Manage Health And Safety Across An Organisation Essay

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 is the primary piece of legislation covering work related health and safety in the UK. Health and Safety Commission is responsible for developing policies and making proposals for Health and Safety Regulations. The Health and Safety Executive is the statutory body appointed by the commission which provides inspectors who have the responsibility for enforcing legal requirements. Medicine Act 1968 Misuses of Drugs Acts 1971 Health Act 2000 complies with health, safety and risk management procedures, and cleanliness and infection control. Employer has responsibilities for the health and safety of their service users and employees. They are also responsible for any visitors to their premises such as family, friends, health visitors, suppliers. The company has a duty of care to look after, as far as possible , all the staff and service users health, safety and welfare while at work .I make sure to start with a risk assessment to spot possible health and safety hazards. Risk assessment reviewed on regular basis and whenever circumstances changes. Eg: water low risk assessment score. Read more: Explain why it is important to assess health and safety risks essay Responsibility for health and safety implications of work activity and employee welfare rests with the employer. An employer’s liability can be both criminal, in so far that employers be prosecuted in the magistrates or Crown Court for breaches of criminal law (specially, the Health And Safety at Work Act 1974) or health and safety regulations or be sued in the country or High Court for damages in the event of negligence or breach of statutory duty giving rise to personal injury to employees, visitors to the work place. Legal and personal responsibility for health and safety can fall on anyone employed in the organisation. Every person with responsibility for health and safety in the organisation will identified and has their role and responsibilities set out in the health and safety policy whist performance of the day to day functions can be delegated to senior staff, over all responsibility cannot be delegated and remains with the board as the employer. Eg: During the rounds I make sure the COSHH room is locked .Ensure no chemicals or cleaning equipments on the way of the service user .All the fire doors and linen cupboards must be closed at all times. To make sure staff is maintaining proper hygienic procedure according to home policy and procedures to minimize the cross infection. Medication cupboard locked and key must be with the in charge at all times. An employer’s statutory duties can be summarised as follows:- Employer to  ensure, the health, safety and welfare of its employees and service users. This includes provision of safe systems of work, safe equipments, information, training, supervision and a healthy living environment. The company’s duty of care in practice Make the work place safe. Prevent risks to health. Ensure machinery is safe to use and that safe working practices are setup and followed. Make sure that all the materials are handled, stored and used safely. Provide adequate first aid facilities. Training up to date and supervision as needed. Set up emergency plans. Make sure ventilation, temperature, light, toilet, washing and rest facilities all meet health, safety and welfare equipments. Check that the right work equipments provided and is properly used and regularly maintained. Ensure that the right warning signs are provided and looked after. The Reporting of Accidents, Injuries, Disease and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1985 (RIDDOR) to Care Quality Commission. Health and Safety Commission’s Approved Codes of Practice give detailed, practical advice on how to comply with health and safety laws, Employers following the advice while doing enough to comply in respect of those specific matters in which the Approved Codes of Practice gives advice. Qualified and experienced health and safety consultants, who will protect our organisation by advising on and implementing best practice methods, helps to make sure that service users, family and staff are kept up-to-date with changes in the legislation. Tees Spires is the contracted agency to check the health and safety equipments once in a year. Yearly fire training arranged through London fire service by the company to up to date the knowledge. Health and safety specialist advisor provides ongoing support .Every employer is under a statutory duty to arrange for a competent person to assess all risks arising at work place or created by work activity. Eg: The home conduct fire drills six times a year and staff on duty will come to  the assembly point and sign the fire practice book. The home manager always discuss with the staff to follow The Health and Safety Work Act 1974. Health and safety meeting conducted on every month and issues arises during the meeting are solved by appro priate interventions The responsibilities of the employer are subject to range of health and safety legislation. Organisation’s health and safety policies advising that Health and safety education should start with staff orientation when an employee joins the organisation. Induction related to health and safety that should include emergency procedures location of first aid stations health and safety responsibilities reporting injuries unsafe conditions use of personal protective equipments right of refuse hazardous work According to organisational policy staff to check all the fire escape routes and exists to ensure that there is nothing blocking the exist. For each work activity there should be safe system of work, staff should receive appropriate training and all equipments should be maintained in good condition. I make sure a suitable and sufficient assessment of hazardous manual handling operations which cannot be avoided and reduce the risk of injury via appropriate systems of work, including training. Eg: Monthly care plan review and health and safety meeting helps to identify the main issues. The company have the call bell system registered in the computer and checked on a daily basis. Home also have maintenance book for all the staff to enter the issues related to the building for the maintenance manager to check and resolve the problem Equipments used for lifting service users (lifts, hoists) are subject to the requirements of the Lifting Operation and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. As such they are required to have a thorough examination every six months. Slings used with the hoists must also be examined at this time.  