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In health and social care settings, the responsibilities for health and safety are shared among employers, employees, and visitors:

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Responsibilities

Employers:

Providing a safe working environment, including appropriate equipment and training.

Developing and implementing health and safety policies and procedures.

Conducting risk assessments and taking measures to minimize risks.

Ensuring compliance with relevant health and safety regulations and standards.

Providing adequate supervision and support to employees.

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Responsibilities

Employees:

Following health and safety policies and procedures.

Reporting any hazards, accidents, or near misses to their employer.

Using equipment and resources safely and as instructed.

Participating in health and safety training and awareness programs.

Taking reasonable care of their own health and safety, as well as that of others.

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Responsibilities

Other visitors:

Following health and safety instructions provided by the employer or their representative.

Being aware of potential hazards and risks in the environment.

Using any provided protective equipment or safety measures.

Reporting any concerns or incidents to the appropriate personnel.

Respecting the health and safety policies and procedures of the facility they are visiting.

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In a health or social care setting, a collective effort is required from all parties – employers, employees, and others – to ensure the highest standards of health and safety are maintained to protect the well-being of everyone involved.

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Health and Safety - Skills for Care

Skills for Care
https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk › Standard-13

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Employers have responsibilities for the health and safety of their employees and any visitors to their premises such as customers, suppliers and the general public. As well as these duties, there are regulations to deal with particular hazards and for industries where hazards are particularly high.

Health and safety regulations

The Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 is the primary piece of legislation covering work-related health and safety in Northern Ireland. It sets out a lot of your employer's responsibilities for your health and safety at work.

Additionally, specific regulations cover particular areas, including lead, asbestos, chemicals, construction work, and gas safety. Visit the HSENI website for the many ways in which they can help you with these particular issues.

The Health and Safety Executive is responsible for enforcing health and safety at work.

Risk assessments

Your employer has a 'duty of care' to make sure, as far as possible, your health, safety and welfare while you're at work. They should start with a risk assessment to spot possible health and safety hazards.

They have to appoint a 'competent person' with health and safety responsibilities usually one of the owners in smaller firms, or a member of staff trained in health and safety.

Businesses employing five or more people

For businesses employing five or more people, there must also be:

an official record of what the assessment finds (your employer has to put plans in place to deal with the risks)

a formal health and safety policy which includes arrangements to protect your health and safety (you should be told what these are)

Your employer's duty of care in practice

All employers, whatever the size of the business, must:

make the workplace safe

prevent risks to health

make sure that plant and machinery is safe to use

make sure safe working practices are set up and followed

make sure that all materials are handled, stored and used safely

provide adequate first aid facilities

tell you about any potential hazards from the work you do - chemicals and other substances used by the firm - and give you information, instructions, training and supervision as needed

set up emergency plans

make sure that ventilation, temperature, lighting, toilet, washing and rest facilities all meet health, safety and welfare requirements

check that the right work equipment is provided and is properly used and regularly maintained

prevent or control exposure to substances that may damage your health

take precautions against the risks caused by flammable or explosive hazards, electrical equipment, noise and radiation

avoid potentially dangerous work involving manual handling (and if it can't be avoided, take precautions to reduce the risk of injury)

provide health supervision as needed

provide protective clothing or equipment free of charge (if risks can't be removed or adequately controlled by any other means)

make sure that the right warning signs are provided and looked after

report certain accidents, injuries, diseases and dangerous occurrences to either the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland or the local authority, depending on the type of business

Frequently Asked Questions (Health and Safety Executive website)

Safe manual work

Workplace health - a guide from Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland

Making the workplace safe and healthy

So that the work premises provide a safe and healthy place to work, your employer should:

make sure that are properly ventilated, with clean and fresh air

keep temperatures at a comfortable level (a minimum of 13 degrees Centigrade where the work involves physical activity; 16 degrees Centigrade for 'stinter' like offices - there's no maximum limit

light premises so that employees can work and move about safely

keep the workplace and equipment clean

make sure that areas are big enough to allow easy movement (at least 11 cubic metres per person)

provide workstations to suit the employees and the work

keep the equipment in good working order

make floors, walkways, stairs, roadways safe to use

protect people from falling from height or into dangerous substances

store things so they're unlikely to fall and cause injuries

fit openable windows, doors and gates with safety devices if needed

provide suitable washing facilities and clean drinking water

if necessary, provide somewhere for employees to get changed and to store their own clothes

set aside areas for rest breaks and to eat meals, including suitable facilities for pregnant women and nursing mothers

let employees take appropriate rest breaks and the right holiday entitlement

make sure that employees who work alone, or off-site, can do so safely and healthily

Working alone PDF (169KB) (HSENI website)

Workplace health, safety and welfare PDF (107.06KB) (HSENI website)

Rest breaks

Holiday entitlements

Reporting injuries, diseases and dangerous occurences

There is a legal obligation to report certain types of incident in the workplace to the relevant authorities.

Employers, self-employed people, and people in control of premises have a legal duty to report the following:

Reporting an accident

To report injuries, near misses, fires or explosions which have occurred as a result of work on or near to electrical systems by others, or incidents arising from leisure and other non-work activities close to electrical plant, or from equipment failure, use the form below:

Carriage of explosives

The transport of explosives is covered by international agreements and European directives.

All businesses and individuals must make sure they are fully informed of the correct way to transport explosives to meet safety standards and reduce the risk of incident.

This document should be read with:

What to do next

You also have responsibilities for your own health and safety at work. You can refuse to do something that isn't safe without being threatened with disciplinary action. If you think your employer isn't meeting their responsibilities, talk to them first. Your safety representative or a trade union official may be able to help you with this.

As a last resort, you may need to report your employer to the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland or to the environmental health department of your local authority.

If you are dismissed for refusing to undertake an unsafe working practice, you may have a right to claim unfair dismissal at an Employment Tribunal.

Where to get help

The Labour Relations Agency (LRA) and Advice NI offer free, confidential and impartial advice on all employment rights issues for residents of Northern Ireland.

More useful links

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Employers' health and safety responsibilities

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Employers have responsibilities for the health and safety of their employees and any visitors to their premises such as customers, suppliers and the general public. As well as these duties, there are regulations to deal with particular hazards and for industries where hazards are particularly high.