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Health, Safety & Welfare

Preventing harm in the workplace Workbook

Please ensure you read the workbook thoroughly and complete

the assessment at the end

Marion Carnell, DipNEBOSH,

Health & Safety Advisor

Version 2. August 2017 MCarnell H&S Advisor

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Introduction

This workbook is designed to support your knowledge in relation to health and safety in the

workplace. It will give you an overview of how health and safety is managed within the

Trust and the expectations/duties placed upon the organisation and staff.

There are clear health, safety & welfare roles and responsibilities for ALL individuals

working in the Trust, these are clearly mapped in policies and of course our job descriptions.

We are all responsible for ensuring our own health and safety and that of our colleagues,

patients, visitors and other third parties.

It is our collective responsibility to ensure we work to the health and safety standards

and arrangements set by the Trust so we can work responsibly, safely and prevent harm

and suffering happening to any individual.

Please read through this workbook, complete the questions at the back and return your

answer sheet to

Marion Carnell, Health & Safety Advisor

Risk & Clinical Governance Department

Level 2, Oak House

Tel: 01908 995097 (ext: 85097)

Email: marion.carnell@mkuh.nhs.uk

Refresher Training Requirements Trust policy requires that Health, Safety & Welfare competence must be assessed every 3

years. A classroom session must be attended as part of the induction programme however

refresher training can be completed via one of the following options:

classroom session

workbook and assessment

e learning and assessment

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Learning Outcomes

This workbook will provide you will look at:

The Trusts commitment to health, safety & welfare

A brief overview of health, safety & welfare law

The Trust arrangements for managing health, safety & welfare

Roles & responsibilities

The penalties for not managing health, safety & welfare well

Health and safety policies & their location

The basic principles of risk assessment

Common workplace hazards

Principles of reporting accidents, incidents, ill health and near misses

Source: UK Core Skills Framework version 1.3

Trust Commitment to Health, safety & welfare

The Trust Board and Chief Executive recognise their legal and moral

duty to prevent accidents, ill health and death as a result of work.

They will ensure robust arrangements for the management of health

and safety are implemented within the organisation in order to reduce

the opportunity of harm occurring.

Trust Health & Safety Policy

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The organisation is legally and morally duty bound to have in place processes to manage health and safety so that all individuals are protected from harm, ill health or death that could be as a result of work. This workbook gives you a general overview of how your health and safety is managed

within the organisation and what the Trust as an employer must do and what you as an

employee must do.

Benefits of Managing Health, Safety & Welfare

Managing health and safety has lots of benefits and should not be seen as a burden, it is

part of our everyday work. If we all manage health and safety responsibly the benefits

include:

• Reduced accident, injury, ill health and death

• Safer working environment

• Increased staff morale

• Improved performance

• Increased staff and public confidence

• Improved staff recruitment and retention

• Improved safety culture

• Meeting legal compliance and avoiding claims, prosecutions,

fines and prison

• The reputation of the organisation is maintained

• Adverse publicity is reduced

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What is health, safety &

welfare? The definition of health and safety is:

The Trust (and employees) must follow the requirements of Acts, Regulations,

Approved Codes of Practice and Guidance written in relation to health, safety and

welfare. You may already be aware of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which

places general duties on the organisation as an employer and employees (you) to

provide and ensure the workplace and its activities are safe and staff have the

knowledge and tools to work safely.

The law provides a framework for implementing health and safety management

arrangements that if followed correctly, prevent or reduce the opportunity for harm to

happen to any individual.

The Law is there to:

stop you getting hurt at work

stop you getting ill because of your work.

The Law Says:

All workers have a right to work in places that are safe

Your employer must keep you safe at work, and

You must help too.

The following information will tell you:

What your employer must do to keep you safe at work

What you must do yourself

The health and safety arrangements within the Trust

The benefits and penalties for not managing health and safety well

What to do if there is a problem

“Regulations and procedures intended to prevent accident or injury

in workplaces or public environments”

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Things the Trust must do

By law, these are the things the organisation must do to protect your health, safety and welfare whilst at work.

