Unit 7: Principles of safe practice in health and social
Learning aim: Examine how a duty of care contributes to safe practice in health and social
care settings.
Cheryl’s assignment
By Megan Royle
Task 2
Introduction: In this assignment I will be discussing the main topic of health and safety in health and
social care settings, emphasising certain areas for example; I will talk about health and safety
influences which are improving health and safety today for example, the health and safety at work act,
manual handling operations act and that’s just a few. I will also be discussing how the influences are
reducing the risks of injuries, illnesses and deaths in the workplace. This will include what the
employees and manager can do to help prevent it and how the HSE can help them understand the
health and safety at work act whilst carrying out related activities. I will then explain how different
procedures maintain health and safety, for example, reporting incidents, equipment safety, moving and
handling etc. I will be reviewing the responsibilities of employers, employees and residents in
emergency situations for example, a fire, an intruder and a flood. and how to carry out the procedures
effectively and safely. I will talk about the responsibilities of employees, employers and other in a
selected health and social care setting and finally I will justify the importance of duty of care and how it
contributes to safe practice.
P6: Compare the influence of different health and safety laws and policies on
health and social care practice in a selected health and social care setting:
The main influences of the health and safety at work act are.
Health and safety at work act: This act promotes and encourages high standards of health and
safety. It protects the visitors and residents from danger and the employees themselves.
Complying with the safety at work act: For the employer to comply with the act, they must;
providing safety equipment and safe systems of work and also maintaining them, they will speak to
safety representatives, provide a safe working environment, they will have to ensure materials are
stored, handled, used and transported properly, an employer will provide information, training,
instruction and supervisions, also ensure staff are aware of instruction provided by manufacturers and
suppliers of equipment, and lastly they will provide a safe place of employment.
Employees responsibilities: The employees must cooperate with their employer; Not interfere with
anything provided in the interest of health and safety and make sure their own health and safety is
maintained at work as well and their residents.
The powers of an inspector: The powers/rights of an inspector include being able to; enter at
reasonable times without an appointment, they have the right to investigate and examine, to see
documents and take copies, ask questions under caution, to dismantle equipment or take substances,
seize substances/articles in case of imminent danger and have the right to get assistance from
colleagues or the police if necessary.
Enforcement action: Legal notices
Written document: To improve the care and prevent the event from happening again.
Improvement: State what is going wrong and within a set time put it right.
Prohibition: Band the use of using equipment and unsafe practices immediately.
Prosecution: Employees and the employer can face this. This can result in unlimited fines or even
imprisonment. Linking to care setting- nursing home: In a
nursing home health and safety is very important. Employers must understand procedures and how to
create a safe workplace environment for the patients and themselves. It improves health care because
it ensures the safety of the service users, specifically in a nursing home health and safety at work can
be shown simply by clearing up so that any trip hazards are reduced/removed, therefore this keeps the
people walking around in the care home safe from tripping and hurting themselves.
Manual handling operations regulations 2002: Moving and handling is a major part of the working
day for most employees; from moving laundry, equipment, catering, waste or supplies to assist
residents in moving. Manual handling activities, including carrying, lowering, pulling, lifting or pushing.
,Poor moving and handing can lead to; back/muscle pain and sometimes lead to being unable to work, if
you are an employee drying to move/handle a patient it could cause serious harm to both. Lack of
dignity and discomfort could happen for the person being handled or moved. There for the Manual
handling operations regulations of 2002 were put in place to prevent and reduce the risks from it
happening. Linking to care setting- nursery: Manual handing will be a required qualification when
working in a nursury it is extremely important to know how to manually handle children, everyone has
the right to safe and kind care. This act improves the standard of care because it put a law in place
which tells employees that they must use certain techniques to restrain or handle others.
Regulations require employees to: Incorrect handling is one of the most common causes of injury
in a workplace. There for regulation are put in place following the manual handing operations
regulations of 2002 for example; employees must avoid hazardous manual handling, so they must see
if its reasonably practicable, they must assess the risk of injury for any hazardous manual handling that
can’t be avoided, this will reduce the risk of injury.
Employees also follow regulations under this law: they must use the equipment provided safely
and properly, they must cooperate with their employer, follow the systems put in place, inform their
employer if they hazardous handling activities and they must also take care that they are not putting
their residents at any risk during activities.
The food hygiene regulations 2006: This act places an obligation on any workplaces that all food
businesses are making sure everything is carried out in a hygienic way. Meaning it would become an
offence if food is to be supplied in an unsafe and unhygienic way. Resulting in a potential risk of illness
to people who are consuming the food. This law keeps its residents safe by being caustics and clean to
avoid food poisoning or spreading germs. And then resulting in illness; some as serious as MRSA. Link
to care setting-nursing home: In any catering environment including health care environments like
care home kitchens will wear special protective and hygienic uniform which is required to safeguard the
service users. Equipment like hair nets, hats, possibly clothes, blue waterproof plaster for injuries and
sometimes latex gloves. By using this equipment, it will prevent contamination of any food or surface in
the cooking area, and as a result reduce the risk of patients becoming ill from the germs in the food.
