Thanks Cathy, would def be public use scooters so good points tks ... I had checked out the councils and they have some quite detailed info around all this ...

Thanks for the input ... it has given me some ideas!

With a little persuasion from Peter and as a former SG editor I will break my somewhat voyeur tendency of just reading what others' say ... so here is my response. It's a no brainer that (poor) pay and (poor) staffing levels would be contributory factors increasing the risk of harm from work. I say that with some confidence as a former aged care worker who as a teenager, and with no training, had to manage eight hospitalised elderly patients in a nasty split-shift arrangement which meant I worked four hours in the morning getting them up, showered, dressed and fed ... then had to go home for the afternoon but come back for the four hours in the evening doing the reverse. After all, why would they want to pay me to 'relax' during the slower afternoon period let alone have time to actually have a conversation with the 'patients' !! (by the way, I was called a nurse). What was the harm? Lower back problems to this day from lifting patients with no help. Not just due to a lack of training in lifting correctly and no equipment to assist, but not enough staff to have two available to lift together. However I can say the experience was a powerful incentive to get me through university in the hope of better pay prospects along with a less physically and emotionally demanding job. I still reckon it's the hardest job I ever did (and worst paid!)