Unit 3 health, safety and security in health and social care LO2 Flashcards
What is legislation?
Legislation is law that is set out by parliament, it governs every aspect of society including the work of health, social and child care settings.
What are regulations?
Regulations are a rule or directive made and maintained by an authority for example a government or a regulatory body such as the CQC.
What are the rules of the health and safety executive?
Upholding health and safety legislation- can enter premises to inspect and question staff.
Will give advice to improve practice.
In severe situations will close workplaces.
Undertake research to improve safety.
Update guidance according to changing situations.
What are the functions of the health and safety at work act 1974?
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the piece of legislation covering health and safety in Great Britain.
It is an act that provides a legal framework for maintain health and safety issues in workplaces.
The act is designed to help prevent workers and service users from injuring themselves.
What other pieces of legislation should I know about under the health and safety at work act 1974?
Control of substances hazardous to health regulations 2003 (COSHH)
Reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations 1995 (RIDDOR)
Management of health and safety at work regulations 1992
How does the act promote health and safety and security?
health and safety at work act
An important act that is the basis for other health and safety regulations and guidelines.
Established the health and safety executive (HSE) as the regulator for the health, safety and welfare of people in work settings in the UK.
Established the key duties and responsibilities of all employers and employees in work settings.
What are the employers responsibilities?
health and safety at work act
Ensure the health and safety of employees.
Provide a written health and safety policy (5 or more employees)
Provide adequate information and training.
What are the employees responsibilities?
health and safety at work act
Take care of their own health and safety at work.
Take care if the health and safety of others.
Co-operate with their employer.
How can the health and safety at work act be applied in a health and social care setting?
Making sure there are no risks in place so that an elderly patient doesn’t trip over whilst they are walking.
In a nursery setting the staff should be aware that children can be more vulnerable to issues relating to health and safety.
Assess toys/ equipment to ensure they they are suitable for the age to avoid choking hazards
How to manage hazards and risks under the health and safety at work act 1974
Ensure the health and safety of employees and others on premises.
Provide a safe place of work, including safe access and egress.
Provide a safe system of work.
Ensure the safe use, handling, storage and transporting of articles and substances.
Provide information, instruction, training and supervision.
How do we manage hazards and risks under the management of health and safety at work regulations 1999.
Risk assessment Provision of safe and adequate equipment Safe systems of work Establishment of emergency procedures Appointment of “competent persons” Provision of information and training.
What is the food safety act 1990?
Act of parliament in the United Kingdom.
Statutory responsibility to treat food intended for human consumption in a controlled and managed way.
E.g. don’t add any substances or additional flavouring to the food because it may be against someone’s religion.
What are the main principles of the food safety act 1990?
To ensure you do not add anything to food, take out anything from food or treat food the way which means it would be damaging to the health of people eating it.
Ensure the food you serve or sell is of the nature, substance or quality which customers would expect.
Ensure food is labelled, advertised and presented in a way that is not false or misleading.
How the food safety act 1990 can be applied to a setting?
Safe practice is important to the promotion of dignity in care. There are a number of legislative measures and regulations to support health and safety at work. Intended to protect people at work. The health and safety executive, local authority training standards and the care quality Commission can all bring prosecutions against care providers who go against the health and safety standards.
How does the food safety act 1990 promote health and safety and security?
Employers have their own responsibility for everyone including the premises, employees, visitors, service users and workers from other places.
Inspect food, seize food, condemn it, serve notice of improvement where they feel it is necessary and they can close down temporary or permanent jobs.
The food safety (general food hygiene) regulations 1995 can be linked to the food Safety Act in 1990.
Manual handling operations regulations 1992
Outlines different techniques on how to lift heavy things.
All staff and employees should be taught and trained in manual handling.
Before carrying out a lift a person has to plan it out and should ask for help when doing it alone.
Should never wear tight jeans or a skirt when lifting.
Key aspects of the manual handling operations regulations 1992
Avoid hazardous manual handling operations so far as is reasonably practicable.
Assess any hazardous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided.
Reduce the risk of injury so far as is reasonably practicable.
What just employers do in the manual handling operations regulations 1992
Must comply with the risk assessment requirements.
Employees have general health and safety duties to follow:
Follow appropriate systems of work laid down for their safety.
Make proper use of equipment provided for their safety.
