Unit 208 - Understand health and safety in social care settings.

Understand the different responsibilities relating to health and safety in social care setting

1.1 - List legislation relating to general health and safety in a social care setting.

There are a small number of legal acts relating to the general health and safety in social care. The
most important one it seems to me would the health and safety at work act of 1974, it ensures that
the employer, the employee have responsibilities to ensure that a good level of safety is attained in
the workplace, and there should be a copy of this act on the works premises for use of any employee
or service user. The legislations key goals are:

To ensure the health, safety and welfare of people at work

To protect others from risks arising from the activities of people at work
To control the use and storage of dangerous substances
To control the emission into the atmosphere of noxious or offensive substances

Other legislation relating to health and safety in social care are as follows

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992, which supports the health
and safety act.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (known as COSHH) which
ensures safe storage and usage of any substances that could harm other workers or service
users.
The Manual Handling Regulations of 1992, which sets out methods and requirements to be
met when manually handling objects, as well as people.
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 (known as
RIDDOR) outlines what is required to be recorded and reported.
Food safety act 1990
Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations (PPE) 1992
Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) 1998

1.2 - Describe the main points of health and safety policies and procedures.

The main points of health and safety policies and procedures largely centre on standards that must
be upheld in order to create a safe place of work, and also to ensure that somewhere meets all
legislation requirements when it comes to things like COSHH, where all substances must be locked
away while not in use, and not left around when being used if the worker leaves the room, even for
a moment, that is if the level of work is to keep up with the standard required to maintain itself
within the COSHH legislation. Or even simpler things that do not include any harmful substances,
such as keeping entrances clear and ensuring that any fire exits are able to be opened in an

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emergency by undertaking health and safety checks on the release, as well as ensuring all nurse call
buzzers work properly.
The policies and procedures ensure that all risk assessments are up to date and in place for all
service users, and that all members of staff are trained in necessary areas, such as manual handling
and data protection, along with general things such as reporting faulty appliances or any needed
maintenance and showing where it should be recorded and who it should be reported to. As well as
having regular supervisions and staff meetings to inform them of any changes to the way the
business operates in regards to health and safety.

1.3 - Outline the main health and safety responsibilities of:

a) The social care worker

Health and safety responsibilities that pertain to me as the social care worker are to maintain any
important care procedures, which refer to the policies and procedures once again, but most things
do as they outline the ways in which things must be done, this includes attending any training.
Health and safety responsibilities include other things such as making sure any activities are done
safely, as well as the use of any equipment or materials to be handled with care, minimizing the risk
of injury or harm to myself and others, including other staff and service users. If on occasion
someone is hurt then I am to record and report it appropriately, even if it just a concern.

b) The employer or manager

The employer and manager of a residential home have the responsibility to ensure that every
member of staff understands their obligations towards health and safety, and that there are
methods in place to allow the employees to operate under it. Including keeping enough stock of
necessary equipment required to avoid injury, damage or wastage, and not to charge for any PPE or
first aid facilities. It is also the managers role to assess any existing risks and create ways to
minimise them, and to provide training on health and safety.

c) Individuals
All other staff, such as domestic and maintenance must follow all policies and procedures similar to
that of the social care worker, and any visitors, including doctors, relatives, nurses and contractors
must follow all health and safety protocols, as well as recording and reporting health and safety
related concerns or incidents.

1.4 - Identify tasks relating to health and safety that should only be carried out with special training.

Tasks that should not be carried out without specific training are usually include a degree of risk, or
involve handling of drugs or substances especially harmful, such as:
Using hoists and slings
Clinical waste disposal
Handling chemical substances, such as cleaning equipment
Manual handling
Cooking
Giving out medication

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1.5 - Describe how to access additional support and information relating to health and safety.

Additional support and information can be accessed by going on the internet and searching for the
question you seek the answer for or by asking another member of staff, preferably a senior member
of staff because of their knowledge base. You could read a book that covers that part of health and
safety such as the course workbooks that help me through this qualification. It can be attained by
attending any training relating to health and safety, and as always information can be found in the
companies policies and procedures. There are members of staff that are responsible for certain
areas of health and safety, for example the fire marshal can offer support and information regarding
fires and how to operate certain equipment even out of training, and the same goes for any
individual that has additional training in one part of the workplace.

