Posted: December 25th, 2015

Health and safety in Health and social care

Introduction and background notes (vocational context) you are an employee in a care setting in East London and your manager has asked you to review and update their current health and safety workplace policies. To do this, your organization will send you for a training course provided by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the national independent watchdog for work-related health, safety and illness. HSE is an independent regulator and act in the public interest to reduce work-related death and serious injury across Great Britain’s workplaces. After the training, you are to produce a series of reports that demonstrate your understandings of the responsibilities of key players in the health and social care setting in ensuring the safety of workers and other people within it.
Task 1A: LO1 Understand how health and safety legislation is implemented in the health and social care workplace Link to Unit 4 (unit 4 is about personal contribution in a multidispilnary team in a health and social care setting)
(Recommended up to 750 words) What you must do First: Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 stipulates that it is the duty of the employer to inform his employees of the arrangements made in connection with first-aid: An employer shall inform his employees of the arrangements that have been made in connection with the provision of first-aid. This includes the location of equipment, facilities and key personnel involved in provision of first aid. Key indicators in keeping employees informed include: displaying clearly and easily understood notices in prominent positions at the site; catering for those with reading or language difficulties; inclusion of information during induction training, ensure new employees are made aware of information etc.
1.1 In this section of the assignment you should review the systems, policies and procedures put in place to ensure effective communication of health and safety information in the health and social care workplace in accordance with legislative requirements. Use your own workplace experience to support your answers. According to the case scenario, review how you will develop procedures for communicating health and safety information (in consultation with employees or health and safety representatives.
Examples : concept of risk, safety and security: minimum risk, zero risk ; risk for individuals and property; public liability; hazard; restraint; accident prevention, first aid; protection from harm; security versus safety; substances; practices ;equipment; premises.
System, policies and procedures for communicating information: exemplar pro forma; training; organisational culture; use of different media; exchange of information; record keeping; enforcement; compliance