I heard in the news about a lady who died after being hit by an automatic door at my local hospital. I have to go to that hospital regularly and I am now worried about my safety. Does the hospital have to make sure patients going to hospital are safe?
Yes, the Hospital must comply with Health and Safety Regulations and ensure their premises are safe for both the general public and their employees. Any building to which people have access, such as a hospital, must have procedures in force to identify, minimise and deal with potentially dangerous situations.
Hazards can arise in all sorts of ways. Doors can be particularly hazardous as they move, sometimes unexpectedly. The doors at the entrance to the hospital are known as Power Operated Pedestrian doors – the door is operated automatically with the approach of a person. This type of door is used in high activity areas used by the general public such as an entrance to a shop or, as in this case, a hospital.
Such doors may present risk of injury or entrapment. If the risk of injury is significant, certain recommendations and precautions must be considered.
These can include: sensors - to stop or reverse the door before it collides with anyone; barriers - to prevent anyone being in the arc of a swing door; signs - to provide appropriate warnings; suitable speed – of travel of the door. The hospital should also ensure the door is maintained and checked regularly.
If, despite all these safeguards, an accident occurs, it must be reported. Good practise would be for the hospital to look again at its health and safety procedures to see where it failed and how the system might be improved. If the accident results in injury, legal advice should be taken as to the possibility of a claim.
