QCF Diploma Health and Social Care

Health and Safety Part 1

INTRODUCTION

• In the Health and Safety Unit, you will learn about the importance of health and safety in health and social care settings. You will look at your responsibilities in relation to the law and workplace policies and procedures. You will learn about the importance of risk assessments, a range of harmful work activities such as manual handling and the use of different hazardous substances. You will also look at emergency procedures and how to cope with stress in the workplace.

AIMS• Understand your own responsibilities and the responsibilities of

others, relating to health and safety in the work setting.• Understand the use of risk assessments in relation to health and

safety.• Understand procedures for responding to accidents and sudden

illness.• Reduce the spread of infection.• Know how to move and handle equipment and other objects safely.• Know how to handle hazardous substances and materials.• Understand how to promote fire safety in the work setting.• Know how to implement security measures in the work setting. • Know how to manage your own stress.

The Law and Your Responsibilities

• Health and safety law depends on the type of work you do and the type of setting you work in. For example. you may be involved with preparing food, but not with moving and handling people. In this case you would need to be up to date and familiar with food safety regulations but not necessarily with manual handling.

• It is important that you don't carry out any work activity that you haven't been trained for. This is a legal requirement for some work activities

Activity

• Take out your notebook/pad and think about the following:

• What jobs do you think you are not allowed to do unless you have had training?

Safety Training

• Training is required for certain tasks to ensure that you do not cause harm to yourself or others. It is your employer's responsibility to provide the training but yours to attend.

• You should never take on any task before you have been given the relevant training and updates.

• Examples include Medication, Moving and Handling, Using a Hoist, Cleaning spillages etc

The Main regulators of Safety at Work in Social Care

• The Health and Safety Executive – HSE• The Care Quality Commission – CQC• Local Authorities

• Now lets look at those laws:

Health and Safety Law

• Most health and safety law comes under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974). This law is often described as an 'Umbrella Act’because of all the regulations that cover health and safety at work under this law.

The Health and Safety At Work Act 1974

• This is a detailed piece of legislation covering everyone at work. There are many other pieces of legislation that come under this main Act including:

• RIDDOR - Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995.

• COSHH - Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002.

• Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992

The Health and Safety At Work Act 1974

• The Health and Safety at Work Act (HASWA) states that everyone has a duty to play a part in health and safety. This includes employees, the self-employed, manufacturers, suppliers and installers but most of the responsibility is placed on the employer

A Summary of the Employers Duties

• Make the workplace safe and remove risks to health.• Keep environmental factors such as dust, fumes and noise

under control.• Provide adequate welfare facilities such as toilets , washing

and eating areas.• Provide employees with the necessary information,

instruction, training and supervision to complete their work safely and without risk to health.

• Provide a written health and safety policy.• Provide adequate first-aid facilities.• Carry out risk assessments.

HASWA

• Employers have to observe these responsibilities so that they can provide a safe working environment.

• There is only so much that employers can do to promote safe working practice, and employees also have responsibilities under this law.

• We will now look at the Employees responsibilities

Employees Responsibilities

• Take reasonable care of your safety and the safety of others

• Wear equipment provided• Report all dangers, accidents, hazards and

faulty equipment immediately• Follow all safety policies and procedures

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH)

• The COSHH regulations require employers to assess the use of all hazardous substances in the workplace and take steps to limit exposure. It isn't always possible to limit their use, therefore effective working practices are used to protect people.

• COSHH applies to all workplaces, and in social care covers chemicals such as bleach, toilet cleaner etc.

COSHH

• The principles of risk assessment apply to COSHH assessment. Employers must take steps to identify hazardous substances in the workplace, who is at risk and the level of that risk.

• All potential harmful substances should be labelled correctly. There must be COSHH records to show you how to safely use/handle these substances. There should also be guidance on storage.

COSHH CONTROL MEASURES

• Once the risks have been identified, steps should be taken to reduce, eliminate or control them. Preventing exposure to the substance is the main aim of the COSHH assessment. This is done by taking it out of use if possible and perhaps substituting it with a safe or safer substance. If these measures are not possible, then the risk will have to be controlled.

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and DangerousOccurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995

• If accidents and incidents ('near misses') are reported and recorded, they can be investigated. Action can then be taken to prevent the same accidents from happening in the future . RIDDOR makes it a legal requirement for you to report them.

What does this involve?

• Employees must notify their employers of all accidents at work.

• Employers must report any accidents that stop a person working for more than three days to either the Environmental Health Department or the Health and Safety Executive.