Understand the use of risk assessments in relation to health and safety.

2.1 - Define what is meant by hazard and risk.

According to the health and safety authority a hazard is defined as a potential source of harm or
adverse health effect on a person or persons and a risk is defined as the likelihood that a person
may be harmed or suffers adverse health effects if exposed to a hazard
The example they use to contextualise the two is very clear and very helpful. If there was a spill of
water in a room then that water would present a slipping hazard to persons passing through it. If
access to that area was prevented by a physical barrier then the hazard would remain though the
risk would be minimised.

2.2 - Describe how to use a health and safety risk assessment.

To properly use a health and safety risk assessment you must be able to identify hazards and
evaluate the risks that hazard poses, for example when carrying out a risk assessment for someones
room who uses a wheelchair, you may recognise the rug has a raised edge which could be a hazard
to the person using a wheelchair when getting round his or her own room. The person using a risk
assessment would then have to measure the risks and how great or small they are before taking
precautions to eliminate those hazards and therefore reduce the risk to that persons health and
safety. Afterwards the risk assessment should have been reviewed and any findings that you make
should be recorded appropriately, and changes made to further ensure that persons health and
safety, perhaps by amending the work you have already done with the risk assessment and it should
be reported to either your senior or manager that risk assessment is complete.

2.3 - Explain how and when to report potential health and safety risks that have been identified.

It is important to report any risks immediately as they are recognised, or when any additional
measures are required, for example when any existing measures of hazard control are not enough
this should be reported immediately because it creates a greater risk to a persons health and safety.
A carer should watch out for their own health and safety as well however and so team work and
cooperation with any managers or seniors is paramount, as well as trying to make sure that any PPE
or other health and safety equipment is well kept and if it is damaged and a hazard presents itself,

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noting it down in the maintenance book or requesting more stock of something should be done
immediately. If the problem cannot be dealt with by yourself as a carer, then you should report the
potential risk to a senior member of staff or the manager right away. For example if there is a wet
floor and no wet floor sign, then mopping and placing a sign down can be handled by myself, but if
there were a broken call bell then a senior member of staff and the maintenance staff should be
notified of it as soon as possible. But also it should be written in the maintenance book, and the
communicated through daily records if the problem was not solved that same day.

2.4 - Describe how risk assessment can help address dilemmas between an individual's rights and
health and safety concerns.

Risk assessments can help address dilemmas between rights and health safety largely by making the
individual, whether that be a service user or a member of staff aware of the risks that exist. For
example if someone in a wheelchair who has a partial ability to walk is feeling discriminated against
by not being allowed to walk somewhere unassisted, (it might be wet floor inside or perhaps it could
be icy outside) then explaining the reasons behind persuading the use of a wheelchair is for their
own safety, and that it is not a decision that even rests in your hands, helps break the dilemma he
had concerning his rights as an individual, and also serve his own health and safety needs. Because it
makes the service user aware of the carers responsibilities, and the reason behind the risk
assessments is to keep people safe, and not to discriminate for any reason.

Understand procedures for responding to accidents and sudden illness.

3.1 - Describe different types of accidents and sudden illness that may occur in a social care setting.

