Understand Health And Safety In Social Care

Categories: HealthSafety

Legislation relating to health and safety in a social care setting:

  • Health and Safety at work Act 1974 — An Act to make further provision for securing the health, safety and welfare of persons at work, for protecting others against risks to health or safety in connection with the activities of persons at work
  • Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 — any transporting or supporting of a load (including the lifting, putting down, pushing, pulling, carrying or moving thereof) by hand or bodily force.
  • Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 — it require employers and others to report accidents and some diseases that arise out of or in connection with work.

  • Care Standard Act 2000 — provides the administration of a variety of care institutions
  • Food Safety Act 1990 and Food Hygiene Regulations 2005 — under this act you must not: provide food that is unfit for people to eat cause food to be dangerous to health provide food which is less than the quality a customer has a right to expect.
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How do health and safety policies protect

Social care settings is a broad term referring to any place where an organization works with those who are ill, injured, disabled, economically challenged, marginalized or otherwise disadvantaged. Obviously, in these settings health and safety standards are important to protect those who use them from illness and injury. All of the above mentioned legislations are crucial part of health and safety. Every piece of legislation describes not only clear guidance of responsibilities but also how should we maintain health and safety to eliminate risks for the people using social care settings.

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The differences in the main health and safety responsibilities of:

a) the social care worker:

  • Follow the training you have received when using any work items your employer has given you
  • Take reasonable care of your own and other people’s health and safety
  • Co-operate with your employer on health and safety
  • Tell someone (your employer, supervisor, or health and safety representative) if you think the work or inadequate precautions are putting anyone’s health and safety at serious risk

b) the employer or manager:

  • Decide what could harm you in your job and the precautions to stop it. This is part of risk assessment
  • Consult and work with you and your health and safety representatives in protecting everyone from harm in the workplace
  • Give you the health and safety training you need to do your job provide you with any equipment and protective clothing you need, and ensure it is properly looked after
  • Have insurance that covers you in case you get hurt at work or ill through work

c) others in the social care setting:to respond to any concerns as soon as possibleto understand health and safety procedures

Situations when responsibility for health lies with the individual

  • When service user does not comply with risk assessment and procedures
  • Service users do not take reasonable care for own or others’ safety (for example: faulty electrical or furniture in the way)

Specific tasks

Trainings are necessary to carry out professional tasks, otherwise with trying to help, you may cause more harm to service users. For example do not hoist anyone if you are not trained.

Additional support and information

You can always find information in the Hand Book provided by the employer. If you are still not confident, then you can ask your line manager for support.

Assess of health and safety risks

It is important because you can always be up to date on legislations and to prevent or reduce risks to a minimum. By assess to health and safety risks you can protect yourself, service users and others from danger.

The steps to carrying out a risk assessment

  1. Identifying hazards
  2. evaluating risks
  3. taking precautions
  4. reviewing risks
  5. reporting and recording risks

How to address potential health and safety risks identified

First you identify the risks. Then you can consider what safety measures are required to put in place to minimise the risks. Make sure you communicate the risks and changes to others to prevent them getting hurt.

Dilemmas between individual’s rights and health concerns

It is used as a starting point for working arrangements. It also helps the service users to understand what the risks are and what responsibilities the employees and employer have.

How to promote health within the social care setting

Taking part in health and safety training to understand the procedures and then most importantly reporting and recording risks and hazards as soon as possible.

Types of accidents and sudden illness that may occur

Accidents can be:fallsslips and trips (losing balance), cut and burns

Sudden illness can be:

  • stroke
  • seizures
  • vomiting
  • poisoning
  • overdosing
  • being breathless
  • unconsciousness

Procedures if sudden illness should occur

First of all phone 999 and then immediately make sure the service user is in the most comfortable position as possible. Cover them with a blanket and put a pillow under the head. After the paramedics have finished you have record and report to line manager next of kin.

Emergency first aid tasks

If you are not a qualified first aider then you can cause more harm to the service users’ health and you may delay their recovery.

Failing to follow emergency first aid procedures

By failing to follow procedures, injuries and illnesses may become worser and you may cause death.

The routes by which an infection can get into the body

  • body fluids
  • blood circulation
  • digestive
  • respiratory

Prevention methods:

  1. Hand washing — by washing your hands before and after personal care you prevent spreading infections. Most of the bacteria are sitting under your nails.
  2. Own personal hygiene — always wearing gloves and aprons. Don’t forget to change gloves between personal care and food preparation or administering medication.
  3. Encouraging the individual’s personal hygiene — carers can always prompt the service users to look after themselves by washing their hands, brushing teeth. We can always help them with areas they are struggling with.

Personal protective equipment

  • Gloves
  • Aprons
  • Shoe covers

These help to create a barrier between carers and service users

Own role in supporting others to follow practices that reduce the spread of infection

  • My role is to follow workplace practises to that reduce the spread of infection and to shoe a good example to others.
  • Encouraging service users to cover their mouth and nose when they are sneezing or coughing.
  • Explaining them not to use the same tissue and to wash their hands.

Main points of legislation that relates to moving and handling

  • Correct use of equipments
  • Reporting any difficulties or problems with equipment
  • Avoiding hazardous manual handling

Safe moving protects

After identifying hazards and risks it can reduce the risk of injury. This can also give opportunity to review the service users different moving and handling aid needs.

Situations that may require additional supports

If we have any concerns about the moving and handling equipment we can contact the service users’ occupational therapist to put in place additional equipments what can make moving and handling easier and more comfortable for both carers and service users.

Why it is important to be carried out following specialist training

It is important to understand the service users’ special needs and preferences. This way moving and handling will be safer and minimises the risk of injuries for both carers and service users.

Why it is important to have specialist training before assisting

Moving and handling can be very dangerous for both carers and service users. By not moving somebody correctly can be very painful for the service users and if something goes wrong you can cause permanent damage. You can also hurt your own back and you might have to stop work for a while.

Assisting without specialist training

Failure to follow company procedures and legislationsPlacing yourself and service users in dangerInjury

Not following an individual’s care plan

By not following the care plan you are not meeting the service users’ needs and preferences, and by that you are also neglecting them. The care plan is there for a guide and if you don’t agree with it you should discuss it with your line manager before you take any further actions.

Types of hazardous substances that may be found in the social care setting

  • Harmful
  • Toxic
  • Corrosive
  • Irritant

Safe practices for:

  1. Storing hazardous substances — in a secure place; clearly labelled containers
  2. Using hazardous substances — reading labels carefully before using it; not mixing them incorrectly; always wear gloves and aprons; report any concerns
  3. Disposing of hazardous substances — follow workplace procedures under correct conditions

Dangers

By using hazardous substances incorrectly you can cause harmful gases and fire which is great danger for you and the service users. Follow workplace policies and READ the LABEL.

Updated: Jul 06, 2022
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Understand Health And Safety In Social Care. (2016, Jun 16). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/understand-health-and-safety-in-social-care-essay

Understand Health And Safety In Social Care essay
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