Health and safety Flashcards
List the 9 general duties that the health and safety at work (1974) act covers
- A safe system of work
- A safe place to work
- safe equipment
- safe and competent colleagues
- carrying out risk assessments
- informing workers about hazards (Provided training)
- Appointing a health and safety lead
- consulting with safety representatives
- providing adequate facilities for staff
What does COSHH stand for?
Control of substances Hazardous to health
What is the name and date of this primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety in Great Britain? (this legislation also requires an employer to have a health and safety policy).
Health and safety at work act (1974)
Whose protection is the H&S at work act designed for?
Everyone
Who is responsible for compliance with the H&S at work act?
Everyone
When releasing a patient with an infection risk to a funeral director make a list of what extra care should be taken?
PPE- such as gloves, apron and face visor or eye goggles. The use of a body bag form that states the nature of the infection without reveling the actual infection.
What advice should be given to a family visiting a patient with a category 3 infection
Inform the family of risk of infection, provide PPE if needed or viewings can be held behind a glass panel. Advise the family to wash their hands after viewing
Name 3 items that should be worn as a minimum when releasing a deceased to a FD with known high risk infection.
Nitrile gloves, Plastic apron, Eye protection (visor or goggles)
List the employer responsibilities for your health and safety.
- decide what could harm you in your Job and the precautions to stop it
- explain how risks will be controlled and tell you who is responsible
- Consult and work with you and your health and
safety representatives in protecting everyone from
harm in the workplace. - free health and safety training
- provide looked after equipment
- provide toilets, washing facilities and drinking water
- have a major injury and fatality reporting system
- provide first aid facilities
- have insurance
- Work with any other employers or contractors
sharing the workplace or providing employees
(such as agency workers), so that everyone’s
health and safety is protected
Outline an employees responsibility with regards to health and safety.
1.Follow the training you have received when using
any work items your employer has given you.
2,Take reasonable care of your own and other
people’s health and safety.
3,Co-operate with your employer on health and
safety.
4. 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.
Describe the effects (signs and symptoms) that could be present in an adult who has an infection.
- acting confused, slurred speech or not making sense
- blue, pale or blotchy skin, lips or tongue
- a rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it, the same as meningitis
- difficulty breathing, breathlessness or breathing very fast
List the 4 common routes diseases can gain entry to the body.
- Respiratory tract
- Skin contact
- Ingestion/Digestive Tract
- Reproductive systems
Name each of the different red diamond chemical hazard symbols.
Corrosive/Explosive (Symbol: exploding bomb)
Flammable/Flammable (Symbol: flame)
Oxidising/Oxidising (Symbol: flame over circle)
Corrosive/Corrosive (Symbol: corrosion)
Toxic/Acute toxicity (Symbol: skull and crossbones)
Environmentally damaging/Hazardous to the environment (Symbol: environment)
Health hazard/Hazardous to the ozone layer (Symbol: exclamation mark)
Health hazard/Serious health hazard (Symbol: health hazard)
Compressed gas/Gas under pressure (Symbol: gas cylinder)
Name a 3 chemicals / solutions / fixatives etc. in your department that have a chemical hazard symbol on them and the risks of using them.
- Distel (long term health hazard or carcinogenic/Harmful/Corrosive)
- Green detergent (Harmful)
- Formaldehyde (Carcinogenic/Toxic/Corrosive)
4 classifications of biohazards
Level 1- Not infectious to living organisms
Level 2- Infectious to living organisms, mild diseases, easily treatable
Level 3- Severely infectious to living organisms, can cause death however treatment is available.
Level 4- Severely infectious to living organisms, can cause death and no treatment is available.
Briefly describe what is meant by a biological hazard
biological substances that pose a threat to the health of living organisms
following a needle stick injury what should the appropriate response to this type of incident be
Datix the incident
Referral to occupational health
Report if any signs of infection occur
What does PPE mean and why is it used.
Personal protection equipment, to create a barrier between an employee and a hazard
List PPE that can be used for protecting the following:
Eyes
Head
Breathing
Body
Hands
Feet
Eyes- Face visor/Goggles
Head- Gown cap/Hair net/visor respirator
Breathing- FP3/Respirator
Body- plastic gown/Apron
Hands-Gloves
Feet- wipe down shoes/wellies/Overshoes
what chemical hazard symbols are associated with Formalin?
- Carcinogenic/Long term health hazard
- Toxic
- Corrosive
What Hazards are identified in this document when using formalin
Acute oral toxicity Acute Inhalation Toxicity Skin Corrosion/irritation Serious Eye Damage/Eye Irritation Skin Sensitization Germ Cell Mutagenicity Carcinogenicity
List the Symptoms / effects both acute and delayed, when using this chemical (Formalin)
headache, dizziness, tiredness, nausea and vomiting, Irritation to the eyes and itching
What does ALARP stand for?
As low as reasonably practicable
What does SFAIRP stand for
so far as is reasonably practicable
What do ALARP and SFAIRP mean
weighing a risk against the trouble, time and money needed to control it.
List the potential risk (s) to mortuary staff for the following 5 physical hazards:
Ionising radiation
Lifting / manual handling
Noise
Sharps
Slips, Trips and falls
Ionising radiation- Adverse health effects - cancer/ Genetic defects.
Lifting / manual handling- Musculoskeletal disorders.
Noise- Hearing damage or loss/ Physiological effects/Work related stress/Increased risk of accidents.
Sharps-Cuts/Infection.
Slips, Trips and Falls- Minor injuries such as cuts to major injuries such as broken bones, concussion and even death.
List 3 Biohazard sources that may be present in a mortuary.
- Exposure to infected blood
- Direct skin contact
- sharps injuries/puncture wounds
How would you handle a high risk specimen
- Extra PPE E.g. face visor
- highlight that the sample is high risk
- place the specimen in a biohazard specimen bag that states it is high risk
What substances are covered by COSHH?
Any substances that have a COSHH warning and COSHH safety sheet. Any substance that is hazardous to health
Give 4 examples of substances as defined by the COSHH regulations that can found in the mortuary
- Formalin
- Distel
- Green detergent
- Suma break-up
List 4 ways employers can prevent or reduce worker’s exposure to hazardous substances under this regulation?
- finding out what the health hazards are;
- deciding how to prevent harm to health (risk assessment);
- providing control measures to reduce harm to health;
- keeping all control measures in good working order;
Outline how a supervisor could identify physical hazards in a mortuary that could present a risk
- Walk around your workplace. Where is there potential for exposure to substances that might be hazardous to health?
- In what way are the substances harmful to health?; Get safety data sheets
- What jobs or tasks lead to exposure?-Note these down. Note down what control measures you already use
- Are there any areas of concern, eg from the Accident Book?- Examples include burns from splashes, nausea or light headedness from solvents, etc
what does LOLER stand for?
Lifting operations and lifting equipment regulations
List 3 pieces of equipment that might be present in a mortuary that will come under LOLER
- Leec trolley/ Manual Patient trolley
- Post mortem Table
- Patient viewing trolley
What are the employee’s responsibilities in regards to LOLER?
- sufficiently strong, stable and suitable for the proposed use.
- positioned or installed to prevent the risk of injury
- visibly marked with any appropriate information to be taken into account for its
safe use
There is a heavy box on the PM room floor of the mortuary, – you are required to lift it from the floor to the work surface – describe the measures you would use to ensure you lifted it safely.
- individual capability
- the nature of the load
- environmental condition
- Reduce the amount of twisting, stooping and reaching
- Avoid lifting from floor level or above shoulder height, especially heavy loads
- Adjust storage areas to minimise the need to carry out such movements
- Consider how you can minimise carrying distances
- Assess the weight to be carried and whether the worker can move the load safely or needs any help – maybe the load can be broken down to smaller, lighter components
What are the 4 main health risks with display screen equipment (DSE)?
- fatigue
- eye strain
- upper limb problems
- backache
List 6 ways users of DSE can get comfortable.
- Forearms should be approximately horizontal and the user’s eyes should be the
same height as the top of the screen. - Make sure there is enough work space to accommodate all documents or
other equipment. - Arrange the desk and screen to avoid glare, or bright reflections. T
- Adjust curtains or blinds to prevent intrusive light.
- Make sure there is space under the desk to move legs.
- Avoid excess pressure from the edge of seats on the backs of legs and knees.
List 3 factors that must be taken into account for a well-designed workstation.
- body size and shape.
- posture.
- muscle strength
List 4 ways a user can interrupt prolonged use of DSE with changes of activity
- Going to meetings
- making phone calls
- Allocated lunch breaks
- Going for a walk
