Essay: Health and safety at work

My work place works complies with all the current and relevant legislation and policies, and promotes Health & Safety the welfare and well-being of staff and others in the home. As part of my job role, I am responsible for these procedures and practices and ensuring that they are upheld. The Health and Safety covers a wide array of Acts, regulations and legislations which cover all aspects of health and safety .My workplace reflects the current legislation within its policies and procedures and are reviewed on a regular basis for us to maintain our commitment in the promotion of the Health and Safety of all staff and visitors to the home. It is important for me to monitor compliance with health and safety legislations and my workplace’s policies and procedures. If I receive a report or observe a member of staff not complying with health and safety procedure, I will ensure that I will take necessary action. There were two incidents that caught my attention regarding member of staff who failed to adhere with the health and safety. On one occasion, a member of staff provided care to one of our service user RN. It is part of our commitment to provide a quality care and as much as possible to eliminate the spread of infection within the home. I saw the member of staff carrying and embracing the soiled linens and clothing alongside with the incontinent pad. It is our best practice to prepare all the equipment and necessary things that should be needed. Trolley for the laundry should be outside service user bedroom and a plastic bag should be used before throwing out the incontinent pad and ensure that hand washing is observed. What I have done as part of my job role is to have a one to one supervision with the member of staff. I let the member of staff realised what went wrong with the task that was just carried out. I informed the member of staff that what was done is inappropriate and in such away increases the risk to health and safety. As a result, I advised the member of staff to do a re-training on infection control and that further observation will be done. There was an incident which was already mentioned where chairs and wheel chairs were kept in front of the fire exit. Upon seeing this, I immediately spoken to the person in charge of the shift, pointing out that if there was a fire it would be hindrance to us as we use it for any evacuation and would have been difficult. This was done through supervision and recommended for a re-training on fire safety.
Learning Outcome 2 2.4
Record keeping and reports are vital in ensuring safe practice with regards health and safety and risk management issues. The Data Protection Act 1998 principles should be observed. All records and reports concerning health and safety should be clear, concise, factual and not based on opinions or assumptions. In the event that it is based on opinion, a mark stating that opinion based should be included. I take into consideration as well that in making or completing a report I ensure that there is a witness and his/her signature taken for verification purposes. As part of my job role, I need to ensure that reports are completed in relation to health and safety and for accidents and emergencies which includes:
1. Risk Assessment: are written down to provide staff with the information required to carry out and perform their job safely: example: moving and handling. It is a good practice to have risk assessment in place so that when inspectors come in the home it will easily identify that we are taking the action before anything goes wrong.
2. RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (1999)): Reporting any accidents and ill health at work is a legal requirement. As well I need to report deaths, Major injuries, Accident resulting in more than three days off work, Diseases and Dangerous occurrences. Reportable injuries: dislocation of the shoulder, hip, knee or spine, amputation, loss of sight to name some. Reportable illnesses may include: poisoning, some skin diseases such as dermatitis, skin cancer. Infections such as hepatitis, tuberculosis and tetanus. A record of accident and incidents are in place (Health and Safety Executive, n.d.)
3. Accident Report Forms: accidents that occur in the workplace are recorded and reported.
4. COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (1999)): My work place has a COSHH file in place which details the following: place they are kept, how chemicals are labelled, their cause and effects, the maximum amount of time it is safe to be exposed to them and how to deal with an emergency involving one of them in case happens.
I personally believe that non compliance with the completion of any of the above stated records and forms may result in persecution and fines.
Learning Outcome 3 3.1
A systematic approach to policy is needed with the aim of minimising the risks created by work activities and services. A risk assessment is simply a careful examination of what, in your work, could cause potential harm to people, so that you can weigh up whether you have taken enough precautions or should do more to prevent harm (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, 2013). As part of my job role, I have the responsibility to identify and take necessary action to limit the risks in the work place. There are five steps to risk assessment. In doing the risk assessment it should be concise, factual, and easy to understand. I need to think about the hazard and risk in doing risk assessment. Hazard is anything that can cause harm such as chemical, electricity etc. Risk on the other hand is that chance, high or low, that someone could be harmed together with the indication of how serious the harm could be (Health and Safety Executive, n.d.).Wherever possible, risk should be eliminated by carefully selecting the correct facilities and equipments and procedures minimised by the use of control measure. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 sets out the general requirement for risk assessment and control procedures (Public and Commercial Service Union, 2016). As part of my job role, in order for me to be able to contribute to the development of policies and procedures in my workplace simply by attending meeting with external organisations (environmental health services, electric and gas suppliers and contractors etc), by attending training and carrying out personal research to inform my present practice. As well ensuring my personal knowledge is up to date (new information about policies and procedures) and able to use my knowledge in my workplace. It is my role as well to cascade new knowledge with my staff through supervision and in house training. I need to remember that every individual has the right to take risks and that this is balanced against the likelihood of harm. To site, Mr. N was admitted in the home due to multiple falls and has the capacity to decide for himself. Mr. N wishes to go out to the shop to buy some stuff for himself and doesn’t want to be accompanied by a member of staff. However, our policy states that all service users who wish to go out of the premises should be accompanied by a member of staff of a qualified staff. Resulted in changing the work place procedure.
