Health and Social Care Unit 3 P3
What is meant by risk assessment?
A risk assessment is a plan put in place to reduce the risk of harm occurring, it aims to identify potential risks to the health, safety or security of a care practitioner. Risk assessments have to be held under the health and safety at work act and Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999. It is a lawful document and if not carried out care organisations can face prosecution. The HSE (health and safety executive) can request risk assessments at any time to make sure they are being done and are up to standard and are being held out correctly.
It is an examination of the work place looking for potential risks although it is the employers responsibility, it is always community based work, all employees must be alert to the hazard, understand the risks associated with them and must be able to report any health and safety concerns they may have.
The risk assessment is made up of five stages, firstly you should identify any hazards that are a risk to health this could be anything from the equipment used to the working conditions. Then you must consider the people who could be harmed by the hazard and how. You then must evaluate the risk and decide whether the precautions already in place are adequate or whether more should be done to prevent harm. You should then record your findings and include a detailed plan of action that you are going to take and finally review your assessment and revise if necessary.
Another part of the risk assessment is determining the likelihood and severity of the hazard. This is on a scale of 1 to 5 for likelihood 1 meaning it is not very likely to happen up to 5 being very likely to happen. For severity 1.could be a plaster may have to be administrated 2. Stiches being applied 3. A broken arm or an accident which may take a few weeks to heal from 4. A broken leg or serious injury that over time will heal and 5. A permanent disability or death.
Christina
A risk assessment is a plan put in place to reduce the risk of harm occurring, it aims to identify potential risks to the health, safety or security of a care practitioner. Risk assessments have to be held under the health and safety at work act and Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999. It is a lawful document and if not carried out care organisations can face prosecution. The HSE (health and safety executive) can request risk assessments at any time to make sure they are being done and are up to standard and are being held out correctly.
It is an examination of the work place looking for potential risks although it is the employers responsibility, it is always community based work, all employees must be alert to the hazard, understand the risks associated with them and must be able to report any health and safety concerns they may have.
The risk assessment is made up of five stages, firstly you should identify any hazards that are a risk to health this could be anything from the equipment used to the working conditions. Then you must consider the people who could be harmed by the hazard and how. You then must evaluate the risk and decide whether the precautions already in place are adequate or whether more should be done to prevent harm. You should then record your findings and include a detailed plan of action that you are going to take and finally review your assessment and revise if necessary.
Another part of the risk assessment is determining the likelihood and severity of the hazard. This is on a scale of 1 to 5 for likelihood 1 meaning it is not very likely to happen up to 5 being very likely to happen. For severity 1.could be a plaster may have to be administrated 2. Stiches being applied 3. A broken arm or an accident which may take a few weeks to heal from 4. A broken leg or serious injury that over time will heal and 5. A permanent disability or death.
Christina