Unit 8: Health and Safety in Health and Social Care Settings

Course: NVQ Level 4 Diploma In Health And Social Care (RQF)

The Health and Safety in Health and Social Care Settings NVQ Level 4 Diploma is designed to provide learners with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values required for working safely within a health or social care setting. The course will give learners an understanding of how they can work effectively to protect themselves from occupational hazards.

It also provides them with the opportunity to develop their awareness of their own personal safety as well as that of other people who are vulnerable because of age, disability, or illness. This qualification is suitable for those who have completed an introductory level qualification in health and social care but would like to continue their career progression by gaining professional qualifications.

This qualification is aimed at those who work in a range of health and social care environments, including residential homes, day services, hospitals, hospices, and community settings. It may be taken by those who are working towards registration as a nurse or other professional providing direct patient care if their employer has recommended that they take this course for ongoing development purposes.

The Level 4 Diploma in Adult Care unit ‘Health and safety in health care settings’ gives you an insight into the roles, responsibilities, and management of risk involved. It covers 5 key learning outcomes with multiple assessment criteria for each one!

LO1: Understand own responsibilities, and the responsibilities of others, relating to health and safety

Understanding one’s responsibilities when it comes to health and safety is the key to ensuring that all incident priorities are addressed with maximum efficiency.

As a worker in any environment, you have three main areas of responsibility when it comes to the safety of your coworkers – during an incident or before an incident occurs. A competent third party must be relied on for these. If the event involves injury, they are responsible for providing care until emergency services arrive on-site at which point their involvement ceases unless requested by the individual in charge in case of emergencies involving medical treatment. Whether or not injuries occur, they are responsible for ensuring that basic commodities remain available through sheltering-in-place (if safe) if evacuating (for example providing food, water, and shelter). If any injuries do occur, they are responsible for taking the injured individual to the safest place available.

Describe current legislation relating to health and safety in your own work setting

Legislation with regards to health and safety varies quite a bit across countries and also depending on what sector we’re in.  In the UK for example, health and safety legislation is created at a national level with individual counties then able to create their own specific guidelines that must be followed if they go above or below the national standards. These local variations are usually for easy access or because of skill requirements needed but may not necessarily provide any additional protection.

Explain health and safety policies and procedures as agreed with the employer in relation to your own role

It’s imperative to pay close attention and adhere to all health and safety policies and procedures in your role. The health & safety policies guide all employees on important information such as Conflict Avoidance, Dangerous Goods Awareness, Vaccinations, Data Protection Standards, etc. And these written guidelines should always be consulted before starting a new assignment or task.

Every employee is responsible for their own actions when completing their job duties. But Guidelines are in place to work alongside the individual by providing direction with required information relating to Conflict Avoidance, Dangerous Goods Awareness, Vaccinations, Data Protection Standards etc., so an employee can feel confident they are adhering with company policy at all times without committing any breaches in Health & Safety Procedures set out by the employers’ guidelines. If any breaches are committed, the employee will be disciplined and may face dismissal depending on the severity of the breach and how many previous offenses they have had.

Explain the health and safety responsibilities of: a. self, b. the employer or manager, c. others in the work setting

Self: The first responsibility of a worker in a work environment is to protect one’s self.

Risk assessment should be completed on a regular basis identifying potential hazards and risk factors at all times so steps can be taken to reduce the chance of incidents that could lead to injury or death. This should be carried out as part of one’s daily duties as you’ll be more aware of your surroundings as you work through the day.

The Employer Or Manager: The employer or manager has the responsibility to provide a safe environment for their associates, clients or customers which means creating an environment free of hazards and risk factors. This also means providing essential training so employees are aware of their surroundings & potential risks at all times. They should have suitable Personal Protective Equipment made readily available to all employees in case they need to use it. And should provide first aiders and first response teams to treat injuries as a first aider, or send an associate/employee to the hospital if serious enough.

Others In The Work Setting: In addition to those mentioned above, there are other individuals in the work setting who could be considered as having a health and safety responsibility. Other parties should work alongside one another to ensure a safe environment is maintained by constantly reminding each other of potential risks. For example, the security guard in a building has a duty to report any issues they see to their employer or manager who will then take steps to rectify hazards or implement risk reduction procedures.

Explain tasks that should not be carried out in your own work setting without specialist training

Tasks that shouldn’t be carried out without specialist training are usually hazardous tasks with the potential for serious injuries or accidents. For instance, working in an electric plant with high voltage wires. There is a long list of procedures to follow when entering the building and once inside, you’ll have to go through various safety directives before doing your work. You must also follow strict guidelines when entering and exiting the building after every shift.

In some work settings, it might be necessary for a first aider to provide initial treatment before seeking medical help if an accident occurs away from a doctor’s surgery or hospital. In these situations, you should only carry out first aid procedures up to The Resuscitation Council (UK) guidelines.

