The health network which runs the Royal Adelaide Hospital could be penalised up to a quarter of a million dollars if it fails to comply with an improvement notice handed out by South Australia's work safety watchdog. SafeWork SA issued the sanction, as the state's public hospital system continues to operate under an internal emergency.
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00:00It's the state's flagship hospital, but Inside SA's Work Safety Watchdog says improvements
00:07are urgently needed for workers.
00:10This has taken us by surprise.
00:12This is a very big decision that's been taken by Safe Work SA.
00:18Two Safe Work inspectors visited the Royal Adelaide last Tuesday.
00:22They allege work health and safety laws and regulations were being broken.
00:26The inspectors found the demand escalation framework for patients failed to have adequate
00:31control measures to eliminate or minimise the risks associated with workers' psychological
00:36health and safety.
00:38And the employer was unable to provide evidence of a safe system of work to adequately control
00:44the risk.
00:45For that to be reflected in an improvement notice just goes to show how difficult things
00:50have reached in that emergency department.
00:54Inspection at the Royal Adelaide have until July 9 to fix the alleged breaches or face
00:58a fine of up to $250,000.
01:02Safe Work SA says its inspection followed multiple reports about the conditions in the
01:06ED by the Doctors' Union.
01:09It will be difficult to meet the requirements set out in the improvement notice, but not
01:16impossible.
01:17In a statement to ABC News, a spokesperson for the Central Adelaide Local Health Network
01:21said they were working collaboratively with Safe Work SA to make sure a safe workplace
01:26was being provided for staff and patients.
01:29South Australia's public health network has been operating under a code yellow or internal
01:34emergency mode for almost a month due to sustained demand.
01:39Safe Work's inquiries are continuing.