 to 2012.
Appearing before Torquay Magistrates on 20th February, the Trust pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety legislation in a prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
An inspection by the HSE revealed a prevalence of dermatitis amongst workers, with 23 cases not reported to the body by the Trust as legally required.
Health and hospital staff had been placed at an increased risk of developing skin problems such as dermatitis, magistrates heard, because they were required to wash their hands a lot in line with company procedures. Staff also needed to wear gloves for a number of procedures to minimise the risk of infection. The use of hand gels was also encouraged.
Despite there being a well-known risk, the Trust had provided limited information to staff with regards to reducing the risk with simple procedures such as ensuring hands are fully dried and applying moisturisers regularly. The Trust had failed to administer frequent health checks of staff to detect if there were any symptoms of dermatitis or other skin issues. Further, when symptoms were reported by staff, the Trust told them to simply visit their GP by the trust’s occupational health team.
Cases of work-related dermatitis were consequently not picked up on by the Trust and the problem wasn’t seen as a priority. There was no link between occupational health and dermatology, however this has since been rectified.
The Trust was fined £10,000 for its failings and ordered to pay £9,620 in prosecution costs for breaching the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Emma O’Hara said: “Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust, which employs 5,000 people, failed to have an adequate management system in place to prevent dermatitis, a recognised condition in the health sector, and deal with it when it arose. Dermatitis is a painful and often unsightly condition which can affect the individual psychologically, socially and physically.
“Employers must ensure they identify risks to staff and come up with plans and procedures to minimise the risks and make sure cases that do occur are properly treated and recorded.”