Before use staff must ensure that they check the sling is in good condition and is the correct size of the service user. I always ensure that all the  staffs are aware of which slings are to be used for which service user and also recorded in the care plan. Staffs in the care home are particularly at risk from clinical waste, including soiled laundry. Therefore staffs are trained in safe working procedures and hygiene standards, as well as being provided with appropriate protective equipments. The electricity at Work Regulations 1989 requires maintaining electrical system and equipments in safe working orders. Fixed electrical installations should be inspected at least once in every five years. Simple, regular in-house checks of equipments should be carried out by our maintenance manager at a frequency appropriate to the risk. Portable appliances should be tested regularly and annual testing is recommended. Staff, family and visitors aware that any portable appliances brought in to the home by others are checked prior to use and are included in any testing regime. Eg: xxx who is mobilizing with the walking stick usually goes out with out escort .A risk assessment care plan in place and recommending staff to make sure that xxx is wearing company tag with the phone number, receptionist must record the dress code in the sign in and out book. Staff been allocated with fire steward on each floor on each shift on daily basis. Fire exist doors must be clear at all times. Maintena nce manager check the fire extinguishers good working conditions, expiry dates and fire exit signs In order to prevent slips, trips and falls floor should be of non –slip design and floors should be kept clean, in good repair and free from obstacles at all times. During cleaning warning signs should be used to make service users and staff aware of potentially slippery surfaces, stairs should be properly maintained constructed and well lit with hand rails. Using chemicals or other hazardous substances at work can put people’s health at risk. So the law requires controlling exposure to hazardous substances to prevent ill health .To prevent falls from height, windows modified to reduce the size of the opening. A formal review of health and safety performance is essential. It allows the organisation to establish whether the essential health and safety principles – strong and active leadership, worker involvement, and assessment and review – have been embedded in the organisation. It tells whether the system is effective in managing risk and protecting people. Employer also plays an important part in monitoring the effectiveness of the home policy, eg by carrying out work place inspections. Health and safety audit will examine our responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act as well as compliance with key UK and EC safety regulations. Management are responsible for regularly reviewing and where appropriate simplifying and updating the health and safety policy. Safety for work offers a complete with report with recommendations. Health and safety procedures are set up with best intentions. The company review all the policies once in a year. Last year there was new recommendation for the health and safety policy that resident to wear company badge whenever they go out of the building. During the induction training staff will gain the foundation to good health safety practice is to harness our work place as our staff safety eyes and ears to spot hazards and minimize risks. Raising health and safety awareness throughout the company makes sound the home to run smoothly. The overall responsibility for health and safety rests on the employer, but day to day responsibility delegated to all the staff on duty. The arrangement section of our policy shows the steps we will take to eliminate or reduce as far as reasonably practical the risks posed by the hazards in the work environment. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) 2002 law requires employers to control substances that are hazardous to health. COSHH Training will reinforce our organisations safety culture and help to prevent work place accidents and injuries. It is important that cleaning materials should never be left on even when domestic staff is taking a short rest break. Fire risk assessment recommended reviewing on an annual basis or when changes have taken place to building fabric or layout or the building’s use. Fire risk assessment carried out by someone who has had sufficient training and has good experience and knowledge of fire safety and it is done by the company contracted health and safety agency. Staff allocated with fire steward, in case of fire alarm has to make sure the service users are safe in the room and to call the fire brigade. Any major issues reported to directors and take instruction to deal accordingly. Xxx using stairs to mobilize as xxx is scared to use lift. Family, GP, staff informed and risk assessment identified and care plan in place. Health and safety auditing is a valuable management technique that is highly recommended by the Health and Safety Executive. An audit will show exactly how we measure up to legal requirements, and whether staff performance is unto standard. Management system audits should be planned and scheduled at regular intervals. Effective health and safety auditing not only provides the legal framework for compliance, it also lays the foundations for continuous safety improvement to enhance competitive advantage. We have health and safety meeting once in every month and all the staff can arise issues related to health and safety problems. The home manager take appropriate action immediately A good health and safety record is a competitive advantage and a reflection of management strength. By auditing current performance, informed decisions can be made, actions prioritised and resources allocated. Furthermore, regular reviews of safety performance will lead to a culture of continuous improvement. EG:xxx unable to weight bear on her legs, using hoist for transfers. A risk assessment care plan in place and staff to follow proper moving and handling procedures according to the person cantered needs and priorities. Work place inspections help to identify existing hazards so that appropriate corrective actions can be taken. Health and Safety Legislation requires work place inspections as a proactive action to ensure workplace health and safety. All the staffs are responsible for reporting and I take actions on unsafe conditions and acts as they are encountered. The main purpose of the Health and Safety Legislation is To secure the health and safety and welfare of people at work To protect other from risks arising from the act ivies of  people at work To control the use and storage of dangerous substances