Unit 3 health and safety and security in health and social care
Explain the potential hazards and the harm that may arise from each in a health or social care setting
I am working at the Cameron house residential care home which is for elderly people who suffer with Alzheimer’s or dementia. There are 60 rooms in the residential home which each person has their own individual accommodation. Hazards, harm and abuse
A hazard is something which can cause someone danger or injury.
Harm means something that can cause physical or psychological damage.
Abuse means something which cause someone harm for a prolonged time.
Physical environment
In my residential home (Cameron house), the physical environment can cause some problems for the residents for example the heaters in the residential home are always therefore they get hot very easily this is because the residents are of better chance of staying healthy if the temperature was at a lower heat, if the temperature happen to be at a lower temperature condition there more at risk of catching hypothermia, another thing could be that the noise in the residential home can be very disruptive to the other residence as some residence suffer from dementia; which is seen to be more of a serious illness therefore they just say what comes to their mind no matter what the consequences are for them or the other patients; but this isn’t always the case sometimes it can be taken in the wrong way and may seem to be as if they are in pain therefore whenever a resident screams or shouts any staff members that are nearby has to check that the resident is ok and ask them why they were either screaming or shouting. The residents are only provided with a small area considering that they have to accommodate for 60 residents and have cooking areas, dining areas and lounging or in their rooms; which can all cause people problems as there is limited space for them to move around and they are unable to sit outside when it is cold due to their immune system being very low due to their age.
Equipment
While I’m attending my placement the equipment which is used can cause hazards if they are not used appropriately and safely. Some residence need to be hoisted from their wheelchair to the chair as they haven’t got the same mobility to others and they are unable to move their own body to get to the chair even if they had a walking frame. The hoist must be used by two members of staff who are trained in using the equipment. The harm which could be caused from someone using the hoist wrong is that the resident could end up have serious injuries due to the staff using the hoist in the wrong way as they could end up having burns from the fabric which is hoisting them because the fabric is too tight. Also a resident could end up having broken bones because the hoist could malfunction which means the hoist could lower quickly before the staff could try and save the resident from injury. Another piece of equipment which is used in my residential home is a lift. The lift is for service users who are unable to climb the stairs unaided. The lift is meant to be big enough to fit two members of staff along with a resident. However, the lift at Leatherland Lodge can only fit one member of staff and the resident which means if the resident ends up having a cardiac arrest in the lift there will only be one person in the lift and due to the cramped space the staff member will be unable to form CPR. Moreover, the lift doors are very heavy and don’t close very easily due to this it could cause the resident to get distressed and the staff could cause themselves injuries due to them having to pull the door closed. The lift has a mirror so that the service user doesn’t feel as if they have been left on their own to go up the lift.

Infections
Any staff which work in the residential home are not allowed to work if they have a cold or have had an upset stomach due to the fact that it could cause some of the residence to become ill and it will be a lot harder for them to get rid of the illness as their body can’t fight the infections like other people can. Infections can be spread very easily such as sneezing, coughing and using the same utensils such as kitchen utensils as bacteria spread very quickly. However, in some serious cases especially in residential homes, air vents can cause legionnaires disease which means that contaminated water droplets in the vents get spread out into the atmosphere meaning that the residents breathe in these droplets and due to the heat in the residential home the bacteria grow much quicker which means more residence get more sick; more quickly. Legionnaires disease causes mild headaches, muscle pain, high temperature, chills, tiredness, changes in your mental state, shortness of breath, chest pains and persistent cough. To prevent legionnaires disease, people can take antibiotics whether they be in tablet, capsules or through a continuous drip into a vein in your arm. MRSA could also affect the residence in the care home as people may come into the care home to visit someone and they may not be aware that they have MRSA. MRSA is a bacterium that’s resistant to a number of widely used antibiotics. The full name is meticullen-resistant staphylococcus aureys. It is transferred through skin to skin contact with someone who has MRSA or through contaminated objects such as towels, sheets, clothes, floors and door handles. To prevent the spread of MRSA people are admitted into hospital, people need to report the unclean facilities and follow any advice you’re given about wound care.
