Health and Safety in the Health and Social Care Workplace

This document reviews the systems, policies, and procedures in the health and social care workplace, focusing on legislations such as the Health and Safety at Work Act and policies like the Health and Safety regulations. It also assesses the responsibilities for the management of health and safety in relation to the organizational structure and analyzes health and safety priorities in health and social care.

Health and Safety in the Health and Social Care Workplace
Policies
1. Health and Safety regulations (First aid), 1981
It is the duty of the employer to provide first aid treatment in case of incident takes place in the organisation.
Moreover, it is required that North Staffordshire NHS Trust should provide treatment to employees and further should
analyse entire situation and as such, first aid should be provided.
2. Mental Health Care Act, 2007
This Act provides health and safety to mental patients who are suffering from this disease. Medical services
should be provided by health and social care in effective manner.
2. Health and Safety Offences Act, 2008
This legislation states that health and social organisation should take care of safety and health of workers and as
such, safety rules are taken by employee's trade union. The main aim of this legislation is that recruiting manager must
clarify any type of risks in relation to job else, health care could be liable for punishment on legal basis.
3. Employment Medical Advisory Act, 1972
The Act states that medical examination of workers should be done by North Staffordshire NHS Trust. This
should be done from time to time in order to have clarity about the health of workers in the best possible manner. Thus,
this facility can be easily provided by health care
1.2 Assessing responsibilities for management of health and safety in relation to
organisation structure
The responsibilities for the management are required to be discharged so that
health and safety may be provided to workers and patients in the best possible manner. The
roles and responsibilities of various people in North Staffordshire NHS Trust are listed
below
1. Directors-
The responsibility of directors is positive and good leadership in the health and
social care in the best possible manner. Moreover, it is required that proper communication
must be provided in all departments in relation to health and safety. Furthermore, policies
must be in accordance to legal requirements. Thus, directors need to evaluate and arrange
for health and safety regulation and ensure that no harm may be made by taking any action
by them.
2. Staff-
The staff need to be properly trained and as such, it is required to discharge their duties
in effective manner. They should be given adequate training handling equipments and as such,
staff should immediately report any incidents, defects so that health and safety may be provided
with much ease. By applying this, they will be able to take care of themselves and of patients as
well. Proper training will inculcate North Staffordshire NHS Trust to avoid distress in effectual
manner. Moreover, they will be able to take care of the patients in effective way.
1.1 Reviewing systems, policies and procedures in the health and social care
There are various legislations, policies which are to be followed by health and social care for effective communication with much ease. The legislations
and policies are discussed below-
Legislations
1. Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974
This Act is enacted by UK government to ensure that workers may be provided with health and safety at the workplace. This is essentially required in
order to have safety in the organisation mainly where chances of occurring accidents are more. North Staffordshire NHS Trust is required to follow such
guidelines so that proper and safe environment may be provided to employees.
3. COSSH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health)-
The COSSH should be effectively applied and implemented in
North Staffordshire NHS Trust in order to reduce and initiate control on
hazardous substances on the health in the best possible manner. Removing
harmful substances will initiate health and safety at the workplace.
Moreover, staff should report about these substances in order to ensure
safety quite effectually.
4. RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous
Occurrences Regulations), 2013-
It is the duty of employers to report about diseases, accidents and
such incidents so that control may be initiated in effective way.
1.3 Analysing health and safety priorities in health and social care
The priority sector chosen is surgical care in North Staffordshire NHS Trust. This is one of the
important priority that should be taken into account by the doctors in the institution (Safe Surgery. 2018). It
is essential as various surgeries take place such as traumatic injuries, cancers and cardiovascular diseases
are required to be operated which is complex task and as such, institution is required to accomplish the
same in the best possible manner. Furthermore, it is needed to analyse health condition of the patient
suffering from any of such diseases. Next step is to reason behind such disease and after that treatment can
be started. Thus, it is required that proper surgery should be done to make patient healthy in effective
manner. Hence, effective treatment should be done as it may cause circumstances of death of the individual.