Health Safety and Wellbeing in Health and Social Care Settings

This presentation covers the legislation, policies, responsibilities, and safe practices related to health and safety in health and social care settings. It also explains the principles of chain of infection, reducing the spread of infection, types of abuses, and the roles of safeguarding agencies. The presentation is useful for students studying health and social care courses in colleges and universities.

Health Safety and Wellbeing in
Health and Social Care Settings

Table of Contents
LO1
1.1 Legislation related with health and safety
1.2 Health and safety policies and procedures agreed with the employer
1.3 Health and safety responsibilities of employer, self and other at work
1.4 Tasks which should not be carried out without training
1.5 Principles for safe moving and handling
1.6 Safe practices for handling hazardous substances
LO2
2.1 Principles of chain of infection
2.2 Impact of breaking chain of infection
2.3 Own role in reducing the spread of infection
2.4 Recommended method for handwashing
2.5 Explaining how it can be ensured infection can be spread
LO3
3.1 Defining the following types of abuses
3.2 Actions to take when an individual is being abused
3.3 Factors that contributes towards an individual being more vulnerable to abuse
3.4 Roles of different agencies in the safeguarding and protecting individuals from the abuse
REFERENCES

LO1
1.1 Legislation related with health and safety
Health & Safety at Work etc Act, 1974-
This legislation focuses on the occupational health and wellbeing of the staff members in
health and social care organizations of Great Britain.
The main purpose of this legislation is to promote better standards of safety and healthy
practices at the workplace.
Handling Operations Regulations, 1992
This legislation is helpful for the organization to establish a set of measures which can be
beneficial for reducing different challenges of manual handling.
This law is crucial for health and social care organizations to avoid the practices of
hazardous manual handling which can leads towards risk of injuries and accidents.

1.2 Health and safety policies and procedures
agreed with the employer
It is necessary for any employer to agree health and safety policies with their staff
members in writing and provide accessibility to them properly.
It explains the different details which needs to be followed by the healthcare workers to
comply with the law.
The duties and responsibilities of the employees which are related with these aspects are
important for their responsibilities towards the environment.

1.3 Health and safety responsibilities of
employer, self and other at work
Employee
Taking appropriate care of oneself and other fellow staff
members in order to work in a safe environment.
Avoiding things that can put others at risk and can be
difficult to manage for the health and social care
organization.
Following the principles of training properly for
reducing the chances for inconvenience.

1.4 Tasks which should not be carried out
without training
These tasks are required to be understood properly and then undertaken by the staff
members in order to reduce the possibility of risks for people. These are as follows:
Preparation and handling of food requires proper consideration by the staff members in
order to eradicate the threat of poisoning.
The tasks and activities which are related with healthcare must not be carried out without
taking appropriate training and guidance from the superiors.

1.5 Principles for safe moving and handling
The instructions which are provided on the equipment or a good by the manufacturer
must be effectively followed by the responsible person.
The medical equipment or samples must be used for the required purpose which is pre-
defined.
It is necessary for the healthcare staff to ensure to clean the equipment and samples
before use in order to develop appropriate results.

1.6 Safe practices for handling hazardous
substances
Training appropriate safety practices for increase the understanding of the staff members
to deal with hazardous substances such as cleaning fluids, acids, medicines, body fluids
etc.
Undertaking safety while storage of the hazardous substances in order to increase the
convenience for their safe mobility and handling.
Following the policies and procedures which are mentioned on the hazardous substances
that have a warning sign.

LO2
2.1 Principles of chain of infection
Infectious agent
It is necessary for the healthcare staff to identify the different germs and infecting agents
which are the main cause for any disease.
This is helpful for understanding the issues at the basic level and prepare appropriate
practices for mitigation of the risks.
Reservoir
This includes the different places where these pathogens exist and develop the ability to
contaminate the environment.
The places where different medical equipment, insects, soil or water may get these
contaminants that increases the infection.

2.2 Impact of breaking chain of infection
Breaking of the chain of infection can be beneficial for
the people to interrupt the spread of infection and
restricting the chances of getting infected.
The use of sanitation can be critical in this chain and
increasing the opportunities for getting secured with the
infectious diseases.
Taking appropriate vaccines which are related with the
considerate infection is helpful for breaking the chain.

2.3 Own role in reducing the spread of infection
Following the measures of personal hygiene and sanitation is important for people in
order to maintain safe environment at the workplace for other members.
The effective disposal of waste can be helpful in order to reduce the level of
contamination which is created in the environment.
Appropriate training and development for the staff members can be crucial for
eliminating the risk of spread of infection and provide better opportunities for controlling
the situation.

2.4 Recommended method for handwashing
 The best method for hand washing has been recommended by the World Health
Organization.
 The hand must be washed within rotational rubbing of the left thumb which is clasped
in the right palm.
 The rotational rubbing backwards and forwards within the clasped fingers of right hand
under the left palm and vice versa needs to be done.

2.5 Explaining how it can be ensured infection
can be spread
 It is highly important to assure that own health and hygiene does not lead to create risk
for others and this can be ensured within taking personal hygiene measures, washing
hands in proper manner, covering the mouth while sneezing, using disposable issues,
covering and cutting abrasions, maintaining the distance from the work when getting
effected by infection and getting treatment for any kind of illness and infection.

LO3
3.1 Defining the following types of abuses
Physical abuse- This abuse has been defined as the type pf abuse in which the physical
injury is inflicted on the person rather than the accidental means. Hitting, scalding and
throwing is the most common types of physical abuse.
Domestic violence or abuse- It has bene referred as the intimate partner violence which
is being occurs between the people who are in intimate relationship. This can be in
different form which can be- emotional, sexual or threat of abuse.
Sexual abuse- It is the sexual behaviour and the sexual act which is being forced upon
the person without approval of their consent. Forcefully the sexual interaction has been
created which impacts the individual in negative manner.

3.2 Actions to take when an individual is being
abused
 It is highly important that actions must be taken when the person is being abused.
 In case, there is any concern and suspicious that an individual is getting abused then, it
is important to report about the scenario to the service safeguarding or to the line
manager for the future actions.
 All the concerns must be followed in appropriate manner- allegations, complaints,
disclosure and the direct evidence must be collected so, the proper justification can be
made.

3.3 Factors that contributes towards an
individual being more vulnerable to abuse
 The major factors that are
contributing towards the individual
for becoming more vulnerable to
abuse are- lack of the mental
capability, increasing age, lower level
of self-esteem, social isolation,
physically dependent on other,
previous history related to abuse,
negative experience related to the
disclosing of the abuse and lack of
access to the health and social
services.

3.4 Roles of different agencies in the
safeguarding and protecting individuals from
the abuse
There are different roles has been performed by the different agents in order to
safeguarding and protecting the individuals from the abuse and those are-
Multi-agency and interagency- These agencies are responsible for allocating a named
person that oversees safeguarding assessment and outcome and consults the police in
regards to all the safeguarding incidents.

REFERENCES
 After Munro? London: Policy Press. Naidoo, J. and Wills, J. 2016. Foundations for
Health Promotion, 4e (Public Health and Health Promotion). Elsevier
 Blyth, M. 2012 Effective Safeguarding for Children and Young People: What Next
After Munro? Policy Press.
 Pilusa, M.L. and Mogotlane, M.S., 2018. Worker knowledge of occupational legislation
and related health and safety benefits. Curationis, 41(1), pp.1-6.
 Umeokafor, N., 2020. Why copied or transposed safety, health and well-being
legislation and standards are impracticable and irrelevant in developing
economies. Policy and Practice in Health and Safety. 18(1). pp.41-54.