Healthcare Sector – Useful Health & Safety Information
Why Health &Safety Is Important To This Sector
In 2010/11 there were about 4.7 million lost working
days (1.6 days per worker) due to self-reported
work-related illness or workplace injury in the health and social
care sector This is the highest days lost per worker in any
sector and significantly higher than the average of 0.98
days per worker. Within this period 54% of all reported major
accidents in health and social care sector were caused by a slip or
a trip, compared to the national average of 34%. Of all the
injuries reported using RIDDOR in relation to assault over half
were from the health and social care sector. It is essential
therefore that those working in the social care industry have
robust procedures and competent employees to reduce the risk of
injuries occurring
Situation Where You Might Need Health & Safety Support
Health and Safety is about sensible, proportionate actions that
protect people, not unnecessary bureaucracy. As well as to your own
employees, you also have duties towards your service users,
contractors, other health and social care workers and visitors who
use your premises and even others who may be affected by your
business such as neighbours, visiting public or relatives of those
in a domiciliary care situation.
Actions You May Need To Take
- Ensure you hold Employers Liability Insurance and display the
certificate in a public area
- Make sure you have someone competent to help you meet your
health and safety duties and those of your relevant inspectorate eg
PCT, CQC, SCSWIS, CSSIW
- Decide how you're going to manage health and safety within your
business
- Decide what could harm people and what precautions you need to
take
- Provide health and safety training to your workers
- Liaise with local care trusts and other stakeholders
- Display the health and safety law poster
- Report certain work-related accidents, diseases and dangerous
occurrences.
RBS
Mentor can help you
with all of these aspects – be it through auditing your current
documents, liaising with and supporting your appointed Competent
Person, providing 24/7 advice or providing training.
Result Of Doing/Not Doing Something
Health and safety laws will be enforced by inspectors from HSE
or an enforcement officer from your local council. Inspectors and
enforcement officers are legally empowered to
- Visit workplaces without notice
- Investigate accidents or complaints and inspect safety, health
and welfare aspects of your business
- Talk to employees and safety representatives, take photographs
and samples
- Receive co-operation and answers to questions.
If there is a problem, they may issue a formal notice requiring
improvements or, where serious danger exists, a notice that
prohibits the use of a process or equipment or access to part of
your building. For the most serious breaches of health and safety
law, they may prosecute a company or an individual (or report to
the Procurator Fiscal with a view to prosecution in Scotland).
RBS
Mentor can support
you in ensuring you workplace is safe and complies with
legislation. By helping you instil a safety culture through
providing the correct documentation and working with your staff to
get them confident about Risk Assessments, as well as supporting
you with a 24/7 advice line, you can be confident you are in the
best position to keep your workers safe.