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DISCUSSION ESSAY

1. Understand the current legislative framework and organisational health, safety and risk management policies, procedures and practices that are relevant to health and social care or children and young people’s settings

1.1 Explain the legislative framework for health, safety and risk management in the work setting.

1.2 Analyse how policies, procedures and practices in own setting meet health, safety and risk management requirements.

In my essay I intend to set out the different frameworks and how it affects the supported living setting.

“The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974” is the primary law for safety and health found in Great Britain (Foulis, 2021). The Act springs a legal framework that encourages and promotes high standards in work. When the Act was introduced, it gave an integrated system focused on workplace safety and health (Foulis, 2021). The Act focuses on the protection of the public. The Act places the proper duties on employers, employees, self-employed, designers, importers, and manufacturers. The Act provides responsibilities, rights, and laws for all workplace individuals. According to the Act, the employer is responsible for ensuring that the workplace environment is safe, practical, and healthy and that the welfare of employees is ensured. In a place with more than five employees, the employer should provide a written safety and health policy while ensuring all employees are familiar with the written guidance.

My company has written procedures and policies stored in the workplace system. the practices and policies are usually updated when needed. The guidelines have information that employees use to guide them regarding their safety and health activities within the workplace. The policies also contain methods for managing risks and analysing risks. The procedures and policies meet the requirements through an evaluation conducted by internal and external experts. Individuals are mandated to update the policies and procedures linked to safety, risk, and health management. A maintenance team attends to safety and health issues raised by employees.

Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 – puts responsibility on employers to maintain safe working environment and carry out risk assessments. This is done periodically and includes PAC testing of equipment and annual gas checks, fire safety checks so that we minimize the risks of any accidents. If we become aware that anything is not in good working order, the fault is reported immediately to our local authority which is in communities and the appliance or faulty equipment is not allowed to be used until it has been passed as safe.

The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 – employers must assess and minimise the health risks associated with moving and handling, employers must provide adequate information and training. Our moving and handling is an online training course but an annual practical moving and handling course is mandatory.

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) – regulates use/storage/disposal of hazardous substances including cleaning products and medication. All hazardous substances are in a locked cupboard as all our customers need support using them, all medication is locked away for safety, regular audits are done to check the stock is correct, all medication is kept in original packaging with the customer’s name and dosage on the packet. All used by dates are regularly checked. If meds were unlocked there is a risk that is someone wasn’t well they could self-medicate for example they had a headache, some of them can’t read so could take more painkillers than prescribed. If chemicals such as bleach weren’t locked up they could risk chemical burns.

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) – accidents and incidents must be recorded and reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). I initially thought covid would have been classed under this but when researches realised it has its own guidelines which I will come onto later.

Firstly the reporting of incidents can include deaths and injuries at work if the accident is work related or the injury is reportable.  Deaths at work which don’t include suicide of workers or none workers must be reported if they come from a work-related incident including physical violence. Types of injury that are reportable are fractures other than to fingers, thumbs and toes, amputations, any injury likely to cause permanent loss or reduction of sight to name a few examples.  Other example of reportable incidents are if an employee is incapacitated for 7 or more days due to an injury at work, accidents must be recorded must don’t have to be reported if an employee is off for 3 or more days due to an injury at work. Accidents to members of the public or others who are not at work must be reported if they result in an injury and the person is taken directly from the scene of the accident to hospital for treatment to the injury, this does not include examinations and diagnostic tests or someone been taken to hospital as a precaution and no injury is apparent.

Occupational diseases are diagnosis of certain occupational diseases which are likely to be made worse by their work. Theses can include occupational dermatitis, carpal tunnel syndrome. Occupational cancer, a reason example of this could be people who have been exposed to asbestos and they have become ill because of it. Although these don’t really apply in my surroundings, bad lifting in care as led to numerous back problems.

When Covid began three years ago, it wasn’t included in RIDDOR but from when it began there has been guidelines on reporting it and how we could try to prevent it spreading, guidance has changed over time as different variants keep appearing and we can have jabs to try to prevent us getting it or to at least try to stop us being as ill with it.

The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 – employee screen use must be risk assessed, this doesn’t apply to most of the team in supported living just office staff but this law places specific requirements on employers to protect their staff from health risks associated from long screen time.

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 2002 (PUWER) – employers must ensure equipment is safe and well-maintained

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) – additional regulation specifically for equipment that lifts and lowers

Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992 –additional regulation specifically for PPE

The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 – employers must ensure that there is first-aid equipment and qualified first-aiders

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 – employers must risk assess for fire safety

Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 – employers must ensure electrical equipment is safe to use

Food Safety Act 1990 – regulations for employees that handle food on behalf of others

Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 – regulations to ensure food is prepared safely and hygienically

References

‌Foulis, D. (2021). 6 Essential Points Of The Health & Safety At Work Act | Ideagen | Ideagen. [online] Ideagen.com. Available at: https://www.ideagen.com/thought-leadership/blog/the-6-essential-points-of-the-health-and-safety-at-work-act [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023].

Hse.gov.uk. (2020). Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 – legislation explained. [online] Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/legislation/hswa.htm [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023].

‌ Legislation.gov.uk. (2023). Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. [online] Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1974/37/contents [Accessed 15 Mar. 2023].