Substances
Substances which could be used in the care home are medicines and cleaning utensils. Medication in a care home must be kept in a locked store cupboard and the key must be kept in the manager office or on the nurse’s keys. If someone takes the wrong medication is could result in one of the residence have serious side effects resulting in the resident being admitted into hospital. Carelessness when administering medication can put individuals at risk. Medication could be given to the wrong person, or the wrong dose could be given therefore the staff are putting the residents’ health and life at risk. Even when medication is given correctly there can be risk also known as side effects. If people take arthritis tablets they could experience stomach ulcers, sedatives could cause drowsiness and increase the risk to falls and diuretics can cause incontinence and dehydration. Therefore, the nurse must make sure that if new medication has been prescribed to a resident then the nurse needs to monitor the resident meaning they need to mark down when the medication was given and keep regular check to see whether they have any side effects to the medication.
Working conditions
Working conditions include aspects of your job, such as the hours you work, the staffing levels and staff relations. Despite considerable improvements in the quality of health and social care as a result of regular inspections, there are still problems with staff turnover and staff shortages. This can lead to staff rushing their work and not always following procedures properly, which can increase the risk of injuries and accidents. Staff shortages can result in staff being expected to work overtime. Care work is physically and mentally demanding and too much overtime is likely to result in staff being unable to perform to the best of their ability. Tired staff members are more likely to make mistakes, such as miscalculating drug doses. They are also likely to be less alert, and may miss a sign that someone they are caring for is becoming unwell. Stress is another effect of staff shortages. Stress can show itself in a variety of ways including anxiety, sleep problems, digestive disorders, high blood pressure and mood swings. The manager has a duty of care for the staff, and should be aware of the effects on their mental well-being of an excessive work load.
Working practices
Working practices are the jobs you can do when caring for people. This can include moving and handling, preparing food, changing nappies/dressings, giving injections or supervising individuals with challenging behaviour. If you do not follow procedures correctly, you can put yourself and others at unnecessary risk. The main hazards linked with handling people are that the handler may slip or trip, stand in an awkward position, twist or over-reach, as may the person. Any of these mistakes could result in a strain, sprain or fracture for the individual or carer. It could take several months or years to recover fully from such an injury. In some cases, permanent disability can result.
Security Systems
Security hazards include intruders, theft of property or information, and individuals either being abducted or leaving without consent. To keep staff and individuals safe from intruders, security systems have been fitted in most health services. Residential homes usually keep the main door locked, the windows on the ground floor do not open far enough to allow anyone to climb in or out. However, this could result in crucial time being lost in a fire, when rescuers need to gain access to the building to evacuate anyone who is trapped. Confidential information held on computers must be password protected, so it is important that all staff who need to know have access to the passwords. Filing cabinets must be kept locked.
Setting
Residential home
Care home settings where people live are known as residential. There are residential settings for older people, people with disabilities and looked after children. It is crucial that health and safety is taken very seriously in these settings. You need to be sure that residents do not escape in a fire that they do not put each other in danger, and that infections don’t spread when people live close together. In some settings people can come and go as they please. However, is a setting where there are people who are confused this would be inappropriate. The risk of road traffic accidents is very real in this situation. Anyone who is confused may become disorientated and get lost. In colder weather they may develop hyperthermia if they are inadequately dressed or suffer a fall.
Hospital/clinics
Hospital or clinics could be a hazard as people do not dispose of dressings, needles and medicines safely. Hospital cleaner leave floors wet resulting in people falling over and injuring themselves further than they already are. Hospital spread infection very easily as people are kept in the normal waiting room until they have had all their tests done therefore if they have an infection which means they need to be isolated from other people are they aren’t they are putting other people’s lives at risk as well as their own. Also in emergency some staff may leave medication unattended therefore a drug addict could take the medication to get a high which could result in them having serious complications with their own health as they don’t care about what medication they take.
Retail area
In the retail area some individuals are more vulnerable than others therefore they may get lost resulting in other services to get involved to find them. also in retail areas boxes of good, wet floors and rubbish bags could be in/on the walk way resulting in people falling over and they could be injured. Delivery vehicles could cause an obstruction which could cause a road traffic collision resulting in people getting seriously injured and some individuals may be in critical condition. In restaurants and cafés, tables and chairs could be in obstructing the walk way or chairs may not be tucked in therefore people may trip resulting in them either dropping their food which could lead them to burning themselves or they could injure their body as they fall. If they fall other people may be behind them which means they may fall in result to them falling if they have slow reaction times.
