Program Title

CKP 40 BTEC HNC/D Health and Social Care

Unit number and title

Unit 3 Health and Safety in the Health and Social Care Workplace

Assignment number & title

1 of 1: Health and Safety in Relevant health and social care settings

Module Leader

Mr. Morris Anglin

Student name
Assessor name
Issue date
Submission date

February 17, 2014

Introduction
Nowadays ensuring health and safety at the workplace is a major concern. It has become an
integral part of any service. Supposedly health and safety is an important issue in the health and
social care service. Both the management and workers of a health care service are accountable
for ensuring health and safety in health and social care service setting.
The author of this assignment has been asked to analyze the implementation of health and safety
legislation in health and social care services and then to make a brief discussion about the health
and safety requirements impact on customers and the work of practitioners in the health and
social services. Finally he is to analyze the monitoring and review system of health and social
care workplace.

TASK 1
Task 1A: 1.1: policies and procedures for communicating
information on health and safety in the health and social care
workplace
There are numerous existing policies and procedures for communicating information on health
and safety in the health and social care workplace. Among them the data protection act is the
most pertinent. The Data Protection Act 1998 is in place to protect service users right to privacy,
particularly of personal information such as service users ethnicity, political and religious
beliefs, health, sexuality and criminal record. Service users responsibility is to ensure that
information about the people someone works with remains confidential and secure. Personal
information may only be disclosed to someone else if the individual concerned gives consent, if
there is a life and death situation, or if people need it in order to work with the individual.
Therefore, if someone is asked to disclose information about someone work with, someone must
be satisfied that the person asking for the information has a right to know. Different organisations
have different procedures for checking a persons right to know. However, as a general rule, ask
for proof of ID and documentation that demonstrates their right to know. If they have no such
proof or the enquiry is over the telephone, ask questions which a service worker believes only
they could answer, for example the date of birth and family names of the person concerned. If
you remain unconvinced, explain politely that a service worker cannot disclose any information
because, under the terms of the 1998 Data Protection Act, he is unsure of their identity. Suggest
that they write or return with suitable ID. If he is satisfied with their ID but unsure about making
a disclosure, take their telephone number and speak with his manager.

Task 1A: 1.2: responsibilities for management of health and

safety in relation to organisational structures
Different health care services require workers to carry out different responsibilities. According to
the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, each worker should think twice before carry out any
task. It is his tasks those will directly affect the service users, colleagues in work place.
Employee should co-operate with his colleagues since it is vital in ensuring health and safety in
workplace (Sprenger 2003). It is also employees duty to ensure it that there is not misuse of
anything given in health and safety in workplace for instances first aid equipment. Moreover
service worker has a duty to tag along health and safety policies and processes, take part in and
remain advanced with health and safety preparation, and not perform any duty in which he has
not been trained. At the same time, other people in a specific care home like domiciliary home
have a responsibility to go after course of actions. Visitors, carers and supporters have a
responsibility to think about health and safety, particularly with reverence to assisting uphold
security, and other general conducts.

Task 1B: 1.3: analyse health and safety priorities that are
appropriate for a specific health and social care workplace
setting
K was a home case-assistant on her first visit to a new client, Mr. W. She had been warned that
his house was in a poor condition and that he had a large dog. She knew that he had a history of
psychiatric illness and had, in the past been admitted to the hospital compulsory under the
Mental Act 1983. When K arrived on her first morning, outside of the house was in a poor stategarden was overgrown, it was full of rubbish and old furniture. The front door was half open and
she saw that half the floor boards in the hallway appeared to be missing-there were simply joist
and a drop into the cellar below, Mr. Ws dog was at the top of the hallway growling and barking,
Mr W was at the top of the stairs shouting You wont get me out of here- I will kill you first.
In that above scenario, it is Ks key responsibilities to keep Mr. W as safe as possible. It is also
his legal responsibility. In order to health and safety in her work place- this domiciliary home, K
are required to find out the hazards and possible risks factors in Mr. Ws home. Since Mr. W
own a dog, K should weigh up all the possibilities of infection through this pet and what risks

involve here for Mr. W. Then K should analyze all the hazardous substances of Mr. Ws home
and their threats in a domiciliary home.

Task 2
(2.1): the principles of care planning
Risks assessment is very important in care planning. If a risk assessment shows that the work
cannot be done safely, other arrangements have to be put in place. Risk assessment takes account
of risks to employees, the person/s being supported, and anyone else involved. The risk
assessment procedure is as followed:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.

Identify the hazards (remember, a hazard is anything that may cause harm).
Decide who might be harmed and how.
Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions.
Record your findings and implement them.
Review assessment and update if necessary.
Under health and safety law you as an employee are required to:
1. Follow the training you have received when using any work items your employer
has given you;
2. Take reasonable care of your own and other peoples health and safety;
3. Co-operate with your employer on health and safety;
4. Tell someone (your employer, supervisor, or health and safety representative) if
you think inadequate precautions are putting anyones health and safety at serious
risk (HSE 2014).