Although staff will aim to give personal care and support in as individual a manner as possible, staff must always remember that health and safety for everyone involved comes first. For eg, service user ask to be left in the bathroom alone, staff should support this but only if it is safe to do so. Staffs needs to consider the risks involved and the service user’s capacity to understand the risks and know how to reduce them. Health and Safety Act requires employers to ensure workers are appropriately knowledgeable about health and safety and they are trained in relevant areas. Monthly health and safety meeting helps to identify the issues. Risk assessment reviewed regularly and takes action according to the changes. Health and Safety policy in the home is a plan showing how we will manage our organisation’s health and safety issues. It is set out the actions we are taking to prevent accidents and ill health meet our legal duties manage risks A formal review of health and safety performance is essential. It allows the organisation to establish whether the essential health and safety principles – strong and active leadership, worker involvement, and assessment and review – have been embedded in the organisation. It tells whether the system is effective in managing risk and protecting people. Employer also plays an important part in monitoring the effectiveness of the home policy, eg by carrying out work place inspections. Health and safety audit will examine our responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act as well as compliance with key UK and EC safety regulations. Management are responsible for regularly reviewing and where appropriate simplifying and updating the health and safety policy. Safety for work offers a complete with report with recommendations. Health and safety procedures are set up with best intentions. The company review all the policies once in a year. Last year there was new recommendation for the health and safety policy that resident to wear company badge whenever they go out of the building. During the induction  training staff will gain the foundation to good health safety practice is to harness our work place as our staff safety eyes and ears to spot hazards and minimize risks. Raising health and safety awareness throughout the company makes sound the home to run smoothly. Health and safety is the joint responsibility of management and workers. Management is accountable for non-compliance to health and safety legislation. Responsibility may be defined as an individual’s obligation to carryout assigned duties eg of responsibilities of workers. .using personal protection and safety equipment as required by the employer following safe work procedures knowing and complying with all regulations reporting any injury or illness immediately reporting unsafe acts and unsafe conditions participating in joint health and safety committees Eg of my responsibilities instructing staff to follow safe work practices enforcing health and safety regulations correcting unsafe acts and unsafe conditions ensuring that only authorised, adequately trained staffs operate equipments reporting and all accidents /incidents inspecting own area and taking remedial actions to minimize or eliminate hazards ensuring equipments are properly maintained promoting safety awareness in workers Staff to allow individual independence and not to restrict. For eg: xxx want to walk on corridors allocated staff to monitor xxx while walking and to promote the individual independence Health and safety education should start with staff orientation when an employee joins the organisation. Induction related to health and safety that should include emergency procedures location of first aid stations health and safety responsibilities reporting injuries unsafe conditions use of personal protective equipments right of refuse hazardous work Communicating and consulting on matters of health & safety are vital elements in organising for health and safety. They help promote a positive health and safety culture and secure the implementation and continued development of health and safety policies. The company have a contract with an established health and safety consultancy that provides a comprehensive range of health, safety, occupational hygiene, environmental and risk management consultancy and training services. Carry out regular risk assessments, making sure you consider the increased risk that hazards may pose to vulnerable clients. Identify and implement appropriate control measures. These may need to be included in the risk assessment for individual clients. Ensure safe storage, handling and disposal of all hazardous substances, eg cleaning products, medicines and clinical waste. The company has a health and safety policy in place and the policy take account of the special circumstances faced by care-service businesses and the specific needs of vulnerable individuals. For instance, a detailed fire evacuation plan placed on all the service users’ doors to protect them. Eg: xxx has hospital bed with cot rails .the company policy not permitting to use any rails .i nformed GP and family .Assessment done by district nurse as xxx doesn’t have any falls from the bed any need to use the cot rails. Informed all the staff and senior staff to check on a daily basis. An effective safety program needs the cooperative involvement of all employees. Our organisation has a joint health and safety committee brings together workers in depth, practical knowledge of specific jobs and management’s larger overview of job interrelationships, general company policies and procedures. This team is effective in solving health and safety problems than a single individual Minimizing risks of accidents and injuries, it’s also important to make our  premises as user friendly as possible. Simple design changes can be very effective, such as: making door handles easy to open  placing light switches at accessible heights  using rails near baths and toilets to aid balance The earlier think about these issues, the easier it will be to deal with them. The company required by law to consult all employees on matters relating to Health and Safety. The home has health and safety meetings and minutes published and other documentation that can demonstrate the company has an ongoing and organised approach to Health and Safety and risk management. Environmental audit conducted on a monthly basis. Health and Safety template is an excellent tool to check on Health and Safety matters. It also enables me to demonstrate authorities that consultation is taking place, and that Health and Safety management is an ongoing process in your company, as well as providing you with solid records to that effect.