Victorian nurses, midwives and personal care workers regularly rely on lifting equipment such as ceiling hoists, mobile lifters, mechanical aids and wheelchairs to safely move and care for patients and residents. These devices are essential tools in reducing manual handling injuries, but under occupational health and safety law they are also ‘plant’ – a broad terms that includes machinery, equipment, appliances, implements and tools.
Recent changes have now clarified WorkSafe’s expectations for notifiable incidents under section 37 of the OHS Act. Any incident involving plant that lifts or moves people or materials must be notified if it immediately or imminently exposes a person to a serious risk to health or safety due to collapse, overturning, failure, malfunction or damage whether or not an injury occurs.
This clarification has major implications for the health and aged-care sectors, where lifting equipment is used frequently, and failures are not uncommon. While many workers report regular malfunctions, sudden stoppages, frayed slings, battery failures mid-lift, and equipment that has not been properly serviced, these events – which create a serious risk – often go unreported because staff and employers may not realise they meet the threshold for notification.
A real-life example: hoist failure leaves carer seriously injured
In one Victorian aged care facility, a ceiling hoist failed mid-lift while transferring a resident. The motor abruptly stopped, leaving the resident suspended in the air and unable to be lowered.
The carer, acting instinctively to calm and support the distressed resident, climbed onto the bed beneath them. As panic escalated, the resident kicked out in fear. The carer was thrown off the bed and fell heavily to the floor, sustaining serious injuries.
Despite the severity of the incident and the clear equipment failure it was not initially treated as a notifiable incident, even though it exposed both worker and resident to immediate and significant risk.
Under the newly clarified guidance, incidents like this must be reported to WorkSafe.
Why this matters
For a workforce already carrying one of the highest rates of musculoskeletal injury, this clarification is an important step toward improving safety. It means:
- Employers must take equipment failures seriously and report them when required.
- Workers gain stronger protection and clearer pathways for raising concerns.
- WorkSafe can identify recurring mechanical issues across the sector.
- Health and aged care facilities are pushed toward better maintenance, safer systems of work and investment in reliable lifting equipment.
A cultural shift in reporting
Nurses and personal care workers are often so accustomed to equipment faults that they no longer see them as serious unless someone is visibly hurt. The new clarification reinforces that risk itself is enough to require notification. Workers should not have to wait for an injury to be taken seriously.
ANMF (Vic Branch) encourages all members to familiarise themselves with the updated requirements and to report hoist or lifting equipment failures through workplace systems and, where appropriate, directly to WorkSafe.
Strengthening reporting strengthens safety – for workers and for the patients and residents in their care.
