For this assignment I am going to be talking how polices and procedures can promote health, safety and security within a work place. I am also going to be describing what illnesses and injuries should be prevented by following specific policies and procedures. I am going to be talking about Health and Safety at work, Manual Handling Regulations, Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995, The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSSH) 2002 and Food Safety Regulations 1990 and also the Child Protection Policy.
The Health and Safety at Work Act (HSW) 1974 is a piece of legislation which is used by many work settings to cover occupational health and Safety within the work setting, Within the work place it is ensured that this legislation is carried out by making sure certain procedures are followed out. This can include; a record of any accidents and incidents, that safety equipment is provided with a proper induction, and that there are sufficient signs around the workplace, showing people where the fire exists and first aid is.
At my work placement, the health and safety policy also included Manual Handling Regulations. This means that hoists, lifts or any equipment were used correctly and all employers were asked to avoid lifting heavy objects where they follow out all procedures and precautions. This promotes health and safety because it helps to prevent people from taking time off with their work because of health problems which may occur while lifting or moving something heavy. For Example if they were lifting something that was to heavy for them, they may get a problem in their back, or knees. The introduction of Manual handling Operations Regulations 1992, has made it a duty to employers to provide a safe and healthy workplace for all employees and the law requires the company to carry out risk assessment relating to manual handling which includes lifting, lowering pushing, carrying, moving an object or person. It also covers activities which require the use of force or effort to operating equipment. This means that any organisation who up this act into place, makes it worthwhile for both the employer and the employee. It is essential for every employee to be given regular training which therefore reduces people from suffering from back injury due to inappropriate use of force or posture. This act also means that the employer will provide safe working procedures. The residents are also benefit from this legislation as they will be assisted or transferred in a safe way by trained staff with good working equipment.
The staff at my work placement made sure that all substances that were hazardous to health were stored in the right place and used professionally. These kinds of substances came in the form of cleaning solutions bleach and other disinfectants. They also carried out a risk assessment so that they could find out what effect these substances could have on people’s health and the risks that they could cause. These procedures came under The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSSH) 2002.
The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 1995 policy encourages staff or clients to report incidents no matter how big or small, and it ensures them that something will be done about it. This could be something like a sharp object pointing outwards which could potentially cause harm to someone if they were to run into it. Also if someone was to dislocate their shoulder or hip while working, reporting it can help to prevent it happening to someone else in the future.
The Food Safety Regulations 1990 ensures clients that their food and the area surrounding their food are clean and prepared properly and that there is appropriate hygiene observed when preparing food, for example, covering cuts and boils, washing hands frequently and wearing hair nets. This helps to prevent any illness to the service users which could be passed down if the food wasn’t cooked to the right standards.
The last policy I am going to be talking about is the Child Protection Act 1989. It is used by many organisations throughout the UK and it was put in place by the government to protect children and their rights from significant harm. As noted in my work placement’s policy, it is unacceptable for any child or young person to experience any form of abuse. My work placement followed out this act by following a number of different procedures, such as ensuring that all staff and volunteers that were recruited had CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks, as well as two references and they also insured that they had an induction and relevant training on child protection issues, which includes a briefing on the different policies, procedures and supervision.
