Health and safety is an essential consideration for all practitioners in health and social care and this uni will enable learners to develop an understanding of the importance of continually monitoring the implementation of health and safety legislation and policies within any health and social care setting. Learners will gain a clear understanding of the implications of relevant legislation for their own role and the implementation of policies and systems in their own workplace. The importance of record keeping, monitoring and review health and safety policies and procedures will also be considered.
1 Understand how health and safety legislation is implemented in the health and social care workplace
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 Systems, policies and procedures for communicating information: exemplar pro formas; training; organisational culture; use of different media; exchange of information; record keeping; enforcement; compliance Responsibilities for management of health and safety: organisational responsibilities (employers; employees; external agencies; visitors eg users of service, carers); monitoring and evaluating processes;
auditing; inspecting the workplace; management structure and representation Legislative requirements: current legislation, regulations and codes of practice relevant to health and safety in health and social care settings eg Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999, Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health 2002, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, Food Safety Act 1990, Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995, Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, Health and Social Care Act 2008, Care Standards Act 2000, Mental Health Act 2007, Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Mental Health
Act 2007, Children Act 2004
Implementation: safety aids eg walking aid, wheelchair, hoist; security systems eg door locks, cameras, gates, alarms, patrol; maintenance eg ventilation, temperature control, buildings; consequences of malfunction/breakdown of equipment
2 Understand the ways in which health and safety requirements impact on customers and the work of practitioners in the health and social care workplace Care planning: meeting needs; ensuring safety; security; maximising wellbeing; principles of good practice Dilemmas: risk-benefit analysis; risk to self and others; resource implications; differing priorities between stakeholders Implications of non-compliance: financial; legal; moral; physical; health
3 Understand the monitoring and review of health and safety in the health and social care
workplace Monitor and review: audit of risks; review of practice; learning from experience; updating of policies and
procedures Positive health and safety culture: individuals; teams; managers; organisational levels
Own contributions: responsibilities; compliance; training; practices; interactions with individuals, groups and
agencies
