Health and safety in health and care

by cnicholls1993hotmailcouk (student)

Charliee Nicholls Unit 3 Health, safety and security in health and social careAntonia Travers P1 resub HazardWhy is this a risk? Give examples of possible consequences of this hazard.Trailing flex This is a hazard because electric wires are left trailing along the floor, this means that somebody could fall over the wires and injure themselves. Depending on which setting this hazard occurs in, it could potentially be very dangerous. If it was in an elderly residential home and an elderly person tripped over, then they could easily bruise themselves or break bones. Depending on any illnesses, it could also limit their

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mobility. To prevent this you could put bright coloured tape over the wires so that people can see that they are there.Loose hand railsThis is a hazard because somebody who struggles with their mobility may need to use the hand rail to aid them whilst walking and if the rail is wobbly then they could easily fall over. If the hand rail is on a staircase and the hand rail is loose then a service user could potentially fall down the stairs causing cuts, bruises and broken bones. To prevent this you could check hand rails regularly to ensure that it is kept safe for service users.Wet floorThis is obviously a hazard as liquids that have been left on the floor will make it a slippery surface. If somebody walks on the floor whilst it is wet then you may slip over. If the area is not properly cordoned off when the floor is wet or signage is not displayed appropriately then it could cause a number of injuries. For example if the room was not separated and the service user had a sight impairment then they would not know that the floor was wet and could cause serious injury to themselves such as limiting their mobility and bruising themselves. To prevent this happening, you could ensure that you have wet floor signs in place that are clearly visible. You could also shut off the room until it has been cleared up.Radiators left uncoveredDepending on the temperature, a radiator that has been left uncovered could potentially be very dangerous. Burns can be extremely major and can cause a lot of pain to a service user. It is essential that all employees are trained appropriately with how to deal with burns in case this incident does occur. To prevent injury, you could ensure that every radiator has got a cover on it. This will prevent people getting burnt.Staff shortageBeing short staffed is a hazard depending on which setting you are in. I done my placement at Somerset Court which is a centre for adults who have autism. If there was a staff shortage then this could have easily been very dangerous especially if the staff had not had enough training. To prevent this you should ensure that all staff have had the correct training.Equipment being left outIf equipment is left out then this could potentially become a big problem, for example if sharp objects such as scissors or knifes are left with children unsupervised then they could injure themselves. To prevent this you should ensure that all equipment is put away after use and depending on which setting you are in, you should supervise service users whilst they are using sharp objects.