Hazards

• Hazard is a potential source of harm or adverse health effect.
• Risk is the probability of being harmed by the hazard and how serious the hazard can be.
• Harm is the psychological or physical damage or injury to a person.
• Environmental is worn flooring, wet floor, loose handrails, untidy environment, unsafe outdoor areas, tripping on wires, broken toys, hard flooring in playing area.
• Biological is used bandages and needles, soiled clothes and laundry, vomit and other bodily fluids on the floor and not cleaned up properly, used tissues.
• Chemical is cleaning materials, medication and hot cooking oils.
• Psychological is stress, violence, fatigue and anxiety.
• Physical is noise, radiation or potential violence.
• Musculoskeletal is manual handling, display screen equipment and broken equipment.
• Working conditions is poor lighting, too hot, too cold, too bright, too dark, noise, travelling long distances or lack of fresh air.
• Working practices is long hours, lack of supervision, lack of training, night shifts, lack of first aid, lack of fire training.
• Lack of security systems is no locks or alarms, faulty fire alarms, broken security chains, lack of interlocking doors, patient/student records, smoke alarms.
• Impacts of hazards on people: injury or harm, illness, poor standards of care, financial loss.
• Injury or harm: physical harm from environmental or chemical hazard. For example: back injuries.
• Illness: impact of biological or chemical hazards. Both physical and mental illness. Could be even life long or life threatening illness. For example: eye strain, food poisoning, headaches etc.
• Poor standards of care: if working practices and conditions are not monitored and reviewed then it could result in hazards that can impact on standards of care given. For example fatigue, forget to give medication etc.
• Overworked staff: careless, may not wash their hands.
• Careless staff could lead to infections.
• Financial loss: theft due to a lack of security systems. If injury then could result in legal action. For example: loss of earnings due to time off.
• Hazards can impact anyone in the setting.
• Employees: someone that work in a care setting.
• Employers: a manager or owner of a care setting.
• UK health and safety executive, main body enforcing legislation and providing guidance on health and safety in the workplace.
• HSE can: enter premises, conduct investigations, take samples and photographs, ask questions, give advice, issue instructions that must be carried out by law, inspect documents, take measurements, issue improvement and prohibition notices.
• Unintentional - a result of poor care, not following infection control procedures so infecting their service users. This could also be roughly moving a service user in bed causing them to be bruised.
• Physical abuse - biting and hitting.
• Sexual abuse - unwanted contact.
• Emotional and psychological - verbal abuse.
• Financial exploitation - withholding or taking money.
• Neglect - not meeting needs.
• Reasons for harm or abuse - lack of training, isolation of carer, stress, prejudice and hostility, failure to monitor, inadequate level of support, financial dependency.
• Intentional abuse - an individual intends to inflict pain or another person or to cause them harm.
• Harm and abuse can happen to individuals in society and care practitioners at the hands of individuals trying to help and support.
• Short term harm - bruises, cuts, broken bones, pregnancy, sti, lack of confidence, poor self esteem, challenging or needy behaviour, depression, anxiety or loneliness, guilt, fear, blame.
• Long term abuse - low self esteem, mental health issues, inability to sleep, anorexia or obesity, high stress levels,. inability to form relationships and trust others, addictions such as alcohol or drugs.
• Health care setting hazards - microbes infecting wounds, radiation from x-rays, controlled drugs, chemotherapy drugs can harm staff, anaesthetic drugs administered carefully, sharps - needles, fire and evacuation procedures, infections spreading.
• Hazards in care settings - fires, not evacuating can lead to other problems, infections can spread, not everyone capable of being independent, road traffic accidents, lost, hyperthermia in cold weather if not wrapped up warm enough, slips ad trips, food hygiene, manage security, travelling.
• Hazards in child care settings - putting objects in their mouth, opening gates/ getting out, opening cupboards or drawers, accessing hazardous substances/chemicals, climbing and falling or getting stuck, food hygiene, fire evacuation, infections spreading, slips and trips, weather conditions.
• Hazards in public settings - usually safe, pavements outside having signs, trip, busy- distress or get lost, pick pockets, other users, skateboarders- injury, lack of maintenance of equipment, equipment vandilised, brain injury from falls, underestimate challenge from equipment, stuck, strangers, drug users- used needles, dog owners not clearing up, slips, trip, insect bites and stings.
• Hazards in transport settings - road traffic accidents, lack of seatbelts, distracted driver, other drivers, staff ratios, busy stations, car parks, falls, faulty equipment e.g. fire alarms, seat belts, passing motor vehicles, breaking down, weather conditions.