LO2: Understand how to carry out own responsibilities for health and safety

It is about taking control over your own health and safety because the Government has clearly shown that they are not competent enough to ensure our physical or mental abilities.

The first responsibility is to give ourselves self-care because, without it, we cannot take care of anything else adequately. By giving ourselves self-care, we can create a space for other tasks like taking care of dependents (children) or responsibilities (work). Self-care includes everyday routine tasks like eating well, getting quality rest, protecting our minds with meditation/nature/exposure therapy/etc., developing coping skills for setbacks and life events outside our control; as well as things that require more effort like saving money wisely so that if something unexpected comes up you’ll be able to deal with it.

Analyze the limits of own role in relation to moving and positioning

The limits of one’s own role are determined by how smoothly one can manipulate the other person into doing the opposite.

The idea is that it is easier to maintain your balance with someone else who moves and positions as they do, but there’s nothing you can really do to stop them from leaving altogether. For example, if someone falls asleep next to you, even if you straighten their body out against the couch they’ll end up drooling on themselves. So, your best bet is working with them and manipulating them into moving and positioning as you do; at least until they leave!

Analyze own responsibilities with regard to legislation and policy for:

Emergency first aid

First aid treatment is applied as soon as possible after the accident has occurred as it reduces the chances of complications and death due to a lack of timely medical attention. However, first aiders always receive special training on how to treat injuries and they should be able to recognize those that require immediate hospitalization or call an associate/employee to take the injured person to a safe place. For instance, people with severe bleeding have the highest chance of survival when they receive emergency care within 30 minutes of being hurt.

Food safety

It is the responsibility of everyone in the foodservice sector to ensure that food sold or served is safe for human consumption. This means following prescribed procedures for cooking raw ingredients to required temperatures; storing, preparing, and handling foods properly (including not contaminating them while cooking); disposing of unsafe food appropriately, and monitoring employees’ health to detect illnesses like diarrhea or vomiting that could contaminate food.

Fire safety

It is important to follow the instructions given in fire safety plans because they are created with consideration for human psychology—and how people react in emergency situations. For instance, fire can produce toxic smoke that causes panic and disorientation, but well-designed plans convey information about what people should do during emergency situations to minimize their chance of death or injury.

Risk to own safety:

It is important to know the health and safety regulations that apply to the workplace. For instance, employers have a legal responsibility to take reasonable steps to protect employees from risks related to work activities, such as workplace violence or being involved in a road traffic accident when traveling for business purposes. Employers should therefore ensure they have adequate risk assessment procedures in place, and that employees receive appropriate training and personal protective equipment to do their job.

Risk to the safety of others

Everyone has a legal responsibility to look after their own health and safety, but they also have a duty to protect the health and safety of others who may be affected by their actions (or inaction). For instance, anyone driving on public roads must follow the rules of the road; if they cause an accident that results in death or injury to someone else, they may be prosecuted for their negligence.

Prompting of administration of medication

A medical control service can be found in every hospital. The mission of the service is to increase the patient’s safety by continuously following up on patients. This process involves three stages: measurement, analysis, and improvement. One example of this stage is that nurses are responsible for identifying actual medication compliance during discharge rounds.

The act of administration is done by the nurses. It is important to make sure that the medication is taken at the right time and in the right way. This will reduce the number of people who become sick due to an error with medications or people who are unhappy about their treatments which could result in litigation against you for negligence.

Infection prevention and control

Hospital infections pose a serious risk to patients, staff, and visitors. If not prevented or properly controlled they can lead to longer hospital stays due to illnesses. This is why it’s important for all medical workers, especially nurses who are often the first people on the ward each morning, to take steps like hand washing before and after touching each patient; wearing a gown and gloves when appropriate; disposing of used needles, dressings, and other medical waste properly; cleaning wards daily to reduce harmful bacteria.

Hazardous substances

According to the law, anyone involved in the storage, transport or use of hazardous substances must ensure that they are properly identified and stored in a safe manner. For example, if you work with hazardous chemicals like acids or solvents it’s important to make sure they are clearly labeled (for example, with warnings) and kept securely locked away in their original packaging while not in use.

Security

Your employer has a duty to ensure the security of both your person and possessions. According to health and safety law, you can refuse to work in situations where your workplace is insecure or there are clear risks associated with the job. This includes situations like an unlocked entrance system; windows that do not lock properly; leaving heavy objects unattended; failure to provide an up-to-date burglar alarm or the removal of security equipment. However, be aware that your employer can refuse your request if it would place them at risk of being held legally responsible for any subsequent theft, damage to property or accidents occurring as a result of failing to secure the workplace.

Explain procedures to be followed if an accident or sudden illness should occur

If an accident or sudden illness should occur, the first thing to do is assess the injuries and call for emergency assistance immediately. Once emergency personnel arrives, they’ll be able to assess the severity of the injury so that appropriate steps can be taken.

