In this essay I am going to give a brief overview of the different acts and policies and then explain how they relate to my job role.
Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
This act gives people the knowledge about health and safety at work and what they have to put into practice to make it effective. It lays out requirements for employers and employees to ensure safety is given while working.
Employers’ duties include the provision and maintenance of department and safe working systems, safety when working with substances, to provide information, instruction, training and supervision of employees and to ensure safe work place access and exits.
They also have a duty to non employees, such as patients, visitors including contractors.
Employees have a duty to take care of the health and safety of themselves and others. They should take steps to understand the hazards in their workplace and follow safety rules and procedures.
Employers and employee that fail to follow the health and safety procedure may be liable to be prosecuted.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulation 1999
These regulations are set out for employers to ensure that they give the correct training which will include information and knowledge about health and safety and how employees should put their training into good practice.
There should be a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk exposed to employees at work as well as the risk to people not in their employment that could be harm in connection with the conduct their undertaking. These people include clients, bank or agency staff, volunteers, contractors and students.
All of the people that could be affected should be made aware of all risks and measures that will be taken to reduce those risks.
Employers must implement preventative and protective measures when working in hazardous workplace. They must also ensure all employees have had all the necessary health and safety training.
Employees have a duty to take care their own health and safety, use provided equipment and to report any unsafe work practices.
Reporting of injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences
1995 (RIDDOR ‘95)
This act/policy is about recording and reporting incidents in a health and social care setting. It explains that there is a legal requirement to report accidents, incidents and ill health at work; this enable the health and safety executive and the local authorities to identify where and how risks arise.
Manual Handling Operations regulation (MHOR) 1992
This act came into force in January 1993; it is one of six health and safety at work regulations. Manual handling operations refers to any transporting or supporting of a load by hand or bodily force.
Employers have certain duties when it come to manual handling; they should avoid any manual handling operations where possible and should consider if a load should be moved at all. They should also access any hazardous operations that cannot be avoided and reduce the risk of injury; the task, the load, the working environment and the individuals capability should be considered.
An employees’ duty is to make full and proper use of any system provided such as manual handling training which will show them practical ways of reducing risk in their work area, they then should put these ways into use.
COSHH - Control of substances hazardous to health
This law requires employers to access and manage the risk related to storing and handling disposal hazardous substances. This should be known by all staff that works in a health and social care setting.
Employers should provide the equipment, give training, and provide appropriate equipment/clothing to their employees. The employee should use equipment and wear appropriate clothing provided; they should also report any incidents or concerns and fault with the equipment.
Lifting operations and lifting equipment regulations 1998
(LOLER ‘98)
These