LO1 Flashcards
hazard
anything with the potential to cause harm
risk
the likelihood of harm occurring
environmental hazards
-the environment is everything around you - pets, objects,people, buildings
-slips and trips
-slip hazards - wet floor, ice, sick
trip hazards - objects left on floor, uneven ground or flooring
physical hazards
“a factor within the environment that can harm the body without necessarily touching it”
-radiation, x-rays, gamma rays and noise
biological hazards
-biological hazards include bacteria, viruses and fungi. infections can spread rapidly between people causing illness.
Direct transmission - living thing to living thing. sneezing on someone.
Indirect transmission - object to person. sneezing on food you are giving to someone. contaminated food or water.
psychological hazards
-A psychological hazard affects the mental well being of the worker by overwhelming their coping mechanisms and impacting their ability to work in a safe mannor
-stress and fatigue
chemical hazards
-chemical hazards are stored in workplaces and are any substance that can cause harm to people if not handed properly.
-cleaning materials (bleach) can result in harmful chlorine gas or hydrochloric acid if carelessly used.
-medicines can lead to serious illness if taken incorrectly.
Types of hazards
environmental - eg slip & trips hazards
physical - eg noise & radiation
biological - eg waste & infection
chemical - eg medicines & cleaning materials
psychological - stress & fatigue
additional hazards -
muscoloskeletal hazards
the injury is a high risk in health and social care and is important we take care of our bodies. eg:
-poor postures & movements
-repetiveness & pace of work
-manual handling - lifting individuals or heavy objects
-display screen equipment (DSE, computers)
additional hazards -
poor working conditions
-temperature
-supervision
-travel
-hours
-noise
-alarms
additional hazards -
unsafe working practices
-long working hours
-lack of supervision for staff
-lack of staff training
-lack of hygiene eg hand washing
-incorrect lifting technique
additional hazards -
lack of security systems
if these are missing, there may be a security risk
-door and window locks
-passcode / buzzer entry
-security lights
-CCTV
reducing biological hazards
-personal hygiene (eg hand washing)
-keep immunisations up to date
-clean up spills immediately and disinfect surfaces. blood and bodily fluids should be handled as if they are infectious
-wear PPE masks gloves where needed
-encourage children to wash hands, use tissues & put hand over mouth when coughing
reducing chemical hazards
-keep all hazardous chemicals out for the reach of children/vulnerable adults or locked up.
-ventilate the era by opening windows
-don’t leave chemicals unattended, must put it away or take it with you
-wash any part of you that fake into direct contact with the substance
-avoid moving products into other containers.
-never store hazardous chemicals near foods / kitchens
potential impacts of hazards:
-injury or harm
-illness
-poor standards of care
-financial loss
who is at risk of hazards?
-employer
-employee
-service user
injury or harm - environmental
unidentified environmental hazards can cause injury or harm
for example, overflowing kitchen sink can cause a support worker in clients home to slip causing bruising
injury or harm - chemical
chemical hazards can cause injuries and harm to service users and employees of organisations.
for example, not following manufacturers on wearing protective equipment such as aprons and gloves may lead to employees sustaining rashes and burns
illness - biological
biological hazards can cause life threatening and long term illness
for example, used dressings not disposed of correctly, dirty laundry not washed separately
these can lead to the spread of infection resulting in serious illnesses.
illness - psychological
stress and tiredness can impact an employer, employee and the individual receiving care.
for example, tiredness can lead to employees being more likely to make mistakes in routine working practices; impact can be unsafe level of care. stress can lead to strained interactions, reducing level of care.
poor standards of care - working conditions
unsafe working conditions and working practices can result in hazards not being identified, reduced or removed, leading to lower standards and quality of care.
for example, lack of property maintained hand washing facilities leads to reduce personal hygiene resulting in the spread of infections.
poor standards of care - working practices
poor working practice can impact on standards of care and support.
for example, lack of supervision can reduce communication within team and service users leading to misunderstandings, conflict and stress.
financial loss - lack of security systems
HSE fine as a result of hazards not being identified and reduced or removed. HSE is the health and safety execution (responsible for safety inspections).
lack of security systems can lead to theft and damage of property.
impact summary
injury or harm:
environmental
chemical
physical
illness:
biological
physical
poor standards of care:
working practices
working conditions
musculoskeletal
financial loss:
lack of security systems