Do CPR if qualified. Reverse any harmful habits in progress such as drug use or alcohol poisoning before taking any other steps in case there are unconscious victims involved who may have overdosed on drugs or alcohol. Follow this by clearing the airway and checking for breathing, unless you’re certain all patients are deceased., try not to move them too far just in case there’s still life in their body! Layout markers before beginning any sort of CPR procedure – illustrations that instruct you how to tilt your patient’s head back and how to find their Adam apple are typically provided. Finally, begin CPR if it is safe for you to do so.

Explain how to record and report health and safety incidents

Some companies provide a template that employees should use when reporting an incident. It is best to follow the instructions from your company’s informal policy. Companies will often have a Health and Safety Committee which would be involved in reviewing these reports, so check with Human Resources or other management at your workplace if you need more guidance.

Before even starting this exercise, it is important to note that any reportable incident must not only result in either a measurable negative effect on health or safety but also be observable by one of four senses: sight, hearing, odor, or touch. This awareness requirement then dictates how the reporter must describe what happened leading up to their feeling of concern and how they know it was something serious enough to lead them to report it.

LO3: Be able to work safely in health and social care settings

Different circumstances will require different levels of training. The best thing to do is contact your local government employment agency and they should be able to help you with the specifics.

In general, if you have a high school diploma or an equivalent, it’s possible that some employers might be willing to hire you as a personal care aide without any additional training provided that she/he lacks criminal convictions and sex offender status. Your employer might provide on-the-job safety training as well as a classroom or online curriculum depending on their policy. You’ll also want to ask about the company’s policies before accepting a position so that there are no surprises for either party later down the road. If this job requires CPR certification, make sure you take steps ahead of time to complete the course and obtain your certification. You can find providers in your area with a simple search online.

Apply current legislation relating to health and safety in own work setting

I would like to establish a company-wide policy to make sure that we are complying with all of the general health and safety legislation relating to our industry.

First off, we need to research what is set out in the law and this should be done by an organization such as the HSE (Health and Safety Executive). At this point, it’s necessary to identify what hazards may be present at work that poses a risk. The type of hazards can have an impact on how violent those risks might be so they do need considering from there. Once those people or objects posing a risk have been identified or researched then you’ll want to start thinking about how much control, planning, etc is needed in order for these risks not to be carried out.

Comply with current guidelines for:

Hand hygiene

Proper hand hygiene is important in health care settings because it helps to prevent the spread of illness and/or contamination.

Hand wipes or sanitizer can be kept at each desk.  It might be a good idea to set timers on the computers to remind employees when they should be washing their hands. If there are designated areas in your workplace where hands are washed then you’ll want to keep those areas stocked with soap, towels, and/or sanitizer. It might also be a good idea for employees to leave different hand hygiene supplies in their lockers so that they have access to it between visits to the washrooms or designated area(s).

Moving and handling equipment or other objects safely

Moving and handling patients is one of the most dangerous parts of providing care. There are specific guidelines for this which you can find here. You’ll want to read through these carefully so that you understand what they mean, how it applies to your setting, etc before doing anything else.

Training should include information on how to force must be applied in order to move or handle an object safely.

There should be separate training for different types of objects that might need to be moved in order to provide adequate protection against injury.

Checking the identity of anyone requesting access to the work setting

As an employer, you will need to make sure that all of your employees and visitors carry photo ID at all times. You should also make it clear in the company policy what types of ID are acceptable and when they must be carried by everyone entering the premises. If there is a change in someone’s appearance which means the picture on their ID no longer matches their appearance, then they’ll need to be asked for an updated photo.

You will also want to make sure that the picture on the ID matches the person who is carrying it so you’ll want to ask for additional proof of identity if there are any doubts.  This can include asking for a supervisor’s name or signature as well.

You’ll also want to make sure that someone is allowed in the building before opening any locked doors and/or gates. This is the best way to prevent unauthorized access, and it will ensure that all employees and visitors can get into their designated areas without any problems.

Maintaining evacuation routes

Whenever you are designing your building, you will want to make sure that there is more than one way people can exit safely. You should also create barriers or barricades on any unnecessary doors or gates so that they cannot be opened by anyone who is not authorized to do so.  You’ll want to check these restrictions once in a while since they may become a little rusty over time, and that might make them easier to open.

food safety

You should take a look at any food preparation guidelines that your state or province has before doing anything else. These standards were created so that you can continue doing business without putting your employees and/or customers in danger, and those standards will need to be followed for those reasons. You might not be able to do everything suggested but you’ll want to avoid anything that is too much of a financial burden to you or that will cause your business any undue hardship.

