As of 2022, over 400,000 people lived in care homes throughout the UK. With the continuing demand for exceptional care facilities, it comes as no surprise that the sector is under more pressure than ever to meet the standards set out by regulators. 

As the country faces higher costs of living and tighter budgets, some care home owners may begin to question the necessity of regular maintenance checks on equipment. However, when using specialist equipment in healthcare spaces, care providers must stay in line with all regulations, including Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) and Care Quality Commission (CQC) guidelines. 

Why Are Servicing and Maintenance Important in Care Homes?

From keeping residents safe to lowering the cost of maintenance, regular servicing of care home equipment creates a better experience for everyone involved. Properly maintained manual handling equipment will have an extended lifespan and boosted reliability - because let's face it, no one wants to see equipment discarded because it wasn't looked after correctly. 

Another benefit of servicing your care equipment is the reduced upkeep cost. By spending small amounts of money now and again on maintenance, care homes can save extra cash in the long run rather than digging into the savings pot for replacement equipment. 

How Can I Effectively Service My Care Home?

Two of the most significant regulations for care homes are LOLER and CQC, both working to protect staff and residents against injuries and fatalities caused by faulty equipment and practices. 

Each year, various accidents and injuries occur within the health and social care sector due to incorrectly maintained equipment. Yet, by simply following regulations and actively servicing care home equipment, accidents can be prevented. 

Keep Safe With LOLER and CQC 

LOLER works to ensure that all lifting equipment used in the workplace is fit for purpose and subject to ‘thorough examination’. Care homes should keep up-to-date records of all examinations and any defects found. 

By keeping track of the age, model, number of repairs and any recommended improvements needed to each piece of equipment, care homes are in a much better position to manage their maintenance - let us know if you need help taking control of your LOLER. 

Much like LOLER, CQC help to regulate health and social care services throughout the UK and provide people with safe, effective and quality care. By monitoring and inspecting services, the Care Quality Commission help to protect care organisations from reputational risks while increasing patient safety. 

When Should I Service My Care Home Equipment? 

CQC inspections occur every five years, but complying with the LOLER Approved Code of Practice is an ongoing and more frequent responsibility.

To verify that all lifting equipment is safe for use, meticulous examinations should be carried out throughout the equipment’s lifetime. This includes before the equipment is used for the first time, before use at each location and regularly while in service. 

Unless there’s an ‘examination scheme’, lifting equipment and accessory inspections should be conducted every six months. 

Take Control of Your Care Homes Safety

We understand that equipment maintenance and servicing can be a significant investment of both time and money. However, it's essential to recognise the potential risks that staff and residents may face when equipment is not adequately maintained.

With the right guidance and routine processes, this vital aspect of care home management can be made simple, hassle-free and cost-effective. Want to learn more about how we can help ensure your care home's safety? 

Chat with a member of our team today!

What is the Importance of Bed Servicing in Care Homes?

The population of UK care homes is over 400,000, with around 85% of patients living in residential settings. With this in mind, beds and mattresses are used daily within care facilities and are essential for the health and comfort of residents and carers.

Although bed maintenance is often overlooked by care operators, it continues to play a leading role in the safety of everyone within the facility.

Here, we explore the importance of bed maintenance and the different components to look out for when carrying out risk assessments.

What Types of Beds are in Care Homes?

There are various bed types and mattresses on the market that are specifically designed for care home environments. From profiling beds to pressure alternating mattresses, care homes should offer the correct sleeping arrangement to benefit the residents.

Profiling beds are among the most commonly found beds in care homes; their design contributes towards the comfort, quality of life and recovery of patients. Helping to support the neck, head, back, and hips, the mattress is made of different sections to independently reposition residents using motor-driven mechanisms. Due to the automated turning and tilting, the profiling beds also aid carers by reducing the risks of manual handling related injuries.

Why Should Beds Be Serviced?

Beds and mattresses are crucial pieces of equipment within care homes and should be regularly maintained and serviced to ensure they are serving the residents and carers correctly.

Adhere to Compliance

There are vital pieces of legislation that govern the maintenance of beds within care environments, including the Provision of Use and Work Equipment Regulation (PUWER) and the UK Medical Devices Regulations.

Both regulations state that equipment provided at work must be “safe for use, maintained in a safe condition and inspected regularly to ensure someone correctly installed it and it does not subsequently deteriorate”.

