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Health and Safety: Risk Assessment and Control (Scotland) Policy

Introduction

This policy is intended to set out the values, principles and procedures underpinning {{org_field_name}}’s approach to assessing risks to health and safety in line with the national health and social care standards set out in My Support, My Life, in particular:

• 3.14 I have confidence in people because they are trained, competent and skilled, are able to reflect on their practice and follow their professional and organisational codes.
• 3.18 I am supported and cared for sensitively by people who anticipate issues and are aware of and plan for any known vulnerability or frailty.
• 4.14 My care and support is provided in a planned and safe way, including if there is an emergency or unexpected event.
• 5.17 My environment is secure and safe.

The policy should be used in relation to the policy on Risk Assessment and Management for People Using a Care Service (Scotland).

Policy Statement

{{org_field_name}} recognises its responsibility to ensure that all reasonable precautions are taken to provide and maintain working conditions which are safe, healthy and compliant with all statutory requirements and codes of organisation, including the statutory duty on employers to conduct regular health and safety risk assessments.

This includes following general health and safety requirements in respect of the provider’s remises and staff who work there as well as the health and safety of care staff, when carrying out their work.

Health and Safety Risk Assessments for People Using {{org_field_name}}

1. An assessment is carried out by a trained and qualified staff member of the potential risks to the people using the service and staff associated with delivering any agreed package of care before commencement of the service, or immediately after the start if this has to be carried out as an emergency, which occasionally might happen.
2. Where appropriate, this should include risks associated with assisting with medication and other health-related activities and should be updated annually or more frequently if necessary. It should be undertaken by a trained and qualified person.
3. Risk assessments for prospective and current people using the service should be carried out for the presence and exposure to infections such as SARS-COV-2 virus that could result in the spread of disease in line with public health concerns.
4. The risk assessment should include an assessment of the risks to the people using the service, which could result in their losing their independence and quality of daily living.
5. How the risk assessment is undertaken should be appropriate to the needs of the individual, whose views, and those of their relatives or advocates, should be taken into account.
6. A separate moving and handling risk assessment is also carried out by a member of staff who is trained for the purpose, whenever staff are required to help a person using the service with any manual handling task. Such an assessment is required under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.
7. A copy of the plan is placed on the personal file. The risk management plan is reviewed as part of the person using {{org_field_name}}s’ schedule of reviews.
8. New risks which arise (including defective appliances, equipment, fixtures or security of the premises) should be reported by care workers to their line managers or supervisors or identified during regular reviews or the person using care services’ plan.
9. Only staff who are both trained to undertake risk assessments and competent to provide the care should be assigned to emergency situations and where pressure of time does not allow a risk assessment to be undertaken prior to provision of the care or support.
10. The service will always employ two people, who are trained in safe handling techniques and the equipment, where the need for this is identified from the manual handling risk assessment.
11. The name and contact number of the organisation responsible for providing and maintaining any equipment under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 and the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 should be recorded on the risk assessment.
12. Any manual handling equipment provided and used by staff must be maintained in a safe condition and is subject to regular servicing in line with the manufacturers’ instructions.
13. A responsible and competent person for health and safety matters is always on call and contactable when care and support staff are on duty.
14. All staff must comply with the provider’s staff travelling policy, when engaged in care service business.

See also Risk Assessment and Management for People Using a Care Service (Scotland).

Care Provider’s Responsibilities for Staff Health and Safety

The provider recognises that health and safety risk assessments are legal requirements made with a view to identifying hazards and resulting risks to employees and other persons who may be affected by work activities.

The service understands a hazard to be the potential for harm, and risk is the likelihood of that harm actually occurring and the severity of the harm (eg slight injury, major injury, death).

To comply with its legal requirements, the service carries out the following activities:

• an assessment of risks to employees
• an assessment of risks to others who might be affected by work activities such as people who use {{org_field_name}}, contractors, visitors and the public
• identification of the measures needed to protect the persons in the points above
• a review of the assessment with changes made if the assessment is no longer valid or there is a significant change that affects risk (eg a new employee, new equipment or new person to {{org_field_name}})
• records of the significant findings of the assessment and any group of employees identified by it as being particularly vulnerable (necessary where there are five or more employees).

Also to comply with its legal requirements, the service includes in its risk assessments the following as areas of potential hazard or risk (if present in the operations of the business):

• any hazardous substances within the scope of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) (eg chemical hazards, drugs, sharps, body fluids, hazardous waste) and others not currently covered by COSHH (eg lead, asbestos and substances that are hazardous for reasons other than their toxicity, ie those which are flammable or which enhance combustion, react violently, etc)
• manual handling and the moving of people who use {{org_field_name}}
• use of display screen equipment (eg computers)
• electrical hazards
• all work equipment and machinery
• all workplace hazards (eg space, clutter, lighting, heating, ventilation, tripping hazards, safe access, inadequate sanitary facilities, eg toilets, drinking water)
• emergencies (eg fire, injuries requiring first aid, dangerous spillages, etc)
• violence or threats and abuse.

Training

All new staff receive training in all aspects of assessing and managing health and safety risks as part of their induction programme.

Further specialised training in different areas of risk assessment and management is provided as required by individuals’ roles and responsibilities.

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}

Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}

Next review date: this policy is reviewed annually (every 12 months). When needed, this policy is also updated in response to changes in legislation, regulation, best practices, or organisational changes.

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