Learning Outcome 3 3.2
It is vital for all workplace, especially a health care organisation, to develop a safe and successful practice to their staff and service users. As part of my job role, it is important for me to work with all those involved when assessing and managing potential risks and hazards. This will involve me working with a range of people and organisations to assess potential risks identify hazard and develop policies to manage risk in my workplace. Risk assessments need to be carried out for individual’s assessing care or support, workers/practitioners, carers, key person, visitors to the work setting. There are many potential risks in health and social care setting. There are five steps in carrying out risk assessment.
Step 1: Identify the hazard: in this stage, I need to work out how people can possibly be harmed.
Step 2: Decide who might be harmed and how: I need to clearly stipulate who might be harmed and it will help me identify the best way in managing the risk.
Step 3: Evaluate the risks and decide the precautions, once I have identified the hazard I need then to decide what to do and how to deal with it.
Step 4: Record finding and implement. I need to cascade to all member of staff about the result of the risk and encourage them to take the appropriate risk assessment to avoid further harm or injury and
Step 5: Review your risk assessment and update if necessary, if there are some changes with the previous risk assessment it should be reviewed and re-assess and ensure that it is up to date.
Good communication between different organisations is important with regards to health and safety. A good example is that when one of our service users was transferred to our home from a psychiatric unit and he is physically and verbally abusive. I coordinated with all those individuals who are working with our service user including staff from the hospital, service user family and friends, general practitioners, care manager. In this regard, all the information that was shared among us, I can use it to carry out risk assessment and put into place for me to be able to meet the care need of the service user and minimise the risks ensuring everyone’s health and safety needs are taken into consideration.
Learning Outcome 3 3.3
Collaborative team work in relation to risks:
As part of my job role, I have the duty to behave in a manner that helps to improve productivity in every staff member. The way I act has a great impact on how my team works or function on a day to day basis. Conducting regular staff meeting and face to face discussion helps me to understand their needs. It is vital for the staff member to feel that they are important and valued. I always let them feel that I am on their grounds and always behind them when they are under heavy fire. Member of staff in my workplace plays a vital role in helping me to come up with a very good risk assessment. I find that all member staffs are being more diverse, proactive and vigilant with their working environment. Understanding individual needs and supporting service users, it is important to consider the issue of risk. Therefore, hazard is considered in terms of its severity of seriousness and impact potential, before considering the likelihood of it happening. Working in a care sector is challenging, I have been in a situation where in a legal requirement, such as ‘I have a duty of care’, whilst on the other hand, been told that I have to empower service user and also to afford them the dignity of risk’. There is various risk screening tools now a days to help minimise the potential risk of harm or danger. In my workplace various risk assessment are in place such as Control of substances hazardous to health, service user fire assessment, falls risk assessment and with tracking record, risk assessment for feeding/nutrition, application of cream/ointment risk assessment, service user moving and handling risk assessment, bed rail risk assessment to name some. The responsible individuals involved in making this process possible are the member of staff who knows the service user best. To include as well other health care professionals such as General Practitioner, District Nurses, and other specialist. Therefore, they can help in the process. Everyone must agree and must have a clear understanding about risk assessment and its process.
A monthly risk assessment review should be in place in order to ensure that changes are being recorded.
Learning Outcome 4 4.1
Initially, the Plan of care or the care plan should be agreed by the service user, their family or carer, a practitioner and the representative or advocate (if necessary). This should constitute all the detailed recorded discussion and agreement on the identified risks and the responsibilities held by each party. The care plan and risk management section should be proportionate, least restrictive and outcomes-based. As part of my job role, it is important for me to implement, monitor and review systems and procedures to ensure that every service user are supported o assess, balance and make decisions about the risks associated with activities they wish to pursue. Any concerns raised by people, workers and relevant others are balanced with each service user’s wish. As part of my responsibility, I need to assess, analyse and manage the situation and circumstances associated with the risk(s). Every service users has the right and the right to choose to take risks is included. As I mentioned in 3.1, Mr. N was admitted in the home due to multiple falls and has the capacity to decide for himself. Mr. N wishes to go out to the shop to buy some stuff for him and doesn’t want to be accompanied by a member of staff. However, our policy states that all service users who wish to go out of the premises should be accompanied by a family (if applicable), member of staff or a qualified staff to ensure their safety. Through this, a risk assessment was carried out establishing the risk and to minimise them where possible. By going to the shops alone it increases the service user’s independence and sense of well-being. Every service user in my workplace as part of my job role, I ensure that they are supported to manage and assess risks to their health and well being and this can only be achieved through a person centred planning. I ensure that every service users are encouraged to discuss and address issues which may be detrimental to their health and well-being. A service user with dementia or learning disabilities will choose to make unwise decision but do have the mental capacity to do so. If this thing happens, the issue will be fully discussed with the service use, their families and the multi-disciplinary care team to enable the service user to discuss their choices and wishes and explore safer options.