These accidents need to be reported immediately!!!!

• Fatal accidents• Fractures (but not hands or feet)• Loss of sight• Certain diseases such as Norovirus, birdflu etc• Any injury that results in someone staying in hospital

for more than 24 hours• Collapse of a wall at the workplace• Dangerous occurrences such as fires which may

prevent work in an area of the workplace for more than 24 hours

Manual Handling

• Whether you are likely to be involved with moving people or objects, it is important that you have training to use the correct technique and any lifting aids provided.

• The regulations in relation to moving and handling are:

• Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, (amended 2002)

• EU regulations with effect from January 1993

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations cover the following:

• Care workers to be trained in manual handling.• All hazardous manual handling tasks to be

avoided where possible.• Unavoidable tasks to be assessed in advance

and appropriate action to be taken to remove or reduce the risk of injury.

• A safe manual handling policy incorporating training and assessment must be in place.

Risk Assessments

• Risk assessments for moving and handling are based on many factors. In health and social care some staff are involved with moving and handling individuals who are not able to move themselves. They have to use equipment such as Hoists.

• The care plan should provide guidance on each individual based on:

• their weight and their ability to assist and weight bear• Staff must follow the risk assessment unless their own

personal assessment indicates that circumstances have changed putting either the individual or staff members at risk. In this case you must report it to the manager.

Data Protection Act 1998

• Most of the information shared about individuals who are using health and social care services is very personal and could be of a sensitive nature. It may include details about their medical condition or family and financial circumstances. It includes details of their name, address and other information which could threaten their security if it got into the wrong hands.

• Individuals trust all staff to look after this information and keep it secure, but there is also a legal obligation.

The Main Points of the Data Protection Act 1998 include:

• Information systems must be registered.• Only specific information can be stored on these

systems.• Access to the information within organisations is

limited to authorised people.• Individuals can have access to information stored

about them. • Data must be kept secure. Keep all client files safely

in a locked draw or in a safe place if in homecare

Activity

• Scenario - Marlene is a domiciliary care worker. She leaves some paperwork on the back seat of her car. It shows the addresses and personal details of the individuals she supports in their own homes. People walking past her parked car could read this information, and in the wrong hands it could be used by criminals to target vulnerable people.

Other laws affecting Health and Safety

• Food Safety Act 1990 – food served must not be harmful, unfit to eat and contaminated.

• Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006 – concerned with protecting the vulnerable from poor hygiene practices.

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulations 1992 – Highlights that you need to know what PPE you need to wear and when

Other Laws…

• Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 – This introduced the ISA (Independent Safeguarding Authority) which is in charge of ensuring unsuitable people don’t work with vulnerable people.

Policies and Procedures

• The government makes laws and then employers provide policies and procedures so that workers have guidelines about how they should work within the law. All companies with more than 5 staff must have policies and procedures in relation to Safety and have a safety representative.

Benefits of Policies and Procedures

• They help to protect your own and others' lives.

• Efficient and safe procedures can save time and therefore money.

• They lead to improvements in people's work.• They increase the morale and well-being of

staff, residents and all visitors, giving them a feeling of security.

Policies and Procedures

• Policies and procedures provide guidance for workers about how they should work safely and within the law. Make sure that you are familiar with the main policies and procedures in your workplace.

Activity

• Have you had a chance to look at the policies and procedures in your workplace ?

• What areas do you think the policies and procedures would cover?

• Make a list of the main health and safety policies and procedures that are in place.

Examples of Policies

• Risk Assessment Policies• Safeguarding Policy• Violence and Aggression Policy• Lone Workers Policy• Infection Control Policy• Moving and Handling Policy• Whistle blowing policy

Where to Get Advice and Guidance on Safety

• Health and Safety Executive• From you Management• From Policies and Procedures• Tutors• Websites/Online

Activity

• Think about what you would do if you had to report a health and safety issue in your work or study area. Are you familiar with the procedure you should follow?

Summary

• If you are not sure what training you need for your work role, find out from your manager.

• Staff training is an important aspect of health and safety - never carry out a task unless you have received the necessary training.

• If personal information about individuals is not kept secure, it could leave them open to the risk of harm, abuse or criminal activity.

• Policies and procedures provide guidance for workers about how they should work safely and within the law.

• Make sure that you are familiar with the main policies and procedures in your workplace.

Well done!!!!

• Go to Part 2 Health and Safety which will be about Risk Assessments….