Co-operate with their employer on health and safety matters.
Take care to ensure that their activities do not put others at risk.
Dealing with risks
Manual handling operations regulations 1992
The MHOR 1992 set out a clear raking of measures for dealing with risks from manual handling, these are:
1) avoid hazardous manual handling operations so far as is reasonably practicable
2) Assess any hazardous manual handling operations that cannot be avoided.
3) reduce the risk of injury so far as is reasonably practicable.
How can it be applied in real life situations?
Manual handling operations regulations 1992
In a care home if their are certain things that can cause training- they should be moved out of reach from the elderly/locked away.
Carers should ensure that there is no hazardous equipment in the elderly persons room as this could potentially lead them to hurting themselves if they fell over or the item fell on them.
Only trained people should use equipment/handle specific hazardous objects.
What does riddor stand for
Reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations 2013
Riddor definition
Puts duties on employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises (the responsible person) to report certain serious workplace accidents, occupational diseases and specified dangerous occurrences (near misses).
What is meant by work-related?
Riddor
Riddor only requires you to report accidents if the happen ‘out of or in connection with work’
The fact that there is an accident at work premises does not, in itself, mean that the accident is work-related- the work activity itself must contribute to the accident.
The way the work was carried out.
Any machinery, plant, substances or equipment used for the work.
Condition of the site or premises where the accident happened.
What are reportable injuries?
Riddor
Specified injuries to workers
The death of any person
Injuries to nonworkers which resulted in them being taken directly to hospital for treatment, or specified injuries to non-workers which occur on hospital premises.
Injuries to workers which result in their incapacitation for more than seven days
What are specified injuries?
Riddor
Fractures, other than to fingers, thumbs and toes
Amputations
Any injury likely to head to permanent loss of sight or reduction in sight.
Any crush injury to the head or torso causing damage to the brain or internal organs
Any loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia
Serious burns (including scalding) which:
Covers more than 10% of the body
Causes significant damage to the eyes, respiratory system or other vital organs
What is meant by an accident?
Riddor
In relation to riddor, an accident is a separate, identifiable, unintended incident, which causes physical injury. This specifically includes acts of non-consensual violence to people at work.
Types of occupational diseases
Riddor
Asthma
Hand-arm vibration syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Examples of dangerous occurrences
Riddor
Plant or equipment coming into contact with overhead power lines
The collapse, overturning or failure of load-bearing parts of lifts and lifting equipment
The accidental release of any substance which could cause injury to any person
The data protection act 1998
Act of parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and northern island.
Control how your personal information is used by a organisation, businesses or the government.
What are the principles of the data protection act 1998?
Used fairly and lawfully
Used for limited, specifically started purposes
Used in away that is adequate, relevant and not excessive
Accurate
Kept for no longer than is necessary
Handled according to to peoples data protection rights
Kept safe and secure
How can the data protection act 1998 be applied in a real life situation?
Data being locked away:
School setting- keeping all personal information of the students on a computer making sure anything written down is locked in a filing cabinet.
They do this so no other student can find out information about another student or member of staff.
Data being kept up to date:
Information on staff and students is up to date and stops anyone from becoming really ill.
In a care home, they need to keep their food plan up to date as the service provider could develop an intolerance to a certain food that they once ate.
What is COSHH?
Control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) 2002
Hazardous substances
COSHH
Any products in the workplace that could constitutes risk to health if they are not controlled.
For example, using ventilation.
Glues Fumes Dust Cleaning agents Paint Bacteria
Common substances covered under COSHH
Bleach or bleaching agents Oxidising agent e.g. bleach, peroxide, nitric acid Flammable chemicals Poisons Caustic agents (cleaning materials) Acids
8 steps to COSHH
Step 1- assess the risks
Step 2- decide what precautions are needed before starting work with hazardous substances.
Step 3- prevent or adequately control exposure
Step 4- ensure control measures are used and maintained
Step 5- monitor the exposure
Step 6- carry out appropriate health surveillance
Step 7- prepare plans and procedures to deal with accidents, incidents and emergencies
Step 8- ensure employees are properly informed, trained and supervised
What is the civil contingencies act 2004?
Act was designed as a framework for emergency planning and response ranging from local to national level.
Act was created in response terrorist attacks and instructs us when there is an emergency.