Complete health and safety records according to legal and work setting requirements

Legal Requirements

Safeguarding your health and safety is of the utmost importance. To ensure you are adhering to all legal requirements, be sure to read any company or federal documents that pertain to this type of thing.

Workplace Setting 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) takes employee safety very seriously. OSHA says employers are required to provide for the maximum protection of their employees from hazards by using available technology, taking appropriate precautions, providing training both during classification where possible, and after an assignment is finished. This includes things like inspection procedures, regular maintenance schedules if pertinent with equipment use or location; pre-assignment planning where needed; safe work practices that should be followed; dress codes to reduce individual risk; medical services including emergency response, and post-incident recovery or transportation if necessary.

LO4: Be able to manage risk

The following factors play a role in the risk experience of your employees. If there is a high level of any of these factors, then you may require additional resources.

Workload – Employees who do not have enough to do will see their stress levels increase and they’ll start experiencing symptoms related to job burnout. Employees who are overcommitted to too much work will experience symptoms related to poor mental health such as depression, anger, fear, and/or fatigue. Stress from workload can also increase absenteeism and turnover rates.

Quality Of Relationship With Supervisor – Managers regulate employee behavior through hiring decisions as well as using corrective discipline measures when needed. Ineffective managers can lead to increased psycho-social risks for workers such as feeling undervalued, lack of recognition or praise for good performance, ambiguous role expectations that may increase the risk of mistakes or accidents due to less focus on job responsibilities.

Contribute to the development of policies, procedures, and practices that identity, assess, and manage risk

There are a number of ways to contribute to this important work, but it is important that people volunteer for these tasks to ensure they complete them in a timely manner. However, if someone prefers not to do due diligence on the risks associated with an area of potential involvement, then this may be a difficult task.

We all have risk factors for something and we want individuals who are equally enthusiastic about taking those risks as well as protecting themselves from them by collaborating with others along the way from inception through completion. Risk management is an essential part of success in any undertaking.

Work with others to assess potential risks

A great place to start assessing risk is to first discuss the risks of not treating the condition. For example, with endocarditis, if left untreated there is a high risk of complications like heart failure or valve damage. This stage will help identify how serious the risks of not treating the condition are and maybe enough for making some decisions on treatment options.

Next, you can look at what procedures are involved in different treatments. Then you can do more research on those procedures and talk through them with your physician/specialist to learn more about their benefits and potential harms as well as their typical outcomes so you feel comfortable making a decision for yourself or a family member who has already been diagnosed with a health condition that needs treatment.

Lastly, you may seek guidance on managing the risks from a trusted physician who is up to date with your family history and current status.

Assess how risk-taking impacts on a. individuals, b. the organization

1. a) Individuals: Taking risks benefits individuals, but limits them in that they are less likely to get accepted into Ivy League colleges or stable jobs. The downside is amortized across their lifetime, the upside of risk-taking might not be amortized across more than a few years of their life.
2. b) Organizations: If an organization has high variance in its capital-management strategy, this causes volatility in investor sentiment and stock price competitiveness of assets being traded against on markets with fewer constraints on margins, liquidity demands for assets on markets with more margin constraints are higher making it more costly for traders to absorb market betas creating lower gross returns from securities speculation or hedging positions.

Work with others to manage risks

If you work with others, it’s important to identify and manage risks for everyone.

This is true of every system where more than one person has a vested interest: workgroups, families, organizations. Working together is about sharing responsibilities and balancing individual risk. It means working collaboratively to anticipate and plan for unanticipated problems before they get out of hand.

Evaluate own practice in leading a balanced approach to risk management

A risk can be defined as an “imbalance in the value of assets”. This means that to have a balanced approach, an equilibrium should exist between risks and countermeasures. The best guidance for being proactive is by assigning probabilities that you think will come true to scenarios with corresponding potential loss levels. With regards to your practice, I would say it has been careful so far based on examples provided in the question. There are various situations where good judgment could have steered you down other paths, but I won’t go there so as not to offer any unwanted criticism or impose my values onto your goals for this query.

LO5: Be able to support others to work safely in relation to health and safety

There are many aspects to health and safety. The risks for different workers vary not only by the type of work they do but also by how much exposure or exposure time they get at their job. You can take steps to reduce these risks to you in your workplace, including wearing appropriate clothing or gloves, having well-fitting boots that don’t cause blisters or soreness inside the shoe. Be sure not to wear long pants in really hot weather because sweat accumulates in socks and causes feet problems, wear sandals in order to let the toes breathe which prevents blisters on them too when it gets warm. Lastly when carrying something heavy make sure you adjust the straps so it’s comfortable without being too tight so your shoulders don’t hurt.

Support others to work safely

​​The role of the trade assistant is to contribute to creating a safe work environment by supporting workers in their roles at workplaces around hazards related to their work activity. This includes both health risks (risks that may influence health) and safety risks (risks that may pose an immediate danger to an individual).

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