Assess and control the risks to your health, safety and welfare

Tell you the measures required to protect yourself and who is responsible

Consult with you through your unions, directly as part of

health and safety inspections, articles in the CEO weekly

message, notice boards

Provide information, instruction and training

Provide equipment and protective clothing

Provide welfare facilities - toilets, places to wash and

drinking water

Provide adequate first aid facilities and other emergency

arrangements

Provide health and medical surveillance

Tell the Health and Safety Executive about anyone who is

killed or has a major injury because of work.

Things you must do

The law also places duties on staff members to do the following:

Follow the training you have received and use work equipment appropriately

Take care of your own and others health, safety & welfare

You must not put yourself or anyone at risk of harm

Follow policies, procedures, safe working practices, use

personal protective equipment (PPE)

• Tell someone if you think you or others are at risk at

work • Report accidents and ill health resulting from work • Report concerns in relation to health, safety & welfare

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Health & Safety Arrangements The arrangements (processes and procedures) the Trust must have in place to manage health, safety & welfare are documented in

health & safety guidance and are depicted in the diagram below and explained in the text box. As with all h ealth and safety laws and

guidance, this must be followed to ensure a safe working environment is maintained, people are protected and the penalties for poor

management avoided.

Plan - Say what you do Policies and procedures are documented with clear roles & responsibilities for all staff. The contents set a standard and framework for staff to work to in order to maintain health, safety & welfare. Do - Do what you say Managers and staff implement policies and procedures. Everyone is clear what their responsibilities are. Hazards and risks are identified and controlled. Harm is reduced and a safe working environment maintained.

Check - Prove it We check that the policies and procedures have been implemented and measure performance through inspections, audits and checklists. We investigate accidents, ill health and harm as a result of the workplace, look for trends and identify issues.

Act - Change it Having identified gaps or concerns we make changes to improve health, safety & welfare. We provide support and guidance to staff to ensure they understand, have the knowledge and skills to fulfil their roles. We learn, change and improve.

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Trust Health, safety & welfare Arrangements The arrangements for health and safety management within the Trust are:

Policies

Risk assessment

Arrangements for young workers, new and expectant mothers (these individuals may at

greater risk of harm)

Competent health and safety advice

Accident reporting & investigating

Audits & Inspections

The above help the organisation as a whole, that includes all of us, manage health and

safety collectively and ensure we prevent harm from occurring in the first place. When

things do go wrong we have methods of recording, investigating and making changes to

prevent it from happening again. We also have methods of seeing what is working

effectively and what isn’t through auditing and inspecting.

Competent health, safety & welfare advice

The organisation must employ individuals who will assist them with complying with the law

and to provide expert advice in relation to health, safety & welfare management.

Competent means someone with the necessary skills, expertise, knowledge and

qualifications in order to carry out a task. In terms of health, safety & welfare, there are

numerous pieces of law and documents which the Trust must adhere to, it is therefore

important that we employ competent persons to help with putting them into practice.

The following roles provide competent advice in relation to health, safety & welfare:

Health & Safety Advisor

Fire Advisor

Manual Handling Advisor

Staff Health & Wellbeing

Radiation Protection Advisor

Appointed Persons (through Estates Services Manager)

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Roles & Responsibilities

We all have roles and responsibilities when it

comes to health and safety management within

the Trust. These are clearly defined in Trust

policies which can be found on the

documentation pages of the Trust intranet.

Some individuals have key responsibilities such

as:

Trust Board/Chief Executive who are

accountable for managing health, safety & welfare and ensuring we have robust

management arrangements in place

Director of Corporate Affairs is the Executive Lead for Health, safety & welfare and

champions health and safety at Board Level

Competent persons provide support and guidance to the Trust and staff at all levels in

relation to health, safety & welfare

Departmental/Ward Managers who are responsible for ensuring health and safety

arrangements are implemented within the departments they manage.

