THERE has been a fivefold increase in the number of accidents involving ACT Health staff reported to the territory's work safety watchdog.
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There were 74 accidents or incidents relating to ACT Health staff notified to WorkSafe ACT last financial year, compared with 14 in 2011-12.
Territory Work Safety Commissioner Mark McCabe said the increase was probably not due to more dangerous working conditions.
''I'd attribute it to a concerted effort of ACT Health to increase the awareness of staff to reporting incidents,'' Mr McCabe said.
ACT Health's latest annual report shows another three unrelated cases at public hospitals in the capital have been passed on to Australia's radiation and nuclear authority - the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA).
Two were radiotherapy incidents that involved treating the wrong area.
The third was an incident that involved damage to, or malfunctioning of, a radiation apparatus or sealed source.
The annual report said the three incidents referred to ARPANSA were considered to be of minor consequence.
A fourth incident not passed on to the agency involved the contamination with, or dispersal of, a radioactive material.
