Health and Safety in Social Care

1.1 List legislation relating to general health and safety in a social care setting

The legislations concerning health and safety in a societal care settings include:

· The well-being and safety at workplace Act 1974 (HASAW)

· Ability to manage health and safety at workplace rules

· Controlling materials which are dangerous to the health regulations

· Regulations of handling the operations manually

· The reportage of injuries, Illnesses, and Dangerous occurrences rules 

· Personal protective equipment (PPE) rules

1.2 Describe the main points of health and safety policies and procedures

These points include:

The identification of the major risks regarding the workplace and work errands

Control methods for hazards

The measures for reporting health problems or accidents

The arrangements for emergencies, fire and first aid

The person responsible health and safety matters

How to communicate health and safety in a workplace

The measures for protecting others

          1.3 Outline the main health and safety responsibilities of:

A) The social care worker

The duties of a social care worker may include:

Taking reasonable self-care and the health and safety of others

Reporting potential and actual hazards and risks to his/her employer

Taking part in health and safety training

Understanding and complying with health and safety instructions and procedures

B) The employer

The employer is responsible for:

Providing a safe workplace

Assessing risks and taking action to reduce them

Providing information, instructions, supervision and training

Providing safety signs

Proving adequate welfare and first aid facilities       

C) Individuals

Individuals are only responsible for:

Understanding and complying with well-being and safety procedures and instructions

Taking reasonable self-care and the health and safety of others

1.4 Identify tasks relating to health and safety that should only be carried out with special training.

       Some of the tasks that should be carried with specialist training include:

Using equipment without being skilled 

Giving first aid (it’s only allowed in case of an emergency and one needs to respond in a proper manner)

Administering or handling medication

Handling and preparing food

Helping and moving people or heavy loads

Emergency measures like firefighting or calling in a terrorist

Peg feeding

Colostomy

 1.5 Describe how to access additional support and information relating to health and safety

One can access additional information and support related to health and safety by either contacting or speaking to the Environment Health Department, Health and safety Executive (HSE) the appointed or responsible person for health and safety or the line manager.

2.1 Define what is meant by:

‘Hazard’

A Hazard refers to anything that has the potential to cause harm to something or somebody.

‘Risk’

A risk refers to the probability a hazard will occur and cause harm to something or someone

2.2 Describe how to use a health and safety risk assessment

The health and safety risk assessment is used through the identification of hazards, evaluation of risks, taking precautions, reviewing risks, reporting and recording outcomes

2.3 Explain how and when to report potential health and safety risks that have been identified

In case health and safety risks are identified, they should be reported promptly to avoid greater risks. Therefore, risks are reported by recording findings on a risk assessment form, communicating finding immediately to the appointed health and safety representative, reporting occurrences such as injuries and accidents to the HSE or to RIDOR. One should report a health and safety risk when: reporting immediately, existing measures are inadequate, additional control measures are needed, and when there is change to the original risk assessment.

2.4 Describe how risk assessment can help address dilemmas between an individual’s rights and health and safety concerns

Risk assessment can help address this issue by:

Alerting the service user about the risks

Informing the service user the responsibilities employer and employees have to adhere to health and safety regulations

Being used as the basis for safe working plans for the service user and others

3.1 Describe different types of accidents and sudden illness that may occur in a social care setting

Accidents that may occur in a social care setting include: slips and trips, falls, burns and scalds, swallowing dangerous substance. On the other hand, sudden illness may include: stroke, cardiac arrest, seizures, food poisoning, difficulty with breathing, loss of consciousness, and hypoglycemia.

3.2 Outline the procedures to be followed if an accident or sudden illness should occur

The following procedure should be followed:

Follow administrative procedures and policies according to the health and safety rules, report illness or accidents, and record full details

Communicate and provide information as specified by the registered person submitting notification

Inform and seek advice from the HSE and CQC

Inform the individuals’ next of kin

3.3 Explain why it is important for emergency first-aid tasks only to be carried out by qualified first aiders

Only qualified first aiders should carry out emergent first aid tasks so as to: comply with health and safety legislation, preserve life, reduce the consequences of injury and illness and eventually treat injuries and illnesses effectively

4.1 List routes by which an infection can get into the body

Infections can enter into the body through:

The respiratory system- inhalation and expiration

Bloodstream entry- Blood circulation

The digestive system- consumption of fluids and foods or other materials

Flow of body fluids- transfusions, sexual contact or others transfers of fluids such as saliva

4.2 Describe ways in which own health or hygiene might pose a risk to an individual or to others at work

Hygiene or own health may pose risks to other through sicknesses that can passed or transferred through contact, poor hygiene such as contaminated fabrics and poor hand washing or airborne diseases such as sneezing 

4.3 Explain the most thorough method for hand washing

For one to wash their hands thoroughly, they should follow these steps:

1. Pour warm running water on your hands until they are thoroughly wet then squirt liquid soap onto the palm of one hand

2. Rub your hands together to make lather

3. Repeat the process of rubbing the palm of one hand along the back of the other along the fingers on both hands

4. Rub in between each of your fingers on both hands and round your thumbs and particularly to the nails. You can use a nail brush.

4.4 Describe when to use different types of personal protective equipment

When:

Protecting against bodily fluids during personal care

Protecting against dangerous waste or contaminants while handling waste

Changing the activity so as to protect against cross-contamination

Protecting the carrier from waste and hazardous materials

Protecting the individual from cross-contamination, other infections and contaminants from a carrier.

