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.
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