Reduce Resident Risk

The healthcare sector uses aids such as safety rails to protect vulnerable people from the risk of falling out of bed. However, if these devices are not maintained correctly, they can cause patients to become trapped and induce serious harm.

Having beds regularly serviced by qualified individuals allows care home operators to ensure the equipment complies with the BS EN Dimensional Requirements. However, it is also essential for workers to carry out regular risk assessments on beds and accessories to prioritise the health and wellbeing of the residents.

What Is the Process of Servicing Beds in Care Homes?

Each bed should be serviced and maintained according to the manufacturer's recommendations in the user manual.

During the service, the engineer should check the general condition of the bed, frame and all pivot points including the head and footboard. Any mechanical faults should be assessed along with fixing away any loose wires and cables. If applicable, the break functions should also be tested.

How Often Should Beds Be Serviced?

It is recommended that beds and mattresses are serviced by a qualified engineer at least every 12 months. Safety critical parts which could cause the equipment to fail should have a formal system of planned preventative maintenance to ensure that they are returned back to HSE standards.

At Andway, we offer service and inspections on all beds and mattresses. Our experienced engineers are here to ensure that your care home equipment meets PUWER standards while helping to save you money on emergency repairs.

For more information or to enquire about our maintenance services, contact us today!

Are you guaranteed a fast and effective LOLER service?

We know when it comes to care home equipment, reliability and efficiency is key. Care providers need safe, functioning equipment to effectively care for residents, as well as the guarantee of a rapid repairs service to reduce or avoid downtime.

How can we help? 

We partner with our customers, communicating in advance of, and after, any work which needs to be completed. This allows us to offer a fast, one-stop solution to any LOLER, servicing, maintenance or equipment repairs.

Our Servicing helpdesk provides over-the-phone support to customers with the aim of solving any equipment issues without calling out an engineer.

If our engineers are needed, they rapidly respond to call outs and carry essential parts so they can fix your issues there and then wherever possible.

Would you like to find out about our fast and reliable LOLER service?

Call our team on 01423 331000 now

HSE LOLER Guidelines

Safe and successful lifting operations depend, in large part, on the continued safety of the lifting equipment and accessories that are used. Failures in this kind of equipment can result in significant or even fatal injuries. Health and safety law therefore places a number of specific obligations on those providing, controlling and using lifting equipment to properly manage these risks.

In addition to the requirements for safe design and construction, all lifting equipment should also be checked and maintained as necessary to keep it safe for use, so:

• users may need to undertake simple pre-use checks (eg on lifting chains and slings), or make checks on a daily basis (eg for lift trucks)
• in some cases, inspections and checks should be made on a regular basis, often weekly, but this may be on a monthly or quarterly basis (eg the checks undertaken by an operator on their crane)
• employers should ensure that lifting equipment is thoroughly examined (normally once or twice a year but, in some cases, this may be more or less frequent)

These checks are necessary to verify that the lifting equipment can continue to be safely used. This page concentrates on thorough examination and inspection, and the reporting and record-keeping obligations of LOLER (regulations 9, 10 and 11).

What is a 'thorough examination' under LOLER?

This is a systematic and detailed examination of the equipment and safety-critical parts, carried out at specified intervals by a competent person who must then complete a written report. This report must contain the information required by LOLER Schedule 1, including:

the examination date:-

• the date when the next thorough examination is due
• any defects found which are (or could potentially become) a danger to people,

Where serious defects are identified, the competent person carrying out the examination must immediately report this verbally to the dutyholder. This should then be followed by the written report, a copy of which must also be sent to the relevant enforcing authority.

What is a 'competent person'?

The term 'competent person' is not defined in law but the LOLER Approved Code of Practice and guidance (paragraph 294 on competent persons) states that:

• 'You should ensure that the person carrying out a thorough examination has such appropriate practical and theoretical knowledge and experience of the lifting equipment to be thoroughly examined as will enable them to detect defects or weaknesses and to assess their importance in relation to the safety and continued use of the lifting equipment.'

Although the competent person may often be employed by another organisation, this is not necessary, provided they are sufficiently independent and impartial to ensure that in-house examinations are made without fear or favour. However, this should not be the same person who undertakes routine maintenance of the equipment - as they would then be responsible for assessing their own maintenance work.

When should thorough examinations be carried out?