This does not remove the responsibility from all of us to be vigilant, check the areas we work in

and the equipment we work with before we start work to ensure they are safe and raise

concerns if they are not.

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Penalties for not managing health, safety & welfare

Increased accidents, injury and harm,

Individual suffering

Litigation claims and payments

Criminal prosecution

Fines and/or prison Enforcement notices

Action can be taken against the organisation and/or any individual within it. Fines start at £20,000 and/or 6 months in prison.

Disciplinary procedrues for Trust staff

Dismissal for significant failings

Adverse publicity and public image Lack of public confidence Poor reputation

Unsafe working environment,

Poor staff recruitment and retention

Low staff morale Risk to staff and patient safety

Reduced or poor performance

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Policies

The policies below are a selection of those you should read and follow (the list is not

exhaustive). The guidance provided in these documents is there to aid you in working

safely. Policies are available on the Trust intranet, through your manager or the Health

& Safety Advisor. The Health & Safety Policy sets out the overall arrangements for

health and safety within the Trust and sets out a standard framework which we must all

work to. You should familiarise yourselves with all policies relevant to your job role.

Health & Safety Policy

Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

Manual Handling

Display Screen Equipment (DSE)

First Aid

Slips, Trips and Falls

Fire

Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences (RIDDOR)

Stress Management

Lone Working

Management of Unacceptable Behaviour, Abuse, Harassment and Discrimination

from patients/public

Incident Reporting

Risk Assessment

The law states employers must ensure things (hazards) that could cause harm to individuals as a result of work or the working environment must be assessed and measures taken to control the risk of harm. In other words the Trust must decide what could harm you in your job and take precautions to stop it. Regulation 3 of the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 makes specific the requirement for risk assessments to be undertaken and where there are 5 or more employees these must be documented. A risk assessment is purely a process for identifying things that could harm you and assessing whether enough is being done to control them and prevent the harm from happening or whether more needs to be done and deciding what they should be. The duty to formally assess and document risk assessments within departments lies

with the manager of that area. . However, we should all carry out visual assessments of

the areas we work in to determine if any risks to our safety exist before we commence

work.

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Key words

Hazard – something that has the potential to cause harm or injury, ill health

or death to an individual or could have an impact to the Trust or other party in

meeting their duties (e.g. trailing cables, moving people or loads, insufficient

work space, work demands)

Harm that could be caused (e.g. fracture, death, dermatitis, cancer,

prosecution, fines, prison)

Risk – the harm that could be caused and how likely it is to happen

Controls – measures that can be taken to prevent/reduce the harm and/or

likelihood of harm occurring, where hazards cannot be removed (e.g. removal

of cables or tying them up away from floor, using trolleys, hoists and other

handling equipment, training, personal protective equipment, masks, gloves,

counselling)

Persons affected – a risk assessment must include consideration to all

those individuals who might be affected, staff, patients, visitors, postmen,

delivery drivers etc. and must take into account more vulnerable individuals,

young workers, lone workers, pregnant and nursing mothers.

The risk assessment process within the Trust follows the 5 step approach to risk

assessment which is supported by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as follows:

Identify hazards

Identify how harm could occur, what the harm

could be and to whom

Identify and implement control measures

(precautions)

Documenting findings

Review for effectiveness (at least annually or

when significant change in circumstances

and/or accident occurs)

Staff should be consulted as part of the risk assessment process and their thoughts taken into

consideration. They may know or see something that hasn’t already been identified.

The Trust must ensure that staff know how to control risks to theirs and others safety and must

explain this in a way you understand. Copies of risk assessment documents should be

available for you to view.

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Control Measures When assessing risks, managers must decide whether the precautions already in place are

sufficient and whether more could be done. The risk must be reduced so far as is

reasonably practicable (to the lowest level it can be).

The diagram below depicts the order in which risks to your safety must be managed.

