1.1: Types of Hazards

Question 1

Environmental

Answer 1

• Work or damaged equipment, furniture and flowing can cause slip and trip hazards resulting in sprains,bruising, fractures or being knocked unconscious.

Question 2

Biological

Answer 2

• Medical or other waste products not disposed of following correct procedures and poor levels of hygiene can result in the spread of infection and disease.

Question 3

Chemical

Answer 3

• Medicines - incorrect doses being administered, wrong medication, unauthorised access to medication can have serious health consequences.
• Cleaning Materials - stored or used incorrectly can cause serious physical harm.

Question 4

Psychological

Answer 4

• Fatigue and Stress - due to long working hours, coping with challenging behaviour, violence, abuse from service users, bullying in the workplace.

Question 5

Physical

Answer 5

• Excessive loud noise at work, i.e. continuous use of a loud hoover can cause ringing in the ears, deafness or other ear complaints.
• Radiation from electromagnetic rays like x-rays and gamma rays - X-rays, used in medical environments for scanning internal organs and diagnosing broken bones. Gamma rays are used in the treatment of cancers and sterilising medical equipment.

Question 6

Musculoskeletal

Answer 6

• Manual Handling - equipment, patients, residents can cause muscle injuries if not carried out correctly following procedures.
• Display Screen Equipment (DSE) - incorrect posture or badly placed screen can cause muscular aches and pains and also repetitive strain injuries (RSI).

Question 7

Working Conditions

Answer 7

• Temperature – too hot or too cold can cause dehydration and make conditions such as asthma worse.
• Hearing can be damaged with long-term exposure to noise levels that are too high.
• Stress and fatigue can be caused by travelling long distances, being away from home and sitting in traffic for periods of time.

Question 8

Working Practices

Answer 8

• Excessive hours result in accidents and mistakes as a result of lack of concentration and tiredness.
• Lack of supervision for new staff or those taking on new tasks. Training is essential to avoid accidents and errors. i.e. using a hoist to incorrectly could lead to injury.

Question 9

Lack of Security Systems

Answer 9

• Door locks, alarm systems and monitoring of all visitors are all measures to prevent unauthorized access by strangers who may pose a threat of harm to individuals in care environments. Security may not be in place or faulty due to poor maintenance.