Slip and fall hazard may caused the wet floors
Answer to question 1
I have conducted a survey at my workplace maned Lady’s Hospice and Care Services to observe the working environment. The aim of the survey is to find if it is a safe, healthy, secured and fulfilling place to work. A visual survey was conducted to locate and record the safety signs in the workplace. The objective of the survey is to observe and list different types of signs, location, their prominence and the message they portray. The safety signs wil be reviewed and coded. The rationale for the survey was everyday challenges presented to the hospice care to the quality and the safety of dying experience. Prior to conducting the survey, a written consent was taken from the administrators of the hospice care. The purpose of the survey was clearly stated and was assured that it is solely for an academic purpose (Steege et al., 2014). For the survey, a notepad was used to list the necessary observations and camera was carried with permission.
Physical hazards- are caused by biological and chemical factors. It includes toxic, corrosive, reactive flammable gases, blood borne pathogens. It also includes mechanical hazards that may cause electrical hazards, noise and violence. Slip and fall hazard may be caused by the wet floors, bad lighting and improper use of the floor mats and the runners. It may increase the risk of patient falls and mortality (Steege et al., 2014).
To avoid the physical hazards, the heath care assistants must regularly monitor and maintain the floors, immediately report any spills or leakages, wear the right shoes, store cylinders upright, and store only approved flammables in closed containers. The health care workers must use proper protective equipment wherever necessary. Other precaution may include- maintenance of the electrical equipment as per the company standards and the manufacturer’s instructions; regular inspection of the cords, tools, grounds, and accessories. The health care workers must take precautions while entering the restricted radiation areas (Achour et al., 2014).
Answer to question 4
Every year around two hundred people are killed due to workplace accidents and more than million cases of injury are reported. It is not good odds and prevention of the worker’s ill health and accident is the key priority. Therefore, health safety education for employees is important as it will ensure that the employees are not injured by the work they perform. Knowledge and awareness caused by the safety education assist in development of the positive health and safety culture. Such a culture will lead to “safe & healthy working” a second nature the employees. Safety education thus aids the employees to become more competent and avoid the distress caused by ill health and accidents. Safety education is important because insurance does not cover all the losses. It is important to prevent the loss of work days and the shortage of the workers (Momani & Mumani, 2017).
The employees need to be educated about the highest safety standards and how they must work to maintain compliance of the standards- it will promote the work efficiency of the employees and equipment proficiency.
Employees to be educated about the nature of various chemicals and risk associated with the restricted areas such as maintenance workshops, warehouses, medications, areas of radiation, and kitchens.
Individual worker factors- are related to the personal resources and the cognitive skills. It includes the situational awareness of each employee in the health care system, which aid in decision making. Stress and fatigue are other factors determining the safe work environment. Employees with job burnout are highly vulnerable to the potential risks and the hazards at workplace (Steege et al., 2014).
Assignment 2
| Hazards in the workplace | Appropriate control measures |
|---|---|
| Noise and sound | · Organization must specify the exposure action values and the limit values- for instance, a daily lower exposure value of 80dB and upper exposure action value at 85 dB. It must be regulated these values should not be exceeded · Educate the employees about risks and risk reduction and way to obtain protection |
| Stress | · Engage in stress reducing activities such as exercises, yoga, meditation, fun activities, get together with friends · Healthy eating an sleep cycle- eating well balanced diet and meeting the nutrient requirements of the body is helpful in preventing stress and weakness. Sufficient sleep keeps mind and body clam by preserving energy |
| Diet exercise and lifestyle | · Engagement in physical activity to maintain healthy weight and maintain muscle strength · Take out time for Social connectedness- efficient management of shift schedules and allocation of time for other activities will improve lifestyle by improving the physical and mental well being |
| Dangerous chemicals, fumes and dust | · Labelling and storing of harmful chemicals in appropriate places- labelling the risk of the chemicals · Monitoring and removal of harmful chemical that have expired date and those that are not labelled and damaged containers |
| Manual handling | · To avoid Hazardous manual handling operations of harmful substances · Organisation must set guidelines for weight that can be lifted and lowered by the staff |
The main causes of stress among the health care workers is the musculoskeletal disorders due to manual handling of patients, manual lifting of patients, long standing hour, injury due to needle stick, long shift hours, huge pressure due to understaffing, sprains, strains, slipped discs, blood borne infectious diseases, frequent infections, and head injuries. Stress is also caused by lack of job satisfaction and motivation (Schaufeli & Salanova, 2014).
The common signs and symptoms of the caregiver stress are-anxiety, depression, negligence of responsibilities, worsening health problems, feeling fatigue, lack of sleep, cutting back on leisure activities, difficulty concentrating, overeating or drinking and increase in irritability (Laschinger & Fida, 2014).
Organisation must implement flexible shift times and work schedules to allow stress free work for nurses and the caregivers- Flexibility will allow the nurses to take out time for relaxation.
Organisation can prevent stress among the employees by giving rewards and recognition (both monetary and non monetary incentives)- it will increase job satisfaction and reduce stress
Chartier, Y. (Ed.). (2014). Safe management of wastes from health-care activities. World Health Organization.
Cicolini, G., Comparcini, D., & Simonetti, V. (2014). Workplace empowerment and nurses' job satisfaction: A systematic literature review. Journal of Nursing Management, 22(7), 855-871.
Momani, A., & Mumani, A. (2017). Improving Employees' Safety Awareness in Healthcare Organizations Using the DMAIC Quality Improvement Approach. Journal for Healthcare Quality, 39(1), 54-63.
Ndejjo, R., Musinguzi, G., Yu, X., Buregyeya, E., Musoke, D., Wang, J. S., ... & Ssempebwa, J. (2015). Occupational health hazards among healthcare workers in Kampala, Uganda. Journal of environmental and public health, 2015.