Manual Handling Operations 1992

Regulations and legislations
Manual Handling Operations 1992
Manual handling means more than just simply lifting or carrying something. The term is used to describe activities including; lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, carrying, moving, holding, or restraining an object, animal or person. It also covers activities that require the use of force or effort such as pulling a lever or operating power tools. The employer's duty is to avoid Manual Handling as far as reasonably practicable if there is a possibility of injury. If this cannot be done then they must reduce the risk of injury as far as reasonably practicable. If an employee is complaining of discomfort, any changes to work to avoid or reduce manual handling must be monitored to check they are having a positive effect. However, if they are not working satisfactorily, alternatives must be considered. http://www.granada-cranes.co.uk/pdfs/ManualHandling.pdf The guidance on the Manual Handling Regulations includes a risk assessment filter and checklist to help employers assess manual handling tasks. A revised version of the MHOR was published in March 2004. It also includes a checklist to help you assess the risks posed by workplace pushing and pulling activities.
In addition, employees have duties to take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions. They must communicate with their employers so that they too are able to meet their health and safety duties. Employees have general health and safety duties to follow appropriate systems of work laid down for their safety, make proper use of equipment provided for their safety, co-operate with their employer on health and safety matters, inform the employer if they identify hazardous handling activities, and take care to ensure that their activities do not put others at risk.
There are several pieces of legislation relating to musculoskeletal disorders, which attach responsibilities to both employers and employees. The main legal responsibility for employers is to protect the health and safety of their employees and other people who might be affected by what they do.
This could be link to a residential home, when a person needs to be pushed in a wheel chair the carer needs to make sure they are not damaging their back when trying to push the patient to where they need to go.
Data Protection act
During the second half of the 20th century, businesses, organisations and the government began using computers to store information about their customers, clients and staff in databases. For example, names, addresses, contact information, employment history, medical conditions, convictions, and credit history.
Databases are easily accessed, searched and edited. It’s also far easier to cross reference information stored in two or more databases than if the records were paper-based. The computers on which databases resided were often networked. This allowed for organisation-wide access to databases and offered an easy way to share information with other organisations.
The 1998 Data Protection Act was passed by Parliament to control the way information is handled and to give legal rights to people who have information stored about them. Other European Union countries have passed similar laws as often information is held in more than one country.
There are many different roles involved in a company: A data subject is someone who has data about them stored somewhere, outside of their direct control. For example, a bank stores its customers' names, addresses and phone numbers. This makes us all data subjects as there can be few people in the UK who do not feature in computer records somewhere. A data controller is a person or company that collects and keeps data about people. And finally the Information Commissioner is the person (and his/her office) who has powers to enforce the Act.
The Data Protection Act was developed to give protection and lay down rules about how data about people can be used. The 1998 Act covers information or data stored on a computer or an organised paper filing system about living people. The basic way it works is by: setting up rules that people have to follow, and by having an Information Commissioner to enforce the rules. It does not stop companies storing information about people. It just makes them follow rules. The data protection act can be applied at my current work placement at a primary school. As a volunteer helper I will need to keep any information about the children to myself. If the children have something to confide in me about I must tell a professional but nobody outside the schools professional circle. This act can also be applied to a care home, the medication a patient receives should be confidential as the medication might be able to be used for the wrong purpose, if the patient needs the medication they might even get blackmailed/abused.
Care Home Regulations Act
The care standards act sets standards for care homes to follow. So that when an inspector may visit a care home they will find evidence of the legislations and regulations are taking place. The act describes what each individual person can expect from the service provider. They focus on the quality of life that the person using the service.
Staff has to respect privacy and dignity but enforce independence, they must always respect cultural background, and they must give residents appropriate dietary needs so that the residents and professionals can build a supportive relationship.
Management have very important roles in confidentiality they keep all records safe and will not tell provide information to anyone that could put a resident into more harm. If a complaint is made it will be dealt with straight away and hopefully will make the care home a better place for all people at the care home, including staff.
A case study for this would be ‘Winterbourne View’ this care home assaulted and abused many of their patients and residents that had learning difficulties, this act will help create better facilities and better training towards staff that have to deal with patients who have specific needs that might be challenging.
COSHH – Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Act
The aim of this act was that employers needed to either prevent or reduce their workers’ exposure to substances that are hazardous to their health. COSHH is the law that requires employers to control substances that are hazardous to health and includes nanomaterials. You can prevent or reduce workers' exposure to hazardous substances by finding out what the health hazards are; deciding how to prevent harm to health (risk assessment); providing control measures to reduce harm to health; making sure they are used; keeping all control measures in good working order; providing information, instruction and training for employees and others; providing monitoring and health surveillance in appropriate cases; planning for emergencies. The 2002 regulations replace earlier COSHH regulations (1988, 1994, 1999), and set down a framework intended to protect the health of anybody likely to come into contact with hazardous substances during the course of their work. The Regulations set out essential measures that employers (and sometimes employees) have to take. Failure to comply with COSHH, in addition to exposing employees to risk, constitutes and offence and is subject to penalties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. `
RIDDOR – Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations Act
RIDDOR came into force on 1st of April is designed for an employer, someone who is self-employed, or someone who is in control of work premises, all of these people will have duties towards RIDDOR. The regulations require them to report some work-related accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences; these regulations apply to all work activities.
Reporting accidents helps all the companies/work environments become a safer place as then the health and safety executive can see is there is any way to reduce or eliminate the risk, and investigate where there have been serious accidents. The health and safety executive also give help and advice on how to reduce other risks, to avoid injury, ill health, and accidental loss.
Food Safety Act

The Health and Safety at Work Act