Health and Safety in the Workplace

Understand roles and responsibilities for health, safety and welfare in the workplace.

Learners need to show they understand that employers and employees share responsibility for the safety of everyone in the workplace. 

Employer responsibilities may include:

• providing a safe and secure working environment
• providing safe access in the workplace
• providing information on how to maintain a safe and secure environment
• keeping records about safety issues.

Employee responsibilities may include:

• following procedures e.g. wearing appropriate PPE
• reporting safety issues to the appropriate person
• taking responsibility for own actions 
• undertaking risk assessments.

Consequences of non-compliance may include:

• serious injury
• dismissal
• workplace paying fines or closure.

Employers must provide health and safety training for employees e.g. fire safety, lifting and handling, procedures e.g. infection control.

Ways to communicate health and safety information may include:

• on-line training 
• leaflets, posters
• face-to-face training sessions.

Assessment Criteria

• 1.1
  Outline employers’ and employees’ duties in relation to health, safety and welfare at work.
  
• 1.2
  Outline the consequences of non-compliance with health and safety legislation.
  
• 1.3
  Outline the requirements for training and competence in the workplace.
• 1.4
  Outline the ways in which health and safety information can be communicated.

Understand how risk assessments contribute to health and safety.

Employers are required to assess any risks that are associated with the workplace and work activities. Learners should be able to give an outline of the risk assessment process described by the Health and Safety Executive.

Reasons of how risk assessment can be used to reduce accidents and ill health at work may include:

• identification of potential hazards
• take precautions to avoid accidents
• anticipate potential problems
• helps to inform planning.

Assessment Criteria

• 2.1
  Outline the process for carrying out a risk assessment.
  
• 2.2
  Explain how risk assessment can be used to reduce accidents and ill health at work.

Understand how to identify and control the risks from common workplace hazards.

Learners may find it useful to answer 3.1 and 3.2 as one assessment. For example, they may identify washing the floor after a spillage as being a potential hazard. They can then explain that a person may slip on the floor however the work place process is to place a sign at the wet floor and leave it until the floor is dry.

Different approaches to minimise or eliminate workplace hazards may include:

• introduce new process and procedures
• remove potential hazards altogether e.g. new way of working, different equipment
• ask colleagues for recommendations
• visit similar workplaces to learn new ways of working.

Assessment Criteria

• 3.1
  Describe common hazards in the workplace.
  
• 3.2
  Explain how hazards can cause harm or damage to people, work processes, the workplace and the environment.
• 3.3
  Describe different approaches to minimise or eliminate workplace hazards.

Know the procedures for responding to accidents and incidents in the workplace.

Responses may include:

• completing relevant forms
• recording the incident
• employers may need to contact regulatory authorities.

Arrangements that should be in place in the workplace may include:

• named first aider who has current and valid training
• fire officer with relevant training
• functional first aid kit
• recording documentation
• confidential health information about clients e.g. allergies, history of seizures
• first aid or rest room if possible.

Importance of recording incidents, accidents and ill health may include:

• provides a history of incidents that may need to be acted upon
• legal implications
• information for others e.g. medical teams, Health and Safety Executive.

Assessment Criteria

• 4.1
  Identify the actions that might need to be taken following an accident or incident in the workplace.
  
• 4.2
  Outline the arrangements that should be in place in a workplace for emergencies and first aid.
  
• 4.3
  Explain why it is important to record all incidents, accidents and ill health.