There are various ways accidents can occur, and with accidents you cannot completely prevent
against them because they are accidental and even the highest level of work, and the most thought
through risk assessments cannot completely eradicate human error. For example people could fall
down stairs, even with flat shoes on just by misplacing a foot, a service user could burn themselves
while smoking, or scald themselves on a kettle while making a hot drink just as we all do at home, it
doesnt mean that the risk assessment is inappropriate, just that it was an accident. People could
always slip or trip while mopping and placing a wet floor sign, or just trip over it even though it is
necessary to warn people of the wet floor. Someone could accidently swallow a hazardous
substance, though for a service user to do this then it would suggest a low level of attention from
the staff. Although you cannot be everywhere at once, and if an emergency arose in the house and
demanded your attention, forgetting to put away the AX spray may well come to pass and someone
could potentially drink some. Even with locking everything up in the COSHH cupboard service users
can still access the soap dispensers in the toilets and such, though I imagine cases like that are very
rare.
As for sudden illnesses there are countless that could occur, but some of the more common ones
that may happen in a social care setting are things like cardiac arrest, depending on the service users
circumstances the defibrillator can be used to resuscitate them. People can come across difficulty
with breathing, whether though cardiac reasons or respiratory problems this kind of sudden illness is
common, and is always being watched out for by members of staff. Someone could have a seizure or
stroke, which may lead to loss of consciousness, possibly from hypoglycaemia (when someone does

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not have enough sugar in their blood which supplies the brain and neuroglycopenia which is loss of
function leading to dysphoria and loss of consciousness, possibly in rare cases even death. another
form of sudden illness could be food poisoning or an allergic reaction to some form of food, food
could have passed its use by date and therefore become harmful for human consumption or perhaps
a nut allergy maybe have been overlooked.

3.2 - Outline the procedures to be followed if an accident or sudden illness should occur.

Procedures that should be followed if an accident or sudden illness should occur involve assessing
them for injuries and creating a safe environment for the person concerned, whether by taking them
into their room or bathroom, or just clearing a space for them where they are and sending for help if
required, and staying with the individual while noting any changes or worsening of their injury or
illness as to provide the most constructive report for any medical professionals or staff. informing
the individuals family or next of kin, and recording everything fully in the accident and injury books,
as well as the doctors/nurses files if they saw one, along with the incident sheet as is the agreed way
of working within a social care setting.

3.3 - Explain why it is important for emergency first aid tasks only to be carried out by qualified first
aiders.

First aiders are called that for a reason, and they are the best suited for the job and so if they are
available then it best to wait for them simply because it minimizes the risk of further injury or illness,
and they can treat both illness and injury in the most effective way possible and in the long run it
preserves life if a risk of the individual passing away exists. If an uneducated person attempts the use
equipment meant for medical use then they can do as much harm as they can good, and it just isnt
safe for them to be using something they are not qualified to use. It also complies with health and
safety standards and legislation, which will fall under the policies and procedures of the home.

Know how to reduce the spread of infection.

4.1 - List routes by which an infection can get into the body.

Infections are easily caught by the human body, as they are often hard to detect, possible routes of
entry include:
Breathing, respiratory
Drinking or eating
Broken skin
Insect bites
Without listing a whole lot of subcategories these are the main points of entry, even though there
are only four there are many variations on each method, like breathing for example, the infection
could be naturally occurring in the air like pollen or something, though someone could sneeze or
cough next to you, or a harmful spray could be discharged in the air such as pesticide or paint.

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4.2 - Describe ways in which own health or hygiene might pose a risk to an individual or to others at
work.

Personal hygiene is a huge part of being a care assistant, and making sure you keep up on your own
health and cleanliness makes dealing with the service users a lot more respectful and polite. But its
much more than just politeness or for personal reasons, lots of different illnesses can be transferred
through physical contact, and even though PPE is used for infection control, it cannot stop
everything. Airborne illnesses can be transferred through sneezing and coughing. Poor hygiene such
as inadequate hand washing and dirty or contaminated fabrics pose a huge threat, becoming
especially dangerous when the service user has an already diminishing immune system, in rare cases
your own health and hygiene can cause serious illness or infection, even fatalities.

4.3 - Explain the most thorough method for hand washing.

The most effective way of washing your hands is to use soap after wetting your hands with hot
running water, washing thoroughly while rubbing your palms and interlacing your fingers to reach
any dirt. Part of the method as well I suppose is to wash them frequently, after every contact with an
individual, including any task that involves bodily fluids or clinical waste such as removing or
replacing the pad bags. According to the course guide book the method has five steps; wet, soap,
wash, rinse, dry.

