Hospital Authority reminder on safety of ceiling hoist track external cover
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The spokesman for the Hospital Authority (HA) made the following update today (March 2) regarding an incident of a falling ceiling hoist track external cover:
The HA is very concerned about an incident reported by Tuen Mun Hospital yesterday (March 1), in which an external cover of a ceiling hoist track for the lifting of patients fell off. All hospital clusters have been asked to inspect similar tracks to ensure the safety of patients and staff.
The ceiling hoist concerned was suspended from use immediately after the incident. The hospital has also arranged the maintenance vendor to carry out repairs. No patient or staff was injured in the incident, and clinical services were not affected. The ceiling hoist involved was provided by the manufacturer Arjo, while its maintenance was under General Electric. The maintenance vendor reported no abnormalities during the latest inspection in August 2022. The system will be load tested once a year to confirm its safety and compliance with the relevant license requirements.
There are about 1 130 sets of different models of ceiling hoist systems for the lifting of patients in public hospitals. No other abnormal reports have been received. The main function of the ceiling hoist system is to assist patients with limited mobility to move around in the ward, thus reducing the lifting work of medical staff.
The HA has reminded staff to pay special attention to the safety of the system and the surrounding environment before operating the ceiling hoist.
The HA reiterates that the safety of patients and staff is the HA's utmost concern, and it will continue implementing different measures to protect their safety. The HA has urged the maintenance vendor to conduct a detailed investigation immediately and submit a report on the incident, as well as to follow up seriously to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
Ends/Thursday, March 2, 2023
Issued at HKT 18:00
Issued at HKT 18:00
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