In order to verify that lifting equipment and accessories remain safe for use, and to detect and remedy any deterioration in good time, thorough examinations are required throughout the lifetime of the equipment or as follows

• before use for the first time - unless the equipment has an EC Declaration of Conformity less than one year old and the equipment was not assembled on site.
• If it was assembled on site, it must be examined by a competent person to ensure that the assembly (eg a platform lift installed in a building) was completed correctly and safely.
• after assembly and before use at each location - for equipment that requires assembly or installation before use, e.g. tower cranes
• regularly, while in service
• if the equipment is exposed to conditions that cause deterioration which is likely to result in dangerous situations.

Most lifting equipment will be subject to wear and tear and so will need regular in-service examination. Some may be exposed to significant environmental conditions which may cause further deterioration. You have a choice:

• arrange for thorough examination to be carried out at the intervals specified by LOLER (every 6 or 12 months, depending on the equipment) or
• conduct examinations in accordance with an examination scheme, drawn up by a competent person

Following exceptional circumstances - liable to jeopardise the safety of lifting equipment, which may include:

• damage or failure
• being out of use for long periods
• major changes, which are likely to affect the equipment's integrity (eg modifications, or replacement / repair of critical parts)
• What are the specified intervals for regular thorough examinations?
• Unless there is an 'examination scheme' specifying other intervals, thorough examinations should be conducted every:
• 6 months, for lifting equipment and any associated accessories used to lift people
• 6 months, for all lifting accessories
• 12 months, for all other lifting equipment

What is covered by a thorough examination?

This depends on the professional judgement of the competent person undertaking the examination, but needs to include all matters which affect the safety of the lifting equipment, including likely deterioration with time.  For most common lifting equipment and accessories, there are industry standard procedures and criteria which a competent person would follow when undertaking thorough examinations and making judgements as to the continued safety of the equipment. Methods used include:

• visual examination and functional checks
• measurements of wear
• (in some cases) traditional NDT (non-destructive testing) and load testing
• Some disassembly or internal examination of parts may also be required.

Where an examination scheme has been drawn up, this should identify and specify:

• the parts to be thoroughly examined
• the methods of examination and testing
• the intervals for examination (and testing of the different parts, where appropriate)
• The scheme should also include details of any other inspection regimes for the equipment.

Examination schemes may be drawn up by any person with the necessary competence. This does not need to be the same competent person who conducts the thorough examination in accordance with the scheme.  Although examination schemes do not need to be preserved in the form of a document, it should be possible to produce a written copy when required (eg on request by the relevant enforcing authority, for example CQC). These should be secured from loss or unauthorised modification.

Testing of lifting equipment

Most lifting equipment does not need routine testing as part of the thorough examination - in fact some overload tests can cause damage to lifting equipment. Where testing is deemed necessary, it may not need be undertaken at every thorough examination. The need for, and nature of, testing should be based on an assessment of risk - taking account of information from the manufacturer and other relevant information - as determined by the competent person.

Maintenance and inspection of lifting equipment.

Maintenance of lifting equipment to ensure it remains safe for use is a requirement of PUWER. In some cases - to assist with this, and detect any deterioration so it can be remedied in good time - lifting equipment may need to be inspected between thorough examinations. Such inspections need to be undertaken by suitably trained and competent people, which can often be the lifting equipment operator or maintenance personnel.

The nature, need for and frequency of such inspections should be determined through risk assessment, taking full account of any manufacturer's recommendations.

Lifting accessories do not normally need formal inspection, provided that proper pre-use checks are made and they undergo their standard thorough examination.

Reports and defects

Records should be kept of all thorough examinations and inspections, and of the EC Declarations of Conformity for all lifting equipment and lifting accessories. Examination and inspection records do not need to be kept in hard copy form but you should be able to provide a written copy when necessary (eg upon request by the relevant enforcing authority or when lifting equipment leaves your undertaking -under hire, use elsewhere, or second-hand sale). The records should also be protected from unauthorised alteration. The contents required in a thorough examination report are specified by Schedule 1 of LOLER. There is no longer a defined format or form for such a report, provided that all 11 items listed in the Schedule are included.

Where, following thorough examination or inspection of lifting equipment, a defect is identified - which in the opinion of the person undertaking the examination or inspection - is (or could become) a danger to people, you as user (employer or self employed person) should be notified immediately. You must then take effective action to manage risk by ensuring the lifting equipment is not used until the defect is remedied.  Such defects must be confirmed in writing in the report, even if it is remedied immediately (eg by destruction of a sling).  The person making the report must also notify the relevant enforcing authority with a copy of the report. Enforcing authorities may follow up such reports to check that risks are being adequately managed.