Beach
Beaches could cause hazards because there are usually crowds especially on hot days therefore vulnerable people could follow the wrong crowd of people are end up getting lost or in the worst circumstances kidnapped. The tides at the beach are very unpredictable therefore some of the people at the beach may end up getting swept further into the sea by the strong current which means people end up getting very cold and they may end up drowning if they cannot keep their head over the water this is more common with children and vulnerable people. Strong sunshine could be a hazard for people who aren’t wearing sun cream because the sun’s rays can cause cancer if you are exposed to it for prolonged periods of time. This is why children are told to where factor 50 to prevent them from sun burn which can progress into cancer. Inexperienced swimmers are also at risk when they are swimming in the sea as they may go too far into the sea and not be able to get back due to the current being too strong and they haven’t got the right technique to be able to swim in the strong current as the sea and the swimming pool are completely different.
Transport
Transport could be either whether you are in the vehicle or whether you are walking passed the vehicle. The possible hazards which can be happen due to transport are that people don’t wear seat belts when driving therefore in road collisions some people end up with more significant injuries as they haven’t got the seat belt to restrict their movement. Crossing the road too slowly can cause congestion resulting in people getting frustrated and car drivers may start to speed causing a collision. Standing too close to the edge of a platform at the railway station could cause individuals go get swept under the train due to the speed the train is going or they could get clipped by train as it goes passed resulting in people’s arms having lacerations on them.
Individuals
When dealing with health and safety, it is not just the individuals using the services who have to be considered.
Those Receiving Care
People receiving care are at risk of hazards because they floor maybe uneven resulting in them falling over. Some people may trip over wires from the hoover resulting in them injuring their back. People may be treated unfairly and not have the appropriate care they need because some care staff just want to get the job done and forget that the patients’ health and safety should come first.
Care Staff and Support Staff
Care staff and support staff are at risk because the staff may not know how to use the equipment and may not have the right training to use the equipment therefore they may be putting the residence care at risk and their own. Care staff are at risk in the kitchen as they may end up dropping hot food down themselves resulting in them scalding themselves and one of the residence might be around when the food falls therefore it is likely that they may fall as well.
Visitors
Visitors may include relatives, friends, maintenance engineers and visiting care professionals. Visitors are at risk as they may be unaware of how drastic people’s conditions are therefore they may not be expecting their conditions which they will see when they come in. visitors may be at risk because they may not know that their family member has took a turn for the worse or they have been moved room therefore they may walk into the wrong room and be exposed to danger because someone has a much worse condition than others.
Users of health and social care services
Each individual using care services face slightly different hazards. Some hazards stem from the environment and others from the individuals themselves.
Patients
Patients can be people who go to the dentist, doctors or hospital. Patients are exposed to infection most of the time whether it be through medication, surgery and other treatments often carry some degree of risk. Patients may have to go for x-rays therefore they will be exposed to radiation. There are two types of radiation that may be associated with health risks. These are non-ionising radiation and ionising radiation. Patients usually only be exposed to man-made ionising radiation during certain medical tests, but levels are so low that the chances of problems developing are very small.
Older people
Older people also known as the elderly are prone to have low reaction times which means they may be unsteady, or have poor vision or hearing. The poor vision will make it harder for older people to see where hazards are for example a wet floor sign may look further away when in matter of fact it is right in front of them resulting in them falling and having an injury. Due to their bones being much weaker, they are more prone to injury.
Those with physical disability and Those with sensory impairment
People with physical disabilities such as scoliosis means that movements can be slow or jerky and also people’s sense of touch may be impaired and mobility may be reduced making it hard for them to work and better yet being able to lift a cup resulting in them dropping it over themselves and scolding their body. Sensory impairment is when one of your senses; sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste and spatial awareness, is no longer normal which means that they may receive less information to be able to judge the risks.
People with mental health problems
Mental health problems vary from person to person and mental health problems can be thing from anxiety, depression, dementia, Alzheimer’s, bipolar and self-harm. Mental disorders can take over people’s everyday lives because they are concentrating more on their disorder rather than the world around them that they live in. symptoms which occur along with mental health problems are hallucinations, delusions and phobia can impair judgement.