5.1 Identify legislation that relates to moving and handling

The following legislation relates to moving and handling:

Eliminating manual handling risk to an acceptable level and health and safety at workplace Act

Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER)

Use and provision of work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER)

The workplace (welfare, health and safety) Regulations 1992 (WHSWR)

· The health and safety at work Act 1974

5.2 List principles for safe moving and handling

· Use of equipment in a correct manner

· Avoiding hazardous manual handling

· Observing the agreed working practices

· Reporting any difficulties immediately

· Conducting a full risk assessment of task, load, environment and individual

5.3 Explain why its important for moving and handling tasks to be carried out following specialist training

One should not move or handle tasks without specialist training because it is important to apply agreed working practices, comply with legislation, safeguard oneself and others health and safety, reduce chances of injury to individuals, self and others, and using equipment correctly

6.1 Explain why it is important to have specialist training before assisting and moving an

 Individual

It is important to be skilled before helping and moving an individual to minimize injuries to him/her, yourself or others, to comply with regulations and to safeguard health and safety of oneself and others

6.2 Explain the importance of following an individual’s care plan and fully engaging

With them when assisting and moving

It is important to follow the care plan of an individual so as to: understand their needs and preferences, meet those needs and preferences, move the service user correctly and safely, and reduce the chances of injury to them, yourself or others. It is also important to fully engage with them so as to: ensure that the individual is comfortable and involve him/her as an active participant in process.

7.1 Identify hazardous substances that may be found in social care settings

Some of hazardous substances include: fumes, chemical products, dusts, vapors, germs, gases and mists

7.2 Describe safe practices for:

 Storing hazardous substances

ü Ensuring that the room is ventilated

ü Store only safe quantity

ü Take fire precautions

using hazardous substances-

ü Warn others with use of signs

ü Using the personal protective equipment correctly

ü Always working from dirtiest area to cleanest when cleaning up spillages

Disposing of hazardous substances

ü Ensure that biological waste is incinerated

ü Dispose hazardous waste in orange or yellow bags

ü Dispose hazardous waste of separate to household waste

8.1 Outline procedures to be followed in the social care setting to prevent:

· Fire

ü Avoid smoking

ü Have fire doors propped open

ü Check appliances are turned off

ü Check plugs are switched off

ü Check fire exits are clear

ü Check that the firealarmas are tested and working in order

Gas leak

ü Ensure that appliances are serviced

ü Make sure that appliances like cooker are turned off

Flooding

ü Make sure that water taps are turned off after use

Intruding

ü Be vigilant of security of the building by ensuring that windows and doors are locked.

ü Avoid giving key codes out to people or letting them to view without right of access

Security breach

ü Maintain the confidentiality of information

ü Be vigilant of security of building like windows and doors

ü Check the identification of people before sharing with them the information by asking for ID badges

8.2 Outline procedures to be followed in the social care setting in the event of:

Fire

ü Call 999 immediately

ü Alert the fire officer/ fire warden and everyone else in the vicinity where the fire is by shouting or breaking the emergency glass point nearest to you

ü Extinguish the fire if it is safe to do so

ü Evacuate the premises and move away from the building

Gas leak

ü Dial 999 or inform health and safety officer/manager immediately

ü In case of gas leakage open windows immediately to let fume out

ü Do not turn on/off any matches

ü Go to assembly point

ü Move yourself and others away from the building immediately

ü Record the incident

floods

ü In case of a flood, use a bucket to catch water or a blanket to soak it

ü Turn off main water supply

ü Dial 999 or inform health and safety officer/manager immediately

ü Avoid turning any switches on/off

ü Go to assembly point

ü Move yourself and others away from the building immediately

ü Record incident

intruding

ü Dial 999 or inform health and safety officer/ manager immediately

ü Record incident

ü Move yourself and others to a safe place if possible

security breach

ü Dial 999 or inform health and safety officer/ manager immediately

ü If breach of information report to immediately line manager

ü Record the incident and move self far away from the building immediately

9.1 Identify common signs and indicators of stress

Some of the signs that one is stressed include: insomnia, headache, feeling isolated and cut off, forgetfulness, negativity, depression, over sensitivity, work-a-holism and poor concentration

9.2 Identify circumstances that tend to trigger own stress

One can trigger stress through: work overload/underload, lack of control and autonomy, financial difficulties, unemployed, deadlines, new technology, rapid substantial change, negative policies and difficult professional relationships.

9.3 Describe ways to manage stress

In order to manage stress one should: learn to say ‘NO’, take a 20 minute walk, stretch their muscles, take exercise, accept themselves, slow down by doing one thing at a time and take some deep breaths.

10.1 Describe the main points of agreed procedures about handling medication.

Only the specific people are responsible for medication in the care setting

Medication is prescribed by the doctor or where possible

Medication will be locked in a storage cupboard

In case a medicine has expired it should be disposed

10.2 Identify who is responsible for medication in asocial care setting

A skilled worker-care worker, senior care worker, manager

A service user when self-medicating

A designated person-trained person responsible for medication in the whole care setting

10.3 Explain why medication must only be handled following specialist training

This is to comply with the regulations, to ensure safe administration and to ensure that it is administered correctly

11.1 Identify food safety standards relevant to a social care

These standards include:

· Food standards Act 1999

· Food safety workplace policy

· Food safety guidelines

11.2 Explain how you:

Store food

Food is stored by:

ü Ensuring that it is covered

ü Labeling all the stored food with date

ü Waiting for the food to cool down first then storing it

ü Storing food on correct shelf/ cupboard or fridge

Maximize hygiene when handling food

This can be done by:

ü Wearing protective clothes

ü Keeping yourself clean

ü Ensuring that the working place is clean

ü Washing hands regularly and thoroughly

Disposal of food

ü Food can be disposed by:

ü Ensuring that bins are emptied

ü Wiping all spillages quickly

ü Ensuring that all leftovers are disposed quickly

11.3 Identify common hazards when handing and storing food

ü Improper storage

ü Ineffective cleaning

ü Raw meat drips

Raw food touches