In some cases, a defect may be identified which does not require the immediate cessation of use of the lifting equipment. In these cases, you must remedy the matter, or not further use the equipment, within the time period specified on the report.

Reports of thorough examinations sometimes contain additional non-statutory observations from the competent person on the condition of the lifting equipment. Analysis of this may provide useful information to manage your lifting equipment.

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We receive so many compliments on the way we, the Andway team, care for our clients, our customer service levels and client satisfaction scores, its something we are immensely proud of and are continually striving to improve.. 

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Field Visits: Our account managers come to you! We know from experience that face to face is the best communication method.  You can show us around your home and explain exactly what your challenges are, show us exactly what you are trying to achieve and let us look at the products and equipment you currently use.  We can assess where we can make savings and improvements for you and your residents.

We carry out audits and assessments for you on laundry, cleaning, manual handling and equipment, incontinence use and best practice, pressure care and much more.  Our range includes everything your care home needs including dementia friendly environments and a maintenance, repairs and LOLER service.

We will come to see you face to face as much as you like…

New Business Team: focused on introducing Andway to you and your team, to understand how we can help in terms of products and equipment and what samples you may like to trial. 

Understanding you and your home is crucial.  That way we can make the biggest difference and help you save time and money.

Customer Service Team: all customers new and existing are allocated a personal internal account manager.  They will be your day to day point of contact for ordering, asking for samples, quotes, arranging returns, handling any queries and for asking for expert help in product selection. Always at the end of the telephone, our customer service team look after your every need and will get to know you and your home really, really well.

LOLER Servicing and Maintenance Team: here to take care of all your equipment maintenance, service, repair and testing requirements and then keep your equipment safe, compliant and in good working order.  Our highly skilled and experienced engineers are able to maintain a huge range of equipment including but not limited to hoists, beds, baths, scales, ceiling track hoists, mattresses and wheelchairs.

So is it time to get the Big 4 behind your care home?

Simply call us on 01423 331000 we are here to help...

Best Practice for moving and handling

Moving & handling is a key part of the working day for most care staff from moving  equipment, laundry, catering, supplies or waste to assisting residents.

 Poor moving and handling practice can lead to back pain and musculoskeletal disorders, which can lead to inability to work

- moving and handling accidents – which can injure both the             person being moved and the employee

- discomfort and a lack of dignity for the person being moved

- All care homes are responsible for putting the right measures,         equipment and training in place to prevent or minimise the risk of     injury.

Patient-centred care plans

No-one should routinely manually lift patients. Hoists, sliding aids, electric profiling beds and other specialised equipment are substitutes for manual lifting. Patient manual handling should only continue in cases which do not involve lifting most or all of a patient's weight. This rules out for example, the shoulder or Australian lift. Patients often have complex and varying needs. The Health and Safety Executive advise a balanced approach to managing the risks from patient handling. These include:

Equally, care workers are not required to perform tasks that put them and their clients at risk

A client's personal wishes on mobility need to be respected wherever possible

A client's independence and autonomy must supported as fully as possible.

A patient-centred care plan should include information on immobility and detail any handling risks and/or needs

Care environments are governed by the following legislation and helpful for assessing moving and handling risks:

·         Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA)

·         Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (MHOR) (as amended 2002)

·         Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999

·         Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)

·         Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER)

Legally, employers are obliged to provide a safe working environment for their staff. Under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (as amended) employers are required to:

·         assess the risk of a back injury at work

·         reduce the risk of injury to the lowest level reasonably practicable

·         provide training for staff on safe manual handling practices

·         supervise staff to ensure compliance with the regulations.

Risk assessments could be generic and individual.  A generic risk assessment would consider the needs of the workplace/environment e.g. the equipment needed, safe staffing levels, emergency procedures and the suitability of the physical environment.  Individual risk assessments consider the specific moving and handling needs (e.g. help needed, specific equipment needs and number of staff needed to support the patient) to ensure the safety of staff and the patient/service user.

There is a requirement for a ‘competent person’ to conduct risk assessments. Competency is a mixture of skills, knowledge and qualifications to carry out the role.

For further details please see

http://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/moving-handling.htm

https://www.rcn.org.uk/get-help/rcn-advice/moving-and-handling