Cleaner sues Mackay Mater Hospital over back injury

A former hospital cleaner is suing alleging a 10kg mattress sparked chronic lower back pain. Here’s what she claims happened.

Former Mater hospital cleaner files $350,000 lawsuit over back injury.

A Mackay hospital cleaner is suing her employer for more than $350,000 alleging a 10kg mattress sparked chronic lower back pain.

But the hospital has hit back claimed the worker did not follow proper procedures.

South Mackay woman Debra Lyons had been working at the Mater Misericordiae Hospital when on March 30, 2020 she and two others were directed to clean an isolation room.

The 54 year old alleged, in documents filed in Mackay District Court, the trio was “under pressure to clean the room in a timely manner” and their shift was ending and a new patient would be occupying the room.

The document states Ms Lyons had to clean and sanitise a 10kg mattress and as she went to lift it to do the bottom “ she felt a sharp pain to her lower back”.

Her job was terminated in February 2022 because she could not do all the work necessary as a cleaner – she did find another job, but had to give it up when her alleged injury was exacerbated under increased work hours.

Mater Private Hospital Mackay

She is suing Mercy Health and Aged Care Central Qld Ltd for $352,889.35 plus interest and costs claim she suffered a soft tissue injury to the lumbar spine and an adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depression.

Ms Lyons claims she now suffers ongoing lower back pain and limited movements as well as a psychiatric/psychological disorder manifesting in social withdrawal, loss of self worth and suicidal ideation.

Ms Lyons alleges negligence and breach of duty including she was not provided with a safe system or place of work, proper training on how to clean and sanitise the mattress or instruction on how to manoeuvre the mattress.

In a defence filed by the hospital it states: “There is a housekeeping manual that predates the incident setting out how a bed is to be cleaned that specifies the mattress is not lifted from the bed during cleaning.”

It also states one of Ms Lyons’ co-workers “denies being under time pressure” and claimed it was not “reasonably foreseeable” that she would suffer an injury under the circumstances she alleged.

The hospital argued Ms Lyons had two co-workers and could have requested help if she felt it was necessary.

It further stated Ms Lyons alleged underwent a manual handling competency assessment about two weeks before the incident.

Originally published as Cleaner sues Mackay Mater Hospital over back injury