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

Policy Statement

This policy (which can apply to all adult care services) outlines the steps taken by this care provider to assess and control all personal safety risks to people who use {{org_field_name}} and staff in line with the various requirements for safe, person-centred care of the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017 and the relevant health and safety laws and guidance issued by the Health and Safety Executive (See www.hse.gov.uk) , which are also reflected in Regulation 57: Health and Safety.

The aim is always to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of the people who use {{org_field_name}}, its staff and the health and safety of other persons who may be affected by its activities.

Management and staff will work in partnership to ensure that its statutory duties to ensure everyone’s safety are always met by regularly and fully assessing and controlling all risks to people’s safety.

This policy complements that on Risk Assessment and Management for People Using a Care Service (Wales).

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

1. A risk assessment should be undertaken of the potential risks to the people using the service and staff associated with delivering any agreed package of care, where possible, before the commencement of 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 carried out by a suitably 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 in relation to the person using {{org_field_name}} should also be carried out by a member of staff who is trained for the purpose, whenever staff are required to help a person using {{org_field_name}} with any manual handling task, as required under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992.
7. A comprehensive plan to manage the risks (including manual handling and the risks to the people using the service) should be drawn up, in consultation with the person, their relatives or representatives; this should be included in the care plan and placed on the personal file. This can be kept in {{org_field_name}} or domiciliary support agency office and a copy kept in the home for people receiving home care). This risk management plan should be implemented and reviewed annually or more frequently if necessary.
8. New risks which arise (including from use of defective appliances, equipment, fixtures or security) should be reported by care workers to their line managers or supervisors or identified during regular reviews or the person’s care 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. Two people fully trained in safe handling techniques and the equipment to be used should always be involved in the provision of care when the need 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 should be maintained in a safe condition to use and be subject to regular inspections by the manufacturers, records of all such equipment and their maintenance schedules are kept in the central office.
13. A responsible and competent person will always be on call and contactable to deal with risk issues when care and support staff are on duty.
14. Staff should comply with {{org_field_name}}’s staff travelling policy (when carrying out the service’s business).

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

Care Providers’ Responsibilities for Staff Health and Safety

{{org_field_name}} recognises that risk assessments are a legal requirement under Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR). {{org_field_name}} considers that risk assessments should identify hazards and resulting risks to all service employees and other persons who may be affected by work activities. {{org_field_name}} understands a hazard to be the potential for harm, and risk is the likelihood of that harm occurring and the severity of the harm (eg slight injury, major injury, death).

{{org_field_name}} will fully implement Regulation 3 of the MHSWR, which requires employers to:

• assess risks to staff
• assess risks to others who might be affected by work activities such as people who use {{org_field_name}}, contractors, visitors and the public
• clearly identify the measures needed to protect the persons in points a and b above
• review the assessment and make necessary changes if:
  • there is any significant change which affects risk (eg a new staff member, equipment or person who uses {{org_field_name}})
  • there is reason to think it is no longer valid
• where there are five or more people employed, keep records of:
  • the significant findings of the assessment
  • any group of staff identified by it as being particularly vulnerable, eg catering or domestic staff.

{{org_field_name}} will include the following as areas of potential hazard or risk.

1. 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).
2. Manual handling and the moving of people who use {{org_field_name}}.
3. Use of display screen equipment (eg computers).
4. Electrical hazards.
5. Work equipment and machinery.
6. Workplace hazards (eg space, clutter, lighting, heating, ventilation, tripping hazards, safe access, inadequate sanitary facilities, eg toilets, drinking water).
7. Emergencies (eg fire, injuries requiring first aid, dangerous spillages, etc).
8. Violence or threats and abuse.

Training

All new staff will be instructed in {{org_field_name}}’s risk assessment and control policies as part of their induction process, which is based on the Wales Social Care Induction Framework (and Level 2 Award).

Further and specialised training is provided for staff with specific roles and responsibilities for implementing {{org_field_name}}’s risk assessment and control policies.

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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: {{next_review_date}}

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