4.4 - Describe when to use different types of personal protective equipment.

PPE is used throughout the day as a carer, but specifically the times to use some would be during
any type of personal care, to ensure infection control as it provides a barrier to any bodily fluids such
as sweat. Whenever I touch any waste, such as the clinical waste bags to protect myself against what
I am carrying. Also whenever you change tasks that need PPE to avoid cross contamination and to
protect against other contaminants and infections, for example when I aid someone with toileting I
cannot risk then opening the door and carrying the used pad bag to the clinical waste bin without
changing the gloves and apron I am wearing in case any of the service users bodily fluids get on the
handle, which could mean that everyone who touched that handle to get into the bathroom would
catch the illness that the service user might have.

Know how to move and handle equipment and other objects safely.

5.1 - Identify legislation that relates to moving and handling.

As usual there is legislation in place to ensure that the moving and handling of equipment and other
objects is done safely. Such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, which makes injuries and
accidents far less likely by making the workplace safe, and that when any injuries are incurred by
staff or service users then it is reported and reasonable action is taken. The other main piece of
legislation is the Manual Handling Operations Regulations which governs how people manually
handle objects and large items as well as people, and tries its best to ensure a safe method for every
type of foreseeable movable object.

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5.2 - List principles for safe moving and handling.

The main principles behind safe moving and handling include

Avoiding any hazardous manual handling,
Adhering to the requirements of any risk assessments in place
Reporting any difficulties, including injuries and accidents appropriately
Using equipment properly and safely, while adhering to the agreed ways of working
Using the proper techniques and methods of work, taught in manual handling course.

5.3 - Explain why it is important for moving and handling tasks to be carried out following specialist
training.

Before anyone should get involved with a task involving moving any type of heavy equipment then
they have to comply with current legislation and the agreed ways of working within a residential
home, this means to attend training in manual handling before taking on any tasks that involve it.
Having the specialist training for moving and handling minimises the risk of injury to yourself and
others, insuring that equipment like steps or ladders are used properly, because without the right
techniques they can cause as much harm as they can do good. For example if a service user wanted
a picture frame taken down from his or her room, then not knowing how to properly use a step
ladder could lead to injuring yourself or even the service user in the room at the time. Having the
training and understanding of the policies and procedures of the home safeguards your own health
and safety as well as the health and safety of others, and makes it easier to apply agreed ways of
working within your own practice.

Understand the principles of assisting and moving an individual.

6.1 - Explain why it is important to have specialist training before assisting and moving an individual.

Specialist training is again very important when assisting or moving an individual as without it their
needs and preferences cannot be met, and without that you cannot work to a standard that meets
the agreed ways of working. As a result you may not comply with the policies and procedures of the
home and in most cases that would mean you may well be breaking the law. Specialist training helps
you understand a service users needs and preferences as well as meet them, in understanding their
needs you can learn to make them more comfortable and easy when being moved or assisted, as
someones dignity is very easily damaged. Showing that you understand someone as well as know
what youre doing means that they might trust you further, leading to a better working relationship
which often makes it easier to work with an individual and minimise any injury to the individual and
to yourself. Along with meeting their health and safety requirements by moving the individual safely
and correctly, like using a sling in an appropriate manner, without the specialist training it would be
very easy to fit it incorrectly and used in that manner a hoist and sling can do far more harm than
good, with possibility of injury from a service user falling from the sling, or it being too tight and
causing injury from pinching or rubbing on them.

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6.2 - Explain the importance of following an individual's care plan and fully engaging with them when
assisting and moving.

