A private contractor for WA's prisons may face a $100,000 fine over the escape of a violent serial offender, according to the state's Corrective Services Minister, who says guards broke an "absolute principle" in their handling of the man in hospital.

Key points: Laurie Dodd escaped from hospital while receiving treatment after his arrest

Laurie Dodd escaped from hospital while receiving treatment after his arrest It is alleged Dodd was not handcuffed and only one guard was present at the time

It is alleged Dodd was not handcuffed and only one guard was present at the time The Corrective Services Minister has also criticised his own department

Laurie John Junior Dodd, 44, escaped from Royal Perth Hospital on Saturday afternoon when he apparently enticed a guard over to his bedside and put him in a headlock, and then stole his keys.

The escape sparked a fruitless air and ground search around the city's CBD, and three days later Dodd remains on the run.

Corrective Services Minister Fran Logan said there were a number of alleged failings in how contractors Broadspectrum handled Dodd's transport and care.

"It is an absolute principle of looking after prisoners, you do not approach the prisoner by yourself, ever," Mr Logan told ABC Radio Perth.

"Whether it's in a hospital, whether it's in court, or it's in the prisons, you never approach the prisoner by yourself."

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The ABC has been told two officers were assigned to guard Dodd, but when one left the room to get lunch, he allegedly managed to get the other in a chokehold and stole his keys.

Mr Logan said this was apparently made possible because Broadspectrum had not followed the policy in place at Corrective Services — a part the Department of Justice — which requires a prisoner to be held in both handcuffs and a security chain.

He said Dodd was believed to have been chained around his waist and legs to the hospital bed, but was not handcuffed.

Mr Logan said the circumstances of the escape were being investigated by the department's professional standards unit, and Broadspectrum could face a $100,000 fine.

Department also to blame: Minister

Mr Logan also levelled "quite a significant amount of blame" at Corrective Services, for apparently failing to pass Dodd's history on to Broadspectrum, and the circumstances of his arrest.

Fran Logan (left) says information about Dodd's violent arrest was not passed on. ( ABC News: Jacob Kagi )

Dodd was originally taken to hospital for dog bite injuries received after he allegedly punching a police dog in the head during his arrest.

He is accused of then leading police on a chase through suburban Perth in a stolen car.

The chase ended in Bayswater, where police said Dodd violently struggled with officers and the dog.

"Clearly what has been identified … is a failure in the fact that the information over his arrest, and the type of violent arrest it was, was not then passed on through the system, from the point of arrest, to the court hearing at the hospital bedside, through to the policy movements people within [Corrective Services] and then on to Broadspectrum," Mr Logan said.

Dodd's history of escaping custody

Dodd has escaped custody twice before.

In 1999 he got out of Broome Regional Prison and in 2004 he was part of a mass break-out of dangerous offenders from the WA Supreme Court.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 51 seconds 1 m 51 s ABC report: Prisoners escape Supreme Court in 2004

At the time, the then-justice minister Michelle Roberts said three guards from contracting firm AIMS were overpowered by a group of prisoners being transferred from a van to a holding centre at the court.

In total, nine prisoners managed to get away, but all were later recaptured.

Dodd spent a significant period in jail following his re-arrest, but Mr Logan said his security status had been re-classified in 2013 while still behind bars.

He was released in 2018.

"Between 2013 and 2018 when he left the prison system, he apparently had no problems whatsoever," Mr Logan said.

"However, that [security status] was still on his prison movement system, when he was taken back into custody."

Guards not properly trained, union claims

Transport Workers Union WA branch secretary Tim Dawson said the escape was proof Broadspectrum was not spending enough money on training its staff.

"Unfortunately for the guard himself, we wouldn't hold him responsible because people need to be properly trained in these situations, people have got to be given all the adequate training they need and it's not happening," he said.

Mr Dawson said the Government had ripped $30 million out of the prison transport contract that was implemented two years ago.

But Mr Logan said the two Broadspectrum officers who allowed Dodd to escape had been employed for more than a year and had met all training requirements.

He also said the Government would roll out training in November for casual prison officers employed by the department, who would be available for transportation jobs and some hospital transports.

"Those prison officers will be experienced officers with a long history and exposure to prison life," he said.

"We're not going to be relying just on Broadspectrum."

A spokeswoman for Broadspectrum said in a brief statement that the firm met employee training requirements governed by its contract with the Department of Justice.

"This training is audited annually by an external agency [and] includes a nationally-recognised and accredited Certificate III in correctional practice," the statement said.

"Broadspectrum will not provide further comment regarding the incident while it remains under investigation."

Dodd is described as being 187 centimetres tall, of medium build, with fair skin and black hair in a mullet style.

He was last seen in East Perth wearing green and black boxer shorts and a white T-shirt, although it was likely he had changed clothes since then.

Detectives are urging anyone with information about Dodd's whereabouts to contact them immediately, and have warned people against approaching him.