This is called spoiling.
Control of substances hazardous to health 2002: (COSHH) is the law that requires employers to
control substances that are hazardous to health. exposure to hazardous substances can be reduced by;
finding out what the health hazards are, keeping all control measures in good order, making sure the
substances are used, risk assessments carried out, planning for emergencies, providing information,
instruction, and training for employees, providing monitoring and health surveillance in appropriate
cases and provided control measures and finding out what the health hazards are. This influences the
increase of health and safety in the workplace for service users because it eliminates dangerous harm
from substances and promotes good care and service. Linking to care setting- hospital : in
hospitals emergency procedures will be put into place to safeguard the service users for example,
when a fire starts an evacuation procedure will have been practiced and the employees will know what
responsibilities they have in order to prevent patients from being exposed to the harmful toxins and
smoke but also where they should guide people if they are unable to leave the building safely. This act
will overall improve the care in the hospital because if these procedures are in place it will majorly
increase the health and safety for everyone in the building during emergencies.
Reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences regulations 2013: This act means
that reports must be made by employers, self-employed individuals, and people in charge of a work
premis.00es, this is their duty to comply with the act, in order to keep the service users safe. It is a
legal requirement to report all incidents however big or small it is. In order to be legally compliant a
record must be kept! Linking to care setting- day centres: in a day care centre or any health and
social care setting, if someone in a day care centre trips and falls and it causes an injury where you can
see physical harm for example bruising. It must be recorded of how it happened. So that necessary
improvements can be made to the environment to reduce the chances of it happening again. All record
made should be written as soon as possible after the incident. And it must be an honest evaluation of
what had happened. With exact dates, personal details, time and location. By doing so as an employee
you will be complying with the reporting of injuries, disease and dangerous occurrences regulations
2013. This improves the quality of care because the environment can be adapted so that no one else
will trip or new equipment can be used to support the patients when walking this means that, that
individual will most likely not fall again and others in the day care s=centre will know to be aware and
careful in that place. Overall reducing more injuries in the day centre which could have been caused by
this dangerous step or corner.
, The specific information we need to record
• The date of reporting
• The date, time and location of the incident
• Personal details of the person involved
• A description of the injury, illness or occurrence
What kind of incident need to be reported?
• Work related disease
• Work related death
• Serious injuries
• Over 7-day injuries
• Dangerous occurrences
• Dangerous gas fittings in a workplace
This regulation promotes workplace safety for the service providers and service users.
Data protection act 1989: Confidentiality is significant in health and social care and anyone else who
withholds data should be compliant with the data protection act of 1989. This act has eight principles to
it to ensure data is processed lawfully.
Linking to care setting- GP surgery: at a GP surgery whenever you agree to things where you are
required to sign it will usually have how they are going to be keeping your information and personal
details confidential or private. Everyone is entitled to be protected. Which is why this act was put into
place in 1989. This then influences the way care is given because people will feel not only safe but
comfortable to express how they are feeling, easier.
Data protection principles:
• Personal data should be processed fairly and lawfully.
• Personal data should only be obtained for one or more specified and lawful purposes.
• Personal data should be relevant and adequate.
• Personal data should be us to date and accurate.
• Data which is processed should not be kept for longer than is necessary.
• Data should be processed in accordance to rights.
• Technical and organisation methods must be appropriate.
• Personal data should not be transferred to a country or territory outside the European economic
area.
All the principle’s influences, promotes and ensures the safety and protection of personal data.
Care standards act 2000: The care standards act as introduced to regulate and ensure agencies and
providers were competent in their duty of care. Meeting suitable standards of care. If this wasn’t in
place a suitable standard of care would not be known therefore people would provide low standards
due to there being no actual law to abide by.
The equality act 2000: The equality act details nine protected characteristics, in which it is unlawful
to discriminate. These protected characteristics include age, sex, marriage and civil partnership,
disability, race, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, and pregnancy and
maternity. This act puts in place a duty to put reasonable adjustments in place to ensure workplace
practices do not disadvantage anyone as of these protected characteristics. The act reduces, direct
discriminations, victimisation, indirect discrimination and harassment. Linking to care setting-
hospital: in a hospital it is extremely important to follow the equality act guideline’s this means
accepting everyone and treating them with respect no matter their backgrounds or characteristics. If
nurses, doctors and other people working in hospitals did not follow this the patients would not feel
welcomes, respected or even cared about. But by looking past people personal characteristics it
shows as an employer you are kind and caring, improving the care standards as the patient will feel
equal to others.