An individuals care plan, which is a document where detailed information is kept to help aid an
individual, this can include a day to day list of requirements, next of kin contact information, medical
history, preferences, and a general background as a whole. Care plans also ensure the individual has
personalised details of how best to support them is known by other names such as a support plan or
individuals care document, But care plans is how their known within my working environment.
Following an individuals care plan ensures that their need and preferences are understood, allowing
you to meet them more easily and work within the individuals comfort zone if possible. The care
plan helps any carer move the individual safely and correctly, and guides you on how to best involve
the individual in the process, so they feel like an active participant in what they are doing, and not
like there just a sack of spuds. For example explaining what might be best for them to do next
instead of telling them to lift their arms up to install the sling is much better because it lets the
service user think for a moment about whats going on, and preserves a part of their independence
which is closely linked to their self-esteem. Following the care plan and agreed ways of working
while communicating with the resident helps greatly in minimising the risk of injury to the individual
or to yourself and others, because they will never be taken by surprise, and they will hopefully feel
more comfortable during the move as a result. They are as much a part of the process as you are and
they will often know what to do when any assisting or manual handling is required.

Know how to handle hazardous substances

7.1 - Identify hazardous substances that may be found in the social care setting.

Some of the hazardous substances and materials that may be found in a social care setting could
include any cleaning materials, such as disinfectant that can easily cause injury to the skin as most
useful disinfectant is an irritant, all found in the COSHH cupboard for use of the cleaners. The clinical
and bodily waste bags in the clinical waste bins are very harmful, and are emptied twice a day and
cleaned because of this. Also the medication or drugs can all be found locked away in the medication
cupboard which is locked, then that key is locked away as well in a different room to avoid anyone
gaining entry that does not have permission.

7.2a - Describe safe practices for: storing hazardous substances

Safe practices for storing hazardous substances include having them kept in a clocked cupboard,
where no unauthorised person can access them. Making sure they are properly labelled is very
important as unmarked containers could be easily used incorrectly and the improper substance
could cause injury to anyone involved. Also making sure that the substances are kept in acceptable
conditions is important, for example some medication is required to be chilled, and so keeping them
in a secure and locked fridge would be the only way to secure them safely and to keep them working
as well as they possibly can.

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7.2b - Describe safe practices for: using hazardous substances

All hazardous substances should be handled with care, this includes reading the on the label before
use, never mixing different substances together, as this can cause very noxious gases and damage
you or anyone in the vicinity. You should also only use a substance if you have been trained to do so,
which includes using the proper PPE like rubber or latex gloves when using general cleaners as some
chemicals can be absorbed through the skin and cause injury or illness. Also, if you encounter any
difficulties when using a product then it should be reported immediately to the appropriate person
and recorded in the accident book if necessary. And know where any possibly needed first aid
equipment is before beginning a task involving hazardous substances.

7.2c - Describe safe practices for: disposing of hazardous substances.

Care homes and residential homes should all have a COSHH protection file with guidelines on how to
dispose of any kept substances that are hazardous to health, such as clinical waste disposal in
marked sealed yellow bags. Used sharps such as needles should be placed in the yellow sharps box
and used or out of date medication should be collected or delivered to the pharmacist for proper
disposal.

Know environmental safety procedures in the social care setting.

8.1a - Outline procedures to be followed in the social care setting to prevent: fire

Lots of things can be done to prevent fires, and most are common sense, such as not having fire
door propped open and checking that appliances and plugs are turned off. Not smoking is a major
contributor to fire prevention, but thats not always as easy as it sounds within a care home of
smokers, though having a smoke room rather than having people smoke in their rooms is a major
step in the right direction. There is usually a fire procedure in every home, so finding that and
adhering to the directions it has also helps.

8.1b - Outline procedures to be followed in the social care setting to prevent: gas leak

Gas leaks are very dangerous, and so all appliances should be checked when switching them off, that
includes gas fires, cookers and heaters. Making sure you understand how to properly use the
equipment is also very important, you need to know how to properly switch something off, and
when using gas appliances, gas leaks can occur when switching them on too, so having the
knowledge to use them safely goes a long way.

8.1c - Outline procedures to be followed in the social care setting to prevent: floods

Knowing how to prevent flooding isnt something you would often think about, but with so much
plumbing in a residential home leaks and flooding are a real possibility. Being aware of how to turn
off the main water supply is crucial, and turning all taps off after use, as well mas making sure plugs
are unplugged in case of leaks or drips leading to overflow.

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