P1- explain potential hazards and the harm that may arise from each in a health or social
care setting.
A hazard can be anything which can cause harm or is dangerous. There are a lot of hazards
which can endanger staff members, patients and visitors in a hospital environment. This
needs to be taken into consideration when safeguarding those in the building.
Physical environment
The physical environment is anything that is around the building or around an individual. A
potential hazard in a hospital could be if the fire exits are blocked by delivery crates. This
hazard could potentially endanger someone's life if there is a fire in the building and the staff
members, patients or visitors cannot get out of the building. Especially if the individual is a
patient with a mobility issue they won’t have the strength to move the items that are blocking
the exit. Another example of a physical hazard could be if they is a spillage on the floor but
no wet floor sign to warn people of the hazard. If someone slipped and fell on the spillage
they could break a bone or possibly hit their head on the floor and cause further damage.
Equipment
Equipment in a hospital that is left out or unsupervised can be a potential hazard, as they
may become a source of harm. An example of a equipment hazard could be overloaded
sockets in the staff room of the hospital. Doing this could cause a fire which could in turn
endanger everyone in the building. Another example could be equipment such as stretchers
left out in the corridor someone could trip or knock into them and hurt themselves if they
don’t notice it.
Infections
Infections can be life threatening if contaminated and not treated, this sort of hazard can
arise in a hospital if the equipment is unsterile. Unsterile equipment could endanger the
patient’s they are used on and the staff members that use them. It could cause spread of
bacteria and endanger those in the hospital. Another example could be if food preparation
isn’t sterile, for example after handling raw chicken if the cooks don’t wash their hands and
continue to touch other foods they could infect the food which is being served to everyone in
the hospital. Infections such as salmonella could be contracted from the food.
Substances
A lot of substances used in a hospital can be hazardous if used incorrectly. An example of
this could be if the dosage of medication was miscalculated by the doctors, this could
endanger the patient and possibly lead to their death depending on the amount given and
how strong the medicine is. Another example could be if a nurse forgot the put a used
needle in the sharps box, this could endanger everyone as it could cause injury but also
possibly spread blood-borne diseases such as HIV.
Working practices
In a hospital working practices can be hazardous to both the carer and the patient if done
incorrectly. An example of this could be if the nurses decide to lift the patient themselves
rather than use a lift machine. This could strain both the patient and the nurse, and cause
injury. Another example could be if the worker who services and repairs the machinery isn’t
experienced, it could endanger everyone who uses the machine in the future.
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