Most health staff quarters `unsafe'
16.05.2008
AN audit of the 1237 staff accommodation facilities owned by Queensland Health revealed that more than half did not meet criteria acceptable as safe in the event of a security breach, burglary or fire.
Health Minister Stephen Robertson yesterday tabled in state parliament the audit report which revealed 17 dwellings were classified by the audit team as ``extreme risk''; 100 were ``high risk'' and an extraordinary 509 were ``medium risk''.
He explained that ``extreme'' meant regulatory compliance and security requirements were not met -- such as a lack of fire alarms and/or safety switches and inappropriate screening and/or locks.
Mr Robertson ordered the audit following the February 5, 2008, burglary of a nurse's accommodation on Mabuiag Island in the Torres Strait, where the sole occupant, a 27-year-old nurse, was attacked.
A local islander was arrested and charged with rape.
The Australian revealed that for at least three years the Health Department had been alerted by its own officials that the facilities on Mabuiag and other islands lacked almost every security facility needed by nurses.
The dwelling in which the incident occurred had door locks that did not work, no security screens, no warning or alarm system and nobody who would respond in the event of an emergency.
The morning after the attack, the nurse was told by superiors to forget about the incident and just return to work.
Queensland Health refused to authorise a Medivac helicopter to bring her to Thursday Island for treatment, and eventually her boyfriend had to charter an aircraft to collect her and take her to safety.
Mr Robertson said he knew nothing of the annual reports outlining the security deficiencies, none of which had been acted upon.
He said yesterday that every dwelling classified as ``extreme or high risk'' was ``in the process of immediate rectification''.
The audit report recommended that minimum standards for staff accommodation be developed and implemented across the state and must include crime prevention through environmental design.
``Further staff security accommodation protocols are to be developed and implemented in accordance with community-based security risk profile and crime prevention design principles,'' the report stated.
The audit team estimated the cost to rectify the security deficiencies was $10.6million.
