Explosion warning as more than 100 incidents of patients and visitors smoking near oxygen tanks in hospitals reported

"Over 180 incidents resulted in harm to either patients, visitors or staff. Four serious incidents associated with smoking in the five-year period led to severe harm or death of patients."

"More than 2,000 incidents of indoor smoking were reported. A HSE patient safety supplement, produced in 2023, noted it was 'especially concerning' that over 100 of these reports related to patients or visitors lighting cigarettes while using, or being close to, oxygen."

"The data also found that verbal and physical abuse of staff and patients - by patients requesting to smoke - was a recurring theme, according to the publication."

"Ongoing challenges are encountered when patients leave health services to have a cigarette. Predominantly these were incidents where patients did not return or fell, resulting sometimes in serious injuries including fractures."

Read at Irish Independent