Health and Safety at Workplace: Risk Assessments and Contributions

This report examines health and safety practices within a healthcare setting, specifically focusing on a nursing home. It begins by outlining relevant legislation, such as the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and various communication methods used to disseminate safety information. The report then details the responsibilities of employers, employees, service users, and visitors in maintaining a safe environment, emphasizing the importance of employers' duties in safeguarding workers and service users. It further identifies health and safety priorities, like addressing the behavior of dementia patients, and discusses risk assessment processes, highlighting their role in identifying hazards and minimizing risks. The report concludes with a reflection on the author's contribution as a care worker, emphasizing the importance of training, communication with individuals, and fulfilling responsibilities to ensure the health and safety needs of patients are met.

Task 1
Health and Safety At
Workplace

1.1 Systems, policies and procedures for communicating
information
Legislation is the law formulated by the
legislative or governing authorities in order to
implement the policies and procedures within
business. It is essential for Northfolk Nursing
Home to identify different communication
methods in regard to inform the patients about
health and safety at workplace. Following are the
different health and safety legislation in UK such
as-

Legislations
• Health and Safety regulations 1981
• Health and Safety at Work Act 1974

Communication methods
Further, communication methods play a crucial
role in order to provide information to care
providers regarding health and safety at
workplace. There are different communication
methods that could be adopted by nursing
workers w that helps in informing regarding
health and safety such as-

Types of communication
• Verbal
• Sign
• Label

1.2 Responsibilities in specific health and social
care workplace
In order to maintain health and safety at workplace it is
the responsibility of each and every individual i.e.
employees, employers, service users and visitors etc. so
that best care be delivered to patients. It is the duty of
care providers and employers to follow the health and
safety responsibilities in order to protect the rights and
provide a safe environment to overcome the issues
faced by care users, Northfolk nursing home needs to
identify the responsibilities of different individuals
which are as follows-

Responsibilities
• Responsibility of employers
• Responsibility of employees
• Responsibility of service users and visitors

Responsibility of employers
• As per the health and safety law, employers are responsible for health
and safety management. Care home provides a broad outline that needs
to be followed by workers in regard to deliver better care opportunities
to patients and safeguard their rights.
• Also, it is the duty of employers to protect the health, safety and
welfare of their workers and other people who might get affected by
their business. Therefore, it is essential for employers to do whatever is
reasonably practicable to attain health and safety targets.
• Further, employers ensure that workers and others are protected from
any harm that may cause harm in order to control the risks to injury or
health that could arise within the care home.
• Also, employers are required to consult employees upon care issues and
communicate them regarding safety responsibilities so that best results
can be attained.

Responsibility of employees
• It is essential for employees to control the
risks associated with care users.
• Employees are provided any personal
protective and safety equipment free of
charge from employers.
• To inform employer of nursing home
regarding any health and safety concerns.

Responsibility of service users and visitors
• Service user is required to listen and validate the
responsibilities.
• To treat service providers with respect and courtesy.
• Obey the care providers instructions and do not
harm them.
• Visitors are responsible for keeping sufficient
distance between operator and service user.
• Visitors are required to take permission regarding
entering the HSC and meet the service user.

1.3 Health and safety priorities appropriate for HSC
Health care home is facing issues regarding
dementia patients about their behaviour of anger.
Thus, care providers of Northfolk nursing home
needs to undertake appropriate health and safety
priorities so that best care services can be
delivered to patients so that they can overcome
their problems. Following are the different
health and safety priorities for care home such
as-

Contd...
• Policies and legislations
• Code of practice
• Waste management