Welcome to the area dedicated to issues that apply to the Care Home Sector. Here you will also find general health and safety guidance in the 'A-Z'.  This information is relevant to all industry groups regardless of activity.  Not only will you have employees to take care of, but members of the public who frequent your premises making use of your services as well as contractors and visitors.

The primary concern of any registered manager must be the health and welfare of residents and staff. Poor standards of workplace health and safety often cause pain and suffering to not only the people you care for, but for the staff.

By not implementing sound management procedures managers may be in breach of their statutory obligations and most certainly would not be caring for people in their homes.

Care homes differ from other workplaces because they are not only a place of work but they are also 'a home'. Whilst meeting legal duties and providing a safe and health environment, they need to be maintained as a pleasant place to live.

Unfortunately we live in a society where more and more people are seeking redress through the courts for negligence, malpractice and injury claims.  You need to beware that any injury to a resident or member of staff may well lead to a claim for damages or a prosecution by a regulatory body.

Management and Proprietors must develop an internal structure that supports and encourages risk control. Staff must be consulted and you must prove that the prevention of injury and ill health is based on the identification of hazards and the control of risks.

HSE does not, in general, investigate matters of clinical judgement or matters related to the quality of care. HSE leads on employee health and safety and may also deal with non-clinical risks to patients such as trips and falls, scalding, electrical safety etc; and with some aspects of risks that apply to both staff and patients alike, such as manual handling.

The health services sector includes the following activities and the HSE is the enforcing authority for most:

•  NHS public hospital and ambulance trusts;
•  private hospitals;
•  nursing homes;
•  care homes (residential homes are enforced by the Local Authority)
•  medical practices (e.g. doctors and dentists); and
• other human health activities, such as blood banks, medical laboratories, etc.

The main causes of injury (resulting in over 3-day absences) in the health service industry continue to be:

• manual handling/musculoskeletal injury
•  slips and trips
•  assault / violence
• struck by something (e.g. sharp knives or falling objects)

The main causes of occupational ill health continue to be:

• musculoskeletal injuries
• work related stress
•  dermatitis

Management of a home must lead by example and there must be clearly defined responsibilities for every stage of the health and safety process.  Our service has been developed to provide a proactive service for Health Care Operators and Managers that will enable you to comply with the requirements of Health and Safety Legislation and Regulations.

Should you have any specific queries you can always 'Ask the Expert'.