Issues of Healthcare Work and Safety for Employees

Aims of this assignment are to give a clear understanding of the role of the healthcare assistant, regarding issues found in healthcare. To explain some of the causes, symptoms relating to the healthcare worker and safety and health in the workplace. The aims are also to give an incite to occupational illness and some preventive measures.

Following the aims I will make some recommendations and improvements that can be make to improve the health and safety within the workplace.

Upon finishing this assignment I will finish with an evaluation of my findings.

Noise and Sound. Many health care assistants work in a noisy environment, radio, televisions clients (shouting, banging), phones ringing, bells, machines and trollies squeaking and creaking.

The Hazard here results in a working environment that affects the health care assistant’s concentration, this in turn results increased work place injuries.

Risk Hearing is affected for both the health care assistants and the clients, causing the clients to become agitated with the constant noise. Leaving clients and staff feeling agitated with one another.

Control here would be to reduce the level of noise within the care environment. Special noise absorbing panels can be hung on walls to reduce the noise level. These panels were introduced into an Atlanta Veterans Administration Medical Centre, (Georgia Tech Research Institute). Reducing the noise level within the home from 16 speakers to 1 speaker noise level. Also, helping the veterans to sleep better. Sometimes it’s a case of getting a hearing aid for a client.

Stress never have enough time to carry out jobs. The Hazard here results in jobs rushed to get everything done. Stress is also caused by aggressive clients sometimes treats of violence or actual violence, bad management over worked staff not enough staff resources stretched, bullying due to a client demanding the care assistant do jobs there not supposed to do alone or another member of staff.

Risk Lack of concentration, low appetite, tiredness, lack sleep from worrying about work, can cause bad concentration, mental health issues, absenteeism, no patience, snappiness, and physical issues. In severe cases the health care assistant might take their own life as seeing no way out. If it’s a case of bullying keep records and record findings.

Control carry out a risk assessment on the working environment. Control the workload making sure its shared equally among staff. Improve staff working conditions. Ensure staff can voice their opinion to management without repercussions. Keep up to date with in house training. Introduce a wellbeing programme or mindfulness teaching staff how to unwind. Cater for the individual person’s needs. As health care assistants, we should follow healthy lifestyles staying fit and active. Also, make sure you know your company policy and health and safety act 2005, know your rights. Dangerous Chemicals fumes and dust example cleaning.

Hazard Health care assistant role also include using dangerous chemicals regarding fumes and dust particles in the atmosphere.

Risk untrained staff and clients exposed to chemicals. Staff that haven’t taken part in induction training are at serious risk to burns, breathing difficulties, and in severe cases death. Clients that can gain access to these chemicals are also at risk.

1. Control Follow MSDS (material safety data sheets) if none are provided read instruction on chemicals never use chemicals /medicines unless instructions are provided.

2. No label don’t use.

3. Keep chemicals in locked cabinets and locked rooms key pad rooms are better as staff aren’t running around looking for access.

4. Always use proper PPE equipment.

5. Use chemicals within a well-ventilated area.

6. Never hoover as this allows dust particles to move to other areas.

7. All staff need to be made aware of chemical training, chemical awareness should be rolled out to all staff especially when dealing with hazardous chemicals and waste.

Hazard -Occupational related illness with a regard to a health care assistant. You should consider winter vomiting bug, pathogens or infectious diseases. Winter vomiting bugs are notorious in care facilities, hospitals this time of the year causing diarrhoea, vomiting, headaches, dizziness, this in turn causes slips, trips and falls among those affected.

Risk pathogens are micro-organisms.

Manual Handling -Hazard Patient moving and handling. Uneven load lifeless loads, motionless clients who are bed ridden and can’t assist in helping to move themselves.

RISK Common cause of accidents is manual handling for the Health Care assistant. This in turn causes an impact on resources as many go out sick with injuries resulting from bad practices in manual handling. Some health care assistants can be bullied by clients into rushing not waiting for lifts, hoists or assistance from other staff members. Or shockingly some care facilities don’t provide adequate hoists, lifts or staff training for certain areas or jobs.

Control Avoid bad practices always refer to your training in good manual handling. Stay up to date on training keep yourself safe. Make sure client moving handling is carried out as safe as possible. Take all safety precautions lifts, two persons lift or as needed. Make sure lifting equipment are kept updated with maintenance and are checked regularly. Lighting in the area is good, considering client’s abilities have them help as much as they can, this in turn helps them lifting their spirits. Footwear should be good quality good grips non-slip will help reduce slips, trips, falls.

Occupational related illness – Bullying.

Causes of bullying can be anything from the colour of a person’s hair, skin or that bully in this case I will refer to Ms. x. Ms x just had to look at me a certain way for me to know yes, it’s going to be a crap day. For me it was a case of too happy always smiling, friendly too helpful way too happy to be right in the head. Really my tormentor was going through a difficult time her mom had cancer.

Symptoms include work going missing, taunts, called a bad mom for working, pestering, laughing when I fell over while being pushed from behind, telling lies about me to co-workers impacting how others treated me, people stopped talking for appro 8 months.

Impact on the worker impact on me as a mom, daughter, sister, aunt, granddaughter, friend you start to question yourself blaming yourself that yes, I must deserve this or is there something wrong with me. My self-esteem was shot to bits I couldn’t eat, sleep then I’d have binges of food anything. As your always wrong in the bully’s eyes you try to please people. Too happy, fat, skinny it’s a circle it escalated one day when she threw a fork into my face in the packed canteen, everyone just laughed or turned away trying to not make eye contact. I just walked out grabbed my car keys headed to wooded area with one thought in my mind I want the pain to end. I was a nervous wreck at this stage always ready to defend what I was doing. Things moved fast after these events, I fought to get placed on another shift. Bad news travels fast in factories with some effort on my new co-workers they saw through the crap and brought me out of my darkness.

Preventive measures the wellbeing programme was introduced within the company. Work areas got split up no women on their own men were slipped into the mix. Private phone numbers were given out if you felt the need to talk (wellbeing) without everyone knowing what was going on. Confidentially line was set up if you felt you or someone you knew needed a chat, were being bullied. Talks were given on how to spot, stop things from going too far.

Health and safety statement.

Safety statement is a written document that’s written into law. This document is a programme written to safe guard employees, visitors, workmen, and anyone that comes into the workplace environment. Safety statement is part of the Safety, Health and Welfare at work act 2005.

• Safety of employees.
• Workmen, visitors anyone visiting must be made aware of the Safety Statement.
• This document must ensure safety and health.
• Must adhere to the law and its standards.
• Must cover people, machinery, chemicals, and materials used.
• Covering work carried out.