Health and Safety Policy
Elite HomeCarers place the health, safety and welfare of clients and staff as an utmost priority and ensures so far as is reasonably practicable compliance with the relevant legislation. The main statutory provisions are as follows:
- Health and Safety at Work Act 1974
- Management of Health and safety at Work Regulations 1999
- Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 1998
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995
- Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998
The company also applies a strict set of criteria to ensure and verify that all carers are properly qualified, experienced and competent to undertake tasks that may be assigned to them. This includes:
- identifying hazards, assessing and controlling the risks
- ensuring carers are adequately informed of identified risks and receive, where appropriate, instruction, training and supervision.
- reviewing the efficiency of the company’s arrangements and where appropriate implementing adjustments and / or improvements.
- providing good lines of communication to ensure that health and safety concerns can be raised and dealt with.
Whilst the Operations Director of the company accepts the main responsibility for implementation of this policy, individuals have an important role in co-operating to ensure a healthy and safe working environment. They are required to abide by the Rules and Regulations of the Policy.
Health and Safety Management
The Operations Director is responsible for ensuring compliance with Health and Safety Policy.
The Operations Director will establish a Health and Safety Management Structure to ensure the Health and Safety Policy is implemented, monitored and updated; hazards and risks identified and controlled; and records kept.
Dissemination of Company Health and Safety Policy and information
The Health and Safety Policy is distributed, as follows:
- New staff – Upon induction
- Existing staff – from the Operations Director upon revision.
The Health and Safety Policy will be reviewed and updated annually. Other relevant safety information will be distributed as it becomes available. Reference copies are available from the Operations Director.
All personnel are required to familiarise themselves and comply with this Health and Safety Policy. What follows in the remainder of this document is not intended to be exhaustive. It is meant to make the individual, whatever their role in the company, aware of their responsibility in making our working environment as risk free as practical. It is also a guide to relevant legislation and regulations, and what is required to create effective risk control measures.
The best way of solving a health and safety problem is not to let it become a problem in the first place and consult the Operations Director as early as possible.
Accidents
All accidents and incidents (including near misses) involving carers and clients or other people connected with the company business, are to be reported to the Operations Director.
The accident and incident reporting logbook is kept in the office and must be completed. These will be investigated by the Operations Director and measures to prevent similar occurrences will be actioned, as necessary.
Visitors to the office
Visitors are, in general, the responsibility of the individual extending the invitation.
Training
Awareness in health and safety matters is a vital factor in creating a safe working environment. Health and Safety training courses of all kinds are available to company personnel, whether in-house provided by the company or provided by outside agencies. Lack of training should not be an excuse for poor work practice and inadequate health and safety control measures.
Where training is agreed necessary or advisable then appropriate courses will be arranged by the Operations Director. Attendance is obligatory. The Operations Director is responsible for health and safety training and maintaining records.
As far as possible the Operations Director will anticipate training needs and make arrangements with individuals accordingly. In the event of individuals feeling they have not received appropriate training, they should discuss the matter with the Operations Director.
Risk Assessment
Risk Assessment is the corner stone of good Health and Safety Management. Risk Assessments, in accordance with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992 will be carried out on all company activities. The purpose is to identify hazards, evaluate risks and implement control measures, where necessary. See Appendix 1.
- Hazard meaning the potential to cause harm.
- Risk meaning the likelihood of the harm being realised.
The assessments will be carried out by the Operations Director and a Deputy in consultation with others, as appropriate.
The Operations Director and Deputy have received training in all assessments relevant to this company as required by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1992.
Assessments will be reviewed annually and more frequently where considered necessary.
Electrical safety and inspection and testing
All electrical equipment, apparatus and appliances are safety checked and tested in compliance with company policy, as follows:
- User checks
- Formal inspection
- Testing
User checks
Users are responsible for visually checking their equipment every time they use it. Points to look for are: signs of damage, signs of overheating, loose wires and valid inspection labels.
Formal inspection
In addition to the user checks the following is checked:
- Casing and mains connecting lead for wear and damage.
- Correct fuse fitted.
- Cable terminations correct and secure.
- Internal damage and overheating.
Testing
In addition to formal inspection the following is tested:
- Earth bonding, insulation resistance, load and operation.
Display screen equipment (DSE) users
Assessments will be carried out on every workstation used by personnel habitually operating Visual Display Screen Equipment. The purpose being to identify and hence minimise the long term potential for harm of incorrect posture and inappropriate lighting
For the purposes of this policy, habitual users of DSE are defined as those persons for whom such use forms a significant part of their normal work. However, assessments will be applied to all workstations from a general health and safety point of view.
Assessments will comply with the DSE Regulations 1992 and will take into account the furniture and working environment as well as the equipment itself. The Operations Director is responsible for the assessments.
In view of the Health and Safety Executive the main risks are musculoskeletal problems, visual fatigue and mental stress. These can be overcome with the application of established ergonomic principles. Eye tests are available at the company’s expense for staff experiencing visual difficulties.
Microwaves
The principle hazard of microwaves is one of overheating. Eyes are particularly vulnerable; do not look directly into the aperture of any microwave radiator.
