Hazard identification and risk management: health (Scotland)

This item is part of Risk assessment and hazard management

Updating author: Julie Steele

Summary

  • Guidance is available on managing occupational health and safety within NHS Scotland, including an Occupational Health and Safety Strategic Framework for NHS Scotland. (See Occupational health and safety)
  • Guidance on risk assessment is available. (See Managing risk)
  • Guidance on managing the risk of slips, trips and falls is available. (See Slips, trips and falls)
  • The Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives provides advice on manual handling. (See Manual handling)
  • Several pieces of guidance on blood-borne viruses have been published. (See Blood-borne viruses)
  • A number of resources offering guidance on preventing violence against NHS staff are available. (See Violence)
  • Information on managing latex allergies is available. (See Latex)

Future developments

There is a proposal to develop an Occupational Health and Safety Strategic Forum for NHS Scotland, which will seek to develop a new occupational health and safety strategy for NHS Scotland.

Occupational health and safety

The Occupational Health and Safety Strategic Framework for NHS Scotland sets out the approach to occupational health expected of NHS Scotland boards.

In addition, a Partnership Information Network guideline has been published on managing health at work, which includes sections on issues that affect the health and safety of staff in their everyday work.

Occupational Health and Safety Extra is an approach to tackling long-term sickness absence within NHS Scotland. It provides rapid access to a service comprising physiotherapy, occupational therapy and mental health assistance. A trained case manager acts as a gateway to these services by using specific assessment protocols to identify those who would benefit from intervention and remain at, or return earlier to, work. The case manager facilitates the access services, liaising with the service providers and the line manager to allow for a return to work at the earliest opportunity.

More information on occupational health and safety

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Managing risk

The National Standards for Clinical Governance and Risk Management are available on the Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) website. The 2005 Standards are the culmination of a project carried out by the then NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, which explored risk management practice across NHS Scotland, to identify and examine variations in practice and to consider how these issues could be addressed. A report presenting the findings of the project was published in August 2004.

More information on managing risk

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Slips, trips and falls

The Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives provides advice on managing slips, trips and falls in the workplace, covering:

  • the costs of slips, trips and falls at work;
  • the main causes of slips, trips and falls;
  • legal duties and obligations to prevent falls;
  • assessing the risks of slips, trips and falls; and
  • reducing the risks of slips, trips and falls.

The Health and Safety Executive has also produced guidance on slips, trips and falls for the health service. It describes the commonest causes of slips and trips, and gives advice on how the risks may be avoided or reduced.

More information on slips, trips and falls

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Manual handling

The Scottish Manual Handling Passport Scheme was introduced in August 2014 for use by NHS Scotland employers and local authorities. This supersedes the previous NHS Manual Handling Passport and Information Scheme (CEL 14(2011)), and extends the standards of good practice to local authorities.

The Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives provides advice on manual handling, covering:

  • the risks of manual handling;
  • legal duties and obligations regarding manual handling;
  • assessing manual handling risks;
  • guideline weights for lifting and lowering;
  • controlling risks from manual handling;
  • basic principles of manual handling;
  • lifting and handling in teams; and
  • handling aids.

The Partnership Information Network guideline on managing health at work includes a section on promoting safe manual handling.

More information on manual handling

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Blood-borne viruses

The Department of Health