(2.2) Impact of Health and Safety Policy:

Health and Safety at Work etc Act (HASWA) 1974 ensures the health and safety of everyone
who may be affected by work activities. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations
(MHSWR) 1999 require employers and managers to carry out risk assessments to eliminate or
minimise risks to health and safety. Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992
minimise the risks to health and safety associated with working conditions. Manual Handling
Operations Regulations (MHOR) 1992 minimise the risks to health and safety associated with
moving and handling activities. Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations (PPE) 1992
minimise the risks to health and safety associated with cross infection. Reporting of Injuries,

Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995 require that certain workrelated injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences are reported to the HSE or local authority.
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002 minimise the risks to
health and safety from the use of hazardous substances.

(2.3) dilemma encountered in relation to implementing

systems and policies for health, safety and security may be
addressed:
In health and social care service, workers often face dilemma while implementing systems and
policies. Lets consider a scenario where a service worker is asked by a service users nearest one
about the progress of his diagnosis. Here service worker may face both the problem of sharing
the information and not sharing it. In order to comply with the Data Protection Act he cannot
share the information without service users consent. On the other hand this might be helpful for
the diagnosis process of the service user.
Another example would be a scenario where a service user in a domiciliary home and he is
trying to get out of his home in order to read newspaper. Here a service worker would be in a
dilemma whether to let him go to read a newspaper despite the fact that he is not aware about the
traffic safety.

(2.4) analyse the effects of non-compliance with health and

safety legislation in the health and social care workplace
Non compliances with the existing laws and regulations have serious impacts on health and
social cares safety. Some examples would be violation of patients privacy or confidentiality,
failure to maintain the required food safety, failure to assess the risks and so on. The impacts of

the failure to meet these legislations affect both the employers and employees of a health and
social care seating. It could be financial fine, cancellation of license or even imprisonment.
According to the section 37 of the Health and Safety Act of 1974, if anyone of health care
settings found to neglect his duty voluntarily then he or she can be prosecuted. Even the directors
of this work place will go through this section 37 procedure (HSE 2013). Generally a normal
non-compliance is dealt with issuing warning. For more serious cases, improvement notices has
been shown by the regulatory bodies. This notice indicates the violation of law and a certain
period of time will be given to the organizations to improve the overall health and safety
situation.

Task 3
(3.1) how health and safety policies and practice are
monitored and reviewed:
In health and social care services, health and safety policies are strongly monitored both by
national body and local body. The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) monitors all the health and
safety related issues. Even the particular organization monitors whether health and safety policies
are put into action or not. There has been committee for reviewing the practices to ensure health
and safety standard are clearly followed.

(3.2) the effectiveness of health and safety policies and

practices in the workplace in promoting a positive
A correctly organized health and safety policy undoubtedly mentions health and safety goals and
the services promise to delivering better health and safety performance. Policy and procedures
also admits the owners legitimate duties. Organizing a health and safety policy is a vital realistic
move towards delivering and preserving a work place atmosphere that is protected and devoid of
harms to health (Watterson 2003). An effective policy should feature the organisational actions
for sorting out and regulating health and safety matters. It should also put down the foundation
for worker participation, the situation of objectives, accomplishment diagrams, and policy
revision.
Below are the effects of health and safety policies on different perspectives:
Effectiveness of policies and procedures:
Service workers

Premises

Enrolment of right staff

Offer training concerning policies and procedures
Supervise health and safety parameters
Offer security in service
Preserve fitting staff proportions
Job narratives permit staff to be acquainted with their boundaries
Protected work place
Safe surroundings for patients

Confer relatives and friends assurance in suitable care specified

Suitable locations
Sufficient adjustments and admission to meet up all desires
Practices

Procedures and policies frequently revised and modified

Ordinary emigration and urgent procedures performed
Protection equipment and defensive outfits provided
Brief, lucid record-keeping

(3.3) Own contributions to placing the health and safety needs

of individuals at the centre practice
When measuring the health and safety of service users, it is important to weigh up all of their
desires. Needs could be intellectual, physical, social or spiritual, emotional. From time to time
those desires bond together and one can influence another. For instance, Mr. H desires of
reading newspaper is his emotional and intellectual need. This need has direct connection to his
physical improvement (Sprenger and Fisher 2002). At the same time his not having any road
awareness is a serious issue. For addressing this sort of dilemma, service users are required to
follow legislations. Procedures, policies and legislation are built to endorse a safer environment
in work place and minimize the impending for risks happening. According to the Health and
Safety Executive, the Health Care Act directs service works to meet users needs according to
some assessment. This need can be fulfilled as long as they are deemed as feasible and
practicable at health and social care work place. First of all a worker have to assess the risk in
letting Mr. H out of home for reading newspaper. Then he should take precautionary measures
like arranging a guide for him, raising awareness about road safety in him. Thus this dilemma
can be solved (Boys & Langridge 2007).
A service worker here has a great responsibility to endorse health and safety by assisting Mr. H
to realize and obey practices that minimize the risk of any danger on road. Mr. H should only be

allowed to go to read newspaper after the assurance that he will adhere to road safety awareness.
The best practice would be workers involvement here.