Moving and Handling
Moving and handling error is the single most common cause of harm to people working in healthcare. As such, the company takes the matter very seriously and urge all our carers to ensure that they understand and adopt the following policy.
We adopt a safe handling policy aimed at reducing to a minimum the likelihood of a person being harmed through handling. We do not expect or advise that a carer should bulk bear a person’s weight.
To achieve safe handling the following should be taken into account:
- The tasks themselves.
- The individuals involved.
- The ‘loads’.
- The environment.
Handling is not about lifting, it is about bending, carrying, moving, pushing, pulling, putting down, posture, stooping, stretching, twisting and turning.
We actively encourage the people that we care for to be as independent as can reasonably be achieved, which includes independence with their mobility. This means ensuring that they have the appropriate aids and encouraging their use to allow those in our care to help themselves as much as possible. The aim being to promote independence and to reduce the handling risk.
Where practical and feasible, suitable and relevant handling aids should be used to reduce to a minimum the likelihood of a person being harmed through handling. All aids should be used in the proper manner and as per training provided.
Where the circumstances dictate, anyone involved in handling those in our care adopt a team handling approach following a handling assessment being carried out.
No one should partake of / or assist in a handling task or use handling equipment that they have not been formally trained to do and / or use.
No one should encourage a person to be involved in a handling task or use handling equipment, which they have not been formally trained to do so.
A handling assessment is essential to our policy of preventing harm through handling.
Tasks
A handling assessment intends to make handling tasks safer which could include the following practical steps:
- Work surfaces at heights providing good posture
- Suitable shelving
- Tidiness so that space is available for the task
- Varying work to reduce muscle strain and fatigue
- Furniture that allows for ease of moving and handling
Individuals
Practical steps in the handling assessment that make handling safer for individuals could include:
- Working together and asking for help
- Accepting your limitations and not exceeding your capabilities
- Thinking before doing and not rushing
- Applying training and handling techniques
- Applying training in using equipment properly
- Checking equipment before you use it
- Not wearing jewellery, watches, rings etc. that may harm
Loads
Handling may involve people and objects, handling assessments identify the potential problems and how we manage them.
Handling assessments as part of a care plan, record matters that affect the handling of service users. An up-to-date assessment should be kept in the service users care file. This must be referred to prior to any moving or handling being undertaken.
Practical steps that make handling service users safer include:
- Encouraging those in our care to help themselves
- Maintaining and staying familiar with current care plan
- Awareness of the client’s health, behaviour, mood etc.
- Knowing their history - medical, cognitive, falls etc.
Environment
Handling assessments identify environment factors which could pose handling risks. In order to manage them the following steps should be taken:
Good housekeeping, tidiness
- Keeping hallways, passages, work areas etc. obstruction free
- Good lighting
- Wearing suitable footwear
- Using steps instead of reaching up
- Cleaning up spillages immediately
Moving and handling training
Carers must not undertake any handling activity or use any handling equipment until they have been trained how to do safely. We provide moving and handling training related to our service user group and on equipment used to implement those safe techniques. This training will be required to be updated on an annual basis in line with current best handling practice.
Handling in a manner contrary to the way you have been trained puts yourself and others at risk, which is unacceptable.
Lifting and handling equipment
Lifting and handling aids come in various shapes, sizes and styles from a passenger lift to a bath seat. Anything that lifts or assists in moving someone, and was designed for that purpose constitutes lifting and handling equipment.
You are required to check moving and handling assessments prior to moving someone so that you know which equipment or aids are suitable for the task you intend to undertake. It is important that you check for any changes that may have been made to the assessment since you last cared for the client.
Before using handling equipment you should check that it is safe and not damaged. If it is rechargeable, check that it is fully charged and remember to recharge after use. If you need assistance in using the equipment then wait until you have assistance. Check that the equipment is right for the job.
It is your responsibility to check that every item used for lifting is tested and maintained according to the manufacturers and supplier’s guidelines and that records of such are kept. Carers should not use equipment that is considered to be in an unsafe condition or where evidence of required inspections is unavailable. In all these circumstances a report should be made to the contracting body (e.g. Social Services).
The company will work with the service user to perform an adequate risk assessment on the premises where the work is to be performed to ensure the health and safety of the carers and the client. Carers should ensure they are conversant with the findings of such a risk assessment.
The Operations Director is to be consulted at the planning stage of new works, whether building projects, refurbishment or new facilities. New works must comply with all relevant health and safety legislation and subsequent costing budgeted for.
The company’s Architects, Ed. Kelly Architects in South Queensferry, should be consulted at all stages with relation to the Health and Safety Policy relating to building projects, refurbishments or new facilities.
Tidiness
It is not unreasonable to suggest that tidy working areas are likely to be safer, than an untidy work area. This applies equally to storage areas. Corridors must not be narrowed by using them for storage. Under no circumstances should fire escapes be blocked.
Smoking
The office is a non-smoking area. The company vehicles are also non-smoking. Carers must not smoke in Client’s homes at any time.
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