It will face a fine of $230,000 as a result.
In October 2021, a 93-year-old resident of the Morrie Evans Aged Care facility, Lorna Exton, fell backwards when the back of her reclining chair detached as a staff member tried to move it following an outdoor family visit.
A subsequent X-ray showed fractures to the woman’s rib and spine. In the following days, she developed a chest infection and died a week after the incident.
WorkSafe’s investigation found Benalla Health failed to maintain a system of work for ensuring chairs used for transporting residents were regularly assessed for safe functionality, scheduled for preventative maintenance and tagged accordingly.
WorkSafe acting chief of health and safety Barb Hill said a simple assessment system for the provider’s recliner chairs would have been enough to prevent the incident.
“When aged care residents are already vulnerable to injury and illness, every step must be taken to ensure their safety is a top priority,” she said.
"This is a reminder that healthcare providers have a duty to keep their workers, clients and patients safe, and there are no excuses when equipment fails and a vulnerable person is injured."
A Benalla Health spokesperson spoke about the sentence.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to Mrs Lorna Exton’s family, this was a deeply sad incident for everyone involved,” the spokesperson said.
“WorkSafe investigated and charged Benalla Health with one count of failing to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, that persons other than employees were not exposed to health and safety risks.
“Benalla Health pleaded guilty to this charge.
“Since this incident, we have made significant improvements to our maintenance systems and safety protocols to better protect residents and support staff in delivering safe care.
“We respect the court’s decision and have taken the outcome on board, we remain focused on moving forward with a renewed commitment to safety and care.”