These must be considered in order of priority. The least effective being administrative

controls – i.e. policies, systems of work, guidance and PPE (personal protective

equipment) which should not be the go to position as they are inexpensive to implement

but are also less effective. Financing the necessary precautions should not be a barrier to

managing health and safety risks.

Common workplace hazards in healthcare Healthcare is a very diverse industry to work in. There are some very well -known

hazards and risks which we should all be aware of so we can manage them

responsibly. Potential hazards range from physical, environmental, people and

equipment. They can be task based or as a result of the environment.

The following are commonly found in the healthcare industry.

Physical and verbal abuse – this is not tolerated under any circumstances and must be

reported

Environment/Traffic routes – blind corners, temperature, work space, pathways

Biological, Chemical, substances - gases, blood borne viruses, bodily fluids, cutan,

cytotoxic drugs

Work pressure (stress) – demands of role, lack of control, bullying,

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Movement of people and loads – transporting patients/equipment, assisting patients

Workstations, Display Screen Equipment, Work Environment – laptops, computers,

desk space, temperature, working space

Sharps – needles, scalpels, sharp instruments

Equipment/Electricity – computers, fans, medical devices

Slips, trips and falls – from height (windows/ladders), uneven paths, trailing cables,

inappropriate footwear, not paying attention/using phones whilst walking

The starting point for managing these hazards is risk assessment which will then

determine what precautions are required.

We cannot eliminate all risks, risk is part of everyday life, but we can make sure we have done as much as we can to control what we can.

A few examples of how hazards can be managed

Slips, trips and falls

Slips, trips and falls can have a serious impact on the lives of

employees and those being cared for. They account for around

half of all reported major injuries to employees. Some users of

healthcare services can be particularly vulnerable to falls injuries,

and falls on the same level account for a significant number of

injuries to service users - many of which are preventable.

Many factors can cause slips, trips and falls. These include: methods of cleaning, flooring

type, footwear, levels of lighting, contrast between floors, walls and doors, and obstructions or

other trip hazards. The practical measures you can take will vary in different situations; some

measures will reduce the risk to both workers and non-employees, whereas others may be

more targeted.

Falls can quite literally shatter someone’s life.

HAZARDS RISKS CONTROLS

Spillages

Uneven

surfaces/Changes of

level

Walking whilst texting

(due care and attention)

Cables

Climbing on furniture

Poor housekeeping

Footwear

Windows

fractures

bruises

lacerations

death

Slips Trips and Falls Policy

Risk assessment

Training

Fault reporting

Good housekeeping

Estates Maintenance

Programme

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Manual Handling

Moving and handling is a key part of the working day for most

employees; from moving equipment, laundry, catering, supplies or

waste to assisting patients in moving.

HAZARDS RISKS CONTROLS

Moving and transporting people Moving and transporting loads

back pain and musculoskeletal disorders Fractures Long term incapacitation Discomfort and a lack of dignity for the person being moved

Manual Handling Policy Risk assessment Equipment Training

Sharps

Sharps injuries are a well-known risk in the healthcare sector. Sharps contaminated with an infected patient's blood can transmit more than 20 diseases, including hepatitis B, C and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Because of this transmission risk, sharps injuries can cause worry and stress to the many thousands who receive them.

HAZARDS RISKS CONTROLS

Needles Scalpels Sharp instruments

Exposure to BBV Stress Anxiety

Sharps Policy Risk assessment Safety Devices Prophylaxis Immunisation Training

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Display Screen Equipment

Display Screen Equipment (DSE) is a device or equipment that

has an alphanumeric or graphic display screen, regardless of the

display process involved; it includes both conventional display

screens and those used in emerging technologies such as laptops,

touch-screens and other similar devices.

