Dear all, I've been asked to carry out a full risk assessment of a hospital operating theatre, and I would be very grateful to hear from anyone who has experience of doing this so that I can pick their brains! Many thanks in anticipation. Chris

AS said before what exactly are you looking at? Its a complicated area that has multiple hazards and risks. Starting with the Static environmental issues followed by the non static environmental issues then looking at the behavioural issues. The hazards and risks can change by the very nature of the operation happening! About 4 years ago I looked at the hazards and risks associated with Theatre packs in relation to operation non undertaking! Took me about 6 months to assess all the risks and make reccomendations and Im a qualified nurse with some limited theatre experience so It might have take even longer without that experience. Good luck!

Hi, and thanks for your reply. It is meant to be a series of risk assessments covering the use of the operating theatre (general surgery). This will include the work of surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses etc who are present during operations, taking account of the risks associated with equipment and substances, infections and contamination, etc etc etc. Other people such as cleaners will also come into the equation.

Having spent a career lifetime in this environment, it seems that you have been tasks with the impossible! Leave [parts of] it to those who are skilled in the delivery of care and maintenance of a safe clinical environment. Don't tread on toes. Surgeons, anaesthetists, ICP teams, theatre nurses, the Estates teams and anaesthetic technicians, pharmacists and radiologists, and many other support teams act together to maintain a hopefully safe environment. It doesn't always work well, and we know that occasionally it goes disastrously wrong. But your risk assessments will not change that if you do not understand the issues, and more importantly understand the involvement of the many many layers of expertise that make it all happen. This goes all the way to the various professional bodies and Royal Colleges and the Department of Health. It is not taken lightly. At worst, you're going to unwittingly alienate many important people; at best you're likely to waste your time. But you can make a difference and get down on paper systems that make things more resilient, safer, easier etc. Documentation is the new lifeblood of the healthcare sector and is essential is managing compensation claims. Perhaps use that as leverage or a driver to enrol support from all of those on which you will have to rely. Many of the cases that come across my desk revolve around failure in safe or effective care and in almost every case that has its root in errors of effective documentation and communication, and this may be the reason behind you task. You probably need a far better brief, and lots of introductions to many of these key people. Read widely, to understand the existing systems and controls that they are obliged to operate, before telling them it's all wrong!

http://www.nursingtimes....-theatres/200683.article http://www.cra.co.uk/cas...-theatre-risk-assessment And RS for infection ? www.his.org.uk/_db/_documents/Rituals-02.doc Etc, etc..

I totally agree with Clairel. This is out of the depth of any jobbing H&S person and you need to take advice from at least one surgical specialist and probably more. This is where external qualified consultants really come into their own.