Bed Rails Management & Safe Use

In this blog, key safety considerations will be highlighted for those who are using bedrails as part of their care plan. In general, manufacturers intend their bed rails to be used to prevent or reduce the risk of bed occupants from falling and sustaining injury.

However, the use of bed rails is associated with a number of direct and indirect risks to bed occupants. Direct hazards include falls, impact injuries, entrapment and entanglement either within gaps in the rails themselves, between the rails and the mattress or between the rails and the bed frame.

It is therefore important to consider additional or alternative products to help prevent or mitigate against these risks.

• Bed Rail protectors provide additional padding when using rails.
• Positional wedges reduce movement across the bed.
• Fall out mats.
• Ultra ‘low height’ beds and alarm systems may be useful.

Alongside the manufacturer’s instructions, the MHRA is responsible for setting out guidelines for the management and safe use of these products and you may find these guidelines helpful when creating or undertaking a risk assessment or care plan for a bed occupant. These can be found on via the gov.uk website here.