HLTWHS003 Case Study: Maintaining Work Health and Safety Standards

This case study examines two scenarios related to workplace health and safety. The first case involves an electric shock caused by a worn electrical cord, prompting an analysis of hazards, contributing factors (unsafe electrical practices, poor maintenance, and lack of water protection), and control measures (inspection, testing, and proper maintenance). The second case presents an incident report of a dental practice patient becoming violent. The report details the incident, potential causes (unrealistic billing expectations), and preventative actions taken by the hospital. The assignment emphasizes hazard identification, incident reporting, and the implementation of effective safety measures to prevent future incidents, aligning with the principles of maintaining a safe working environment. The document provides a comprehensive analysis of workplace safety issues, including electrical hazards and patient interactions, and suggests practical strategies for prevention and incident management.

Running head: WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY 1
Work Health and Safety
Name
Institution

WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY 2
Case Study 1
Hazards from the Scenario
From the presented case study, we are told that a young man experiences an electric shock while
handling an electric kettle. He is taken to the hospital by an ambulance where he is expected to
have a full recovery. Accidents such as electric shocks can be caused by hazards within the
working environment. A hazard may be defined as a source of potential harm to a worker or
damage to the environment (Bahn, 2013). From the presented case scenario, there are two
potential sources o harm that I can classify as hazards. The first one is the worn out underside of
a cord connected to an electric kettle. The worn out part exposes a naked why that exposes the
young worker to an electrical shock. The second potential hazard is revealed after further
investigations and this is the cord that is connected to the toaster. This cord is also found to have
been worn out.
Factors Contributing to the Incident
Unsafe electrical practices at a workplace can be very dangerous to the workers. There are
several unsafe working practices that can lead to fatal injuries. In this section, we discuss the
factors that can contribute to such incidents in the workplace. The first one is the live exposed
parts of accessories. From the presented case, the young worker was handling an electric kettle
whose cord was won out thus exposing some part. This wearing out may be due to placing the
kettle in a rough environment. The exposed part carries a live current that may cause extreme
damage if left to flow through the body.
Another factor that may have caused the incident could be the poor maintenance of the electric
kettle. An electrical appliance that is poorly maintained deteriorates at a very fast rate and the

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deterioration is normally unnoticed. This causes live openings and loose connections that present
a potential electric shock (Roberts, 2012). This can cause injuries as presented in the case study
and the injuries may be fatal in worse cases.
Finally, another factor that may have contributed to the incident it could be the lack of enough
protection against the ingression by water. The water comes into contact with the worn sections
thus creating a short circuit. The short circuit may be dangerous to the point of causing electrical
shocks that may be fatal at times.
Control Measures
Accidents caused by electric shock can be dangerous but it is important to note that there are
measures that can be used to prevent these such incidences. Inspection and testing are very
important to help in knowing and correcting faults before they cause inconsiderable damage. One
of the control measures is by seeking a piece of advice from the inspection and testing provider
regarding the best cords that may be long-lasting (Roberts, 2012). This will ensure that workers
do not suffer from accidents such as electric shocks due to open wires.
Another control measure is to ensure that the electric kettle is properly maintained at all times
and the cords are in good condition. This will reduce the process of wear thus reducing the
number of times that a live wire is encountered.
Case Study 2
This second case study involves a patient at dental practice who becomes extremely angry to the
point of being physically violent. From the presented case scenario, we have come up with an
incident report. This report is a form that may be used to document any event that may have

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either lead to or not lead to property damage or personal injury. Below is an incident report that I
developed regarding the case study.
Incident Report
Particulars of incident:
Date: 15/10/2016 Time: 2.30 pm Location: Sydney Health Center
Type of incident (please circle below):
Injury Illness Environmental Notifiable event Other: Violent anger
Reported by: Oscar Anthony Phone: [phone]
Role in the event: Senior employee in the hospital Email: [e-mail]
The injured person:
Name: Joni Tingman Address: 98 Black Range Road
Age: 40 years old Phone: [phone] Wallagoot, New South Wales
Witness(s):
Name: Oscar Anthony Phone: [phone]
Describe the incident: (space overleaf for diagram if needed)
One of the clients at my dental practice becomes angry when his bill handed. Joni Tingman who is the
receptionist tries to calm her down.
The man becomes almost violent and I ask him to leave the building immediately.
The man leaves but is still very angry. He is shouting obscene words and kicking cars.
Joni is very distraught and she organizes on how to go home.
Describe any illness or injury: What part of the body is affected and how?
There was no any physical injury caused to Joni Tingman. The shouting from the client however caused her a lot
of distraught.
She goes home but seeks advice on seeing a doctor.
Describe any property damage: What damage was caused and how?
There were no significant damages to property.
The man was, however, kicking cars when he was ordered to leave the building.
Analysis: What do you think caused or contributed to the incident?
I think the man did not expect that his bills would be as high as they were. Chances are that he had a lower
budget for the care that he received.
As a result, he got frustrated at the amounts he was spending in healthcare and this caused the anger that we
witnessed in him.
Prevention: What action has been taken to prevent a reoccurrence?
The hospital has taken steps to incorporate patients in affordable care plans to reduce the cost of care and make
care more affordable.
Have all preventative actions been reviewed by the Event Management Committee, and implemented?

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Yes No
<Event Management Committee> Signature: Date completed: 29/10/2016
References
Bahn, S. (2013). Workplace hazard identification and management: The case of an underground
mining operation. Safety science, 57, 129-137.
Roberts, D. (2012, January). Risk management of electrical hazards. In 2012 IEEE IAS
Electrical Safety Workshop (pp. 1-8). IEEE.