Bed safety rails are a very important source of support for those with reduced strength, mobility and balance when sleeping at night. This additional support also offers comfort for others by providing the knowledge that their loved one is sleeping safely, and is at reduced risk of falling. Some have a support leg which rests down on the floor when the rail is horizontal. Some models provide a single horizontal rail which provides support at one height; others consist of a looped rail which provides two alternative gripping positions. Some of these rails have a built-in toilet roll holder.

If there are obstructions beside the toilet, such as a radiator, or the walls are not suitable for installing rails, you will need to look at alternative kinds of support. For more information on this topic, refer to our publication ‘Managing Medical Devices’ footnote 5. 8. Legislation and Standards Medical Devices legislation in Great Britain and Northern Ireland The Care Quality Commission has ‘Learning from safety incidents’ resources specifically related to bed rails. Each one briefly describes a critical issue - what happened, what CQC and the provider have done about it, and the steps you can take to avoid it happening in your service. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 mattress and bed rail combinations where the mattress edge easily compresses, introducing a vertical gap between the mattress and the bed rail.Toilet frames are designed to provide horizontal support for pushing up from a toilet, or for steadying the body when lowering onto a toilet. The frame, which stands over the top of the toilet, can either be free standing or fixed to the floor.

If a manufacturer wishes to market a medical device, the device must bear a mark: currently in Great Britain this can either be a UKCA mark or a CE mark, and in Northern Ireland this is a CE mark. A device may only bear these marks if the manufacturer fulfils certain obligations (conformity assessment). To thoroughly inspect these areas, it may be necessary to remove duvets, blankets, sheets, and valances.A pressure ulcer reduction overlay was added to a bed that already had a bed rail fitted. The additional height of the combined mattress/overlay reduced the height of the bed rail. The bed occupant fell over the rail, sustaining a serious head injury. the reduction in the effective height of the bed rail relative to the top of the mattress may allow the occupant to roll over the top of it; extra height bed rails may be required Rails set at an angle can help a person who needs a steadying support - e.g. to stand from a bath board to shower. The rail can be placed at an angle of 45 degrees up and away from the user. This keeps the wrist in a neutral position. It is not necessary to lean far forward to grasp the rail at the lower end and the hand can travel up the rail to maintain the support once the person is standing.