HAZARDS RISKS CONTROLS

Computers

Tablets

Lap tops

Touch screen devices

Mobile phones

CCTV

Pain – neck, back, arm,

shoulders

Eye strain

Dry eyes

Fatigue

Work related upper limb

disorders

Repetitive strain injury

DSE Policy

Risk assessment (self)

Adjustable chairs and other

equipment

Regular breaks

Stretching exercises

Eye tests/vouchers

These are just a few basic examples of every day hazards and risks you may be come

across whilst carrying out your work with examples of how they are managed. There may

be more which your manager will be able to advise you on further.

Reporting accidents

This is to ensure when things do or could have gone wrong;

there is an accident or someone becomes ill at or because

of their work we have a method of recording the incident which then allows us to:

Investigate - see if there is anything more that needs to be done to prevent it from

happening again and ensure that the individual involved has the appropriate

support.

Learn – identify trends, is this happening repeatedly? Why did it happen and what

can we do to stop it happening?

Changing and improving – putting in place extra measures where we can, sharing

the outcomes with other staff and departments, it might be happening elsewhere.

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We all have a duty to report any workplace accident or ill health. This is also

documented in health and safety laws – The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations

1981; Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrence Regulations 2013

and Social Security (Claims & Payments) Regulations 1979.

Reporting relates to all staff and includes accident and ill health involving patients, visitors, contractors and other third parties. Some accidents and injuries must be reported to the Health & Safety Execut ive, the

Health & Safety Advisor ensures this happens when notified and there are legal

timeframes for doing so. It is therefore really important that accidents and ill health is

recorded.

The completed form can be called for in the event of a litigation claim or further

investigation and provides valuable evidence for you and/or the Trust. If it isn’t written

down it never happened and we also lose a valuable opportunity to investigate and take

action.

The organisation uses a web based programme called DATIX to capture them. DATIX can

be accessed via your computer desktop or the ‘staff tools’ section of the intranet.

What should you report?

Ill health sustained as a result of work or the workplace

Injuries sustained as a result of a work or workplace accident such as falls, sharps

injuries, back injuries

Exposure to hazardous substances or environmental issues such as body fluid

splashes, cleaning chemicals, temperature control, security breaches

Violence, abuse, sexual abuse, inappropriate behaviours, verbal abuse

Any incident requiring first aid assistance

If you witness or are involved in accidents relating to members of the public,

patients, contractors, other visitors

Patient safety incidents such as falls, pressure ulcers, medication errors – anything

that could have or did lead to harm.

Near misses should also be reported i.e. an incident that nearly occurred but was

identified and prevented prior to it happening.

What do I need to do?

Report to your manager immediately

Complete a DATIX incident report or if you can’t ask someone to do it for you

The incident will be investigated and your manager can feedback the outcome to

you

The investigation will determine if there is any action needed to prevent it from

happening again

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Audits & Inspections

As part of our checking processes for ensuring we are meeting our legal duties, following

Trust procedures and ensuring they are effectively implemented; audits, inspections and

quarterly checks are made of each department and we regularly test our policies and

procedures to see if they are

Known about

Implemented

Understood

Being followed

This helps identify gaps and allows for improvements to be made. Where health and safety

arrangements are not implemented and established there is a greater opportunity of harm

occurring.

If there is health and safety problem what should I

do?

Speak up if you think there is a problem. Ignoring it could mean putting someone at risk of

being hurt or worse, killed.

If you think there is a problem with health and safety work, it is important that you do

something about it.

You could:

1. Talk to your manager or contact the Health & Safety Advisor or Union Health and Safety

Representative.

2. Look at the HSE website which gives more information about health and safety at work

www.hse.gov.uk

The HSE (Health & Safety Executive) are the enforcing authority for health and safety laws in Great Britain. They monitor accidents, incidents and take enforcement action where breaches in health and safety laws are identified.

3. To find out more about your health and safety rights and what your employer needs to

do, go to our workers right webpages www.hse.gov.uk/workers/responsibilities.htm.

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And finally…..

Good Health and Safety takes the coordination and cooperation of everyone

within the workplace. We all have responsibilities to ensure us, our colleagues,

visitors, patients and other individuals are safe.

You must follow the policies and procedures that have been put in place to

protect you and others and if you think something is unsafe you must speak up.

You may prevent someone from being hurt.

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Useful contacts: Marion Carnell Health & Safety Advisor

Ext 85097

Chris Oakes Manual Handling Advisor

Ext 85279

Rob Alcock Fire Advisor

Ext 86086

Paul Ewers Risk and Systems Manager (DATIX queries and training)

Ext 85099

Debbie Bowkett

Risk and Safety Coordinator

Ext 85103

Tina Worth

Head of Risk and Clinical Governance

Ext 85100

Staff Health & Wellbeing Ext 85255

Trade Union Representatives

Trust Intranet ‘working at mkh – Trade Unions’

Trust Health & Safety Policies

Trust Intranet ‘staff tools – documentation’ Or contact your manager or the Health & Safety Advisor

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Assessment Paper - Health, Safety & Welfare

(Please select only one answer for each question unless otherwise stated)

Questions

1. Why is the Trust committed to managing health, safety & welfare? (please tick all that apply)

□ Prevent accidents, injury, ill health, death

□ It improves the safety of the organisation

□ The Chief Executive said so

□ There is a legal and moral duty to do so

2. Name 2 of the Trust arrangements for managing health, safety & welfare?

i. ______________________________________________ ii. ______________________________________________

3. How does the organisation consult with employees?

□ Via email

□ Through Union representatives

□ It doesn’t have to

□ Notice boards

4. Where do you find the organisations health and safety policy(s)?

□ Printed off and in folders in departments

□ Pinned to notice boards

□ In the CEO weekly message

□ Documentation pages of Trust Intranet

5. Who is responsible for implementing policies?

□ No one, they are unnecessary

□ The Chief Executive

□ Patients

□ We all have a responsibility

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6. Why must you follow policies, procedures, guidelines and use safety equipment?

(please tick all that apply)

□ Protect yourself and others

□ Prevent accidents, injuries, ill health and death

□ Avoid legal action

□ Avoid disciplinary action

7. What is the meaning of the word hazard?

□ Getting hurt

□ An obstruction

□ Something that has the potential to cause harm

□ A legal term

8. Identify 2 workplace hazards (list below)

i. ______________________________________________ ii. ______________________________________________

9. How many infectious diseases can a contaminated needle contain?

______________________________________________

10. What is a risk assessment?

______________________________________________

11. Name the hierarchy used to determine risk controls?

______________________________________________

12. What is the first step of the hierarchy?

□ PPE

□ Administrative controls

□ Elimination

□ Substitute

13. Name 1 method of controlling a slip, trip and fall hazard?

______________________________________________

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14. How could you apply and promote safe working practices in your job role? (please tick all that apply)

□ Ignoring the rules

□ Report health and safety concerns

□ Follow policies and procedures

□ Use any safety equipment provided

15. How do you report accidents, incidents, near misses, ill health?

□ IR1

□ Datix

□ Don’t need to worry

□ Get someone else to do it

16. Who do you raise health and safety concerns to?

□ Manager

□ Health & Safety Advisor

□ Risk & Systems Manager

□ Work colleague

17. Health and safety laws are legally binding and carry heavy penalties for non-

compliance?

□ True

□ False

18. Who enforces health and safety laws?

□ Chief Executive

□ Health & Safety Advisor

□ Health & Safety Executive

□ Police

19. What is our collective goal when managing health, safety & welfare?

______________________________________________

20. We all have a responsibility to look after ourselves, our colleagues, patients and others

□ True

□ False

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Name (print): Office Use

Signature: Results

Job Title:

Ward/Department: Pass

Date Completed: Fail

Please return the assessment paper only to: Health & Safety Advisor, Risk & Clinical Governance, Level 2 Oak House

In order to pass you must answer 80% of the questions correctly