Health and Social care level 3 - Legislation, policies and procedures relating to health, safety and security influencing health and social care settings. P2/M1.

Know how legislation, policies and procedures promote health, safety and security in health and social care settings m1

The health and safety at work act promotes health and safety as it ensures that individuals are safe, whether they are patients, employers, employees, visitors or nurses. This is done by a risk assessment. Risk assessments identify the risks, and procedures are put In place to minimise it. The health and safety at work act also promotes security as it ensures that the workplace is fully insured. Employers compulsory liability insurance must be taken out in case of a injury/accident. The act also makes sure that the equipment used is regularly checked so it is safe to use. This act has been successful as over the last 30 years it has helped bring about significant improvement. There are many regulations under the health and safety at work act, this includes; manual handling operations regulations, RIDDOR, COSHH, food safety act, data protection etc.

The food safety act promotes health and safety in a care home as the food being handled in the kitchen must meet all the requirements of the act such as separate chopping boards, clean kitchen surfaces and a separate sink. Staff must not use the same sink as food preparation. This prevents cross contamination and ensures that the residents of the care home are eaten well prepared food. This promotes the health and safety of individuals because something little as food poisoning could lead to extreme affects on elderly people.

The manual handling operation act promotes health and safety to not only the patient but also the carer. The carer can only handle someone if they are qualified and trained to. However, if they are not trained it could cause injury such as harming their back. Being trained also benefits the patient, because if their carer isn’t trained they may not know how to handle them correctly and could therefore lead to dropping or injuring them. This act is important especially in a residential home. Elderly people are fully developed and therefore weigh more, they are also in need of more help such as being moved and lifted which puts both carer and patient at risk as not only are they heavier than children but they are also more vulnerable, for example, if a child was to be dropped, they may just get a bruise however with a elderly person it could lead to a broken bone.

Reporting injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations (RIDDOR) promotes health and safety because it helps organisations stay at minimal risk. For example, if a organisation had constant major injuries, it may need to be investigated and re-assessed. Injuries include; death, injuries that cause absence for 5 days, infections within the work etc. This is in the interest of safe guarding individuals and make sure that their working conditions are at minimal risk.

Data protection promotes health and safety because it ensures that confidential information is kept confidential and only the relevant professor are able to gain access. It also only keeps relevant information such as when they have fully recovered an illness and no longer need anymore medical attention, the information is discarded as it is no longer relevant. This is because they are able to view the information they need fast rather than looking through all their records that are no longer relevant as it can take up valuable time and space.

The management of health and safety at work act promotes health and safety as it ensures that every organisation has risk assessments carried out and therefore the risk is identified and minimized. This gives a sense of safety as procedures are put in place to help ensure that everybody remains as safe as possible. For example, if there is a ramp by the main entrance and there has been heavy rainfall. This could cause slipping over. The organisation should identify this and minimised the risk, however the management of health and safety at work double check that there is procedures put in place.

Control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) 2002 makes sure that all substances are clearly labbled correctly and disposed correctly. It must also ensure that hazardous chemicals are put away in correct places. This is because it can cause danger, for example. In a nursery, leaving bleach on a low table where children can reach could cause a accident as children won’t know what they are and therefore would pick it up. They have colour coded bins of which ensure that hazardous are separated aswell as sharps, this promotes health and safety as the toxic waste may be flammable and therefore could not collide with other materials, which may be general waste.

Civil contingencies promotes health and safety because in a emergency, different people must work together for different reasons. For example, if a fire broke out in a flat. The fire station must be called, their job is to put the fire out. The ambulance must be called, they make sure people are ok and treat them if needed. The police must be called, they work out and investigate the cause in the fire. All these organisations must work together in response to an emergency. This promotes health and safety because individuals in danger require help and attention fast, however to do this different people must work together to help prevent the individual/s and bring them to safety. When they are safe they need to ensure it doesn’t happen again. For example, this fire could be due to a arson attack, therefore, when they recover they will need to speak to the police to put a stop to it from happening again. This not only promotes safety physically, but also promotes a sense of safety emotionally and mentally.