LO1: Hazards Flashcards
What is a hazard?
A potential source of harm or adverse health effect.
Types of hazard
Environmental
Biological
Chemical
Psychological
Physical
Musculoskeletal
Working conditions
Working practices
Lack of security systems
Potential impacts of hazards for individuals who require care or support, employees and employers
Hazards can impact on individuals who require care and support as well as the employees and employers in HSC settings.
Environmental + Chemical –> Injury or harm
Biological + Psychological –> Illness
Working Conditions + Practices –> Poor standards of care
Lack of security systems –> Financial loss
Injury or harm
Environmental - An individual attending a GP appointment may fall in uneven steps at the front entrance if not repaired.
Chemical - Not storing medicines securely in a locked cupboard may lead to children swallowing them mistakenly thinking that they are sweets or even the medicines being accessed by unauthorised employees.
Illness
Biological - Used dressings need to be safely disposed of, dirty laundry needs to be washed separately and body fluid spillages need to be cleaned quickly using the correct protective equipment such as cleaning sprays. Can lead to illnesses such as Clostridium difficile.
Psychological - Employees who are stressed are more likely to make mistakes in their day to day interactions and their functioning will be slower leading to poor quality of care and neglect.
Poor standards of care
Working conditions - Poorly maintained hand washing facilities can result in employees not maintaining a good level of personal hygiene which in turn can lead to spread of infections like MRSA (Methichillin-resistant Stphylococcus aureus).
Working practices - A lack of regular supervision for all employees can lead to poor communication within the team and with individuals who require care and support, which can in turn cause conflicts and misunderstandings, employers and employees not being able to work in partnership and leading to overall higher levels of stress.
Financial loss
Lack of security systems - This may result in theft of personal belongings and damage to property. This can also impact on organisations, as if the hazard caused by the lack of security leads to injury or fatality then the individual affected or their family may bring a lawsuit against the organisation. The organisation may also be subject to fines from regulatory bodies such as the HSE.
Harm and abuse
Anyone in HSC settings can be vulnerable to abuse. Individuals who require care and support may be vulnerable to harm and abuse from a paid worker, manager or owner of a setting, family member, friend, visitor, and even from other individuals who just access the same setting. Harm and abuse can also be carried out by individuals who require support and care and who may end up being verbally or physically aggressive towards others.
Types of Abuse
Physical
Sexual
Emotional/psychological
Neglect
Financial
Institutional
Bullying
Discrimination
Exploitation/mate crime
Intentional abuse
When harm and abuse towards others can be deliberate. For example, an individual who is upset that their senior health worker has advised them to not smoke following their recent operation and hits them is deliberately abusing the worker physically.
Unintentional abuse
When harm and abuse towards others can also be unintentional, through poor care. For example, a senior care worker who supports an older individual to move position in bed in a careless manner is unintentionally physically abusing that individual. Or a play group volunteer who forgets to ask the children to wash their hands after using the toilet is unintentionally neglecting the children and putting them in danger of illnesses and infections.
Effects of Abuse
Irrespective of whether harm and abuse is intentional or unintentional, it can have far reaching effects on the health and wellbeing of both individuals who require care and support and employees in health, social care and child care settings.
Short-term effects:
- bruises, cuts and broken bones
- contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI)
- low self-esteem
- poor self-image
- displaying challenging or needy behaviour
- feeling angry, anxious or tearful
Long-term effects:
- low self-esteem
- feeling angry, anxious or tearful
- developing mental health issues, such as depression, self-harm and suicidal behaviour
Types of settings
Hazards are everywhere and some types of settings may be more likely to contain hazards that are specific to the activities that take place in these and the people that use them.
Hazard settings examples
Health care environments - intensive care unit in a hospital, a clinic, GP surgery or dentist.
Potential risks: Health professonals carry out tasks such as surgical procedures that involve contact with body fluids that can contain pathogens and carry infectious diseases.
Tasks that involve coming into contact with hazardous chemicals can lead to accidental spillages.
Stress can be experienced by those who work in these types of environments.
Care environments - an individual’s home, a residential care home or a nursing home.
Potential risks: Vulnerable residents who are frail or ill may have vulnerable immune systems that can be damaged by illnesses such as leukaemia and therefore can make them more susceptible to infections.
Individuals living in care environments may also have additional visual and/or mobility impairments that may mean that they are more susceptible to having falls.
Child care environments - creches (nurseries) or schools
Potential risks: Children’s immune systems are immature and therefore are more susceptible to infections. Children may also not recognise potential hazards such as sharing toys that have been put in other children’s mouths, choking on food, picking up food that has dropped on the floor, not washing hands after high risk activities such as coughing, sneezing and using the toilet.
Public environments - shopping centres, parks, cinemas, places where large crowds of people gather.
Potential risks: Slips, trips, falls.
Food poisoning from food outlets.
Harms and injuries can also occur from people that may be abusive or violent.
Transport - Centre minibus, ambulances
Potential risks - Slips and trips while getting on and off the minibus.
Wheelchairs not secured properly .
Faulty seatbelts may cause accidents. Individuals travelling in ambulances may experience sudden ill health that requires first aid.
Body fluids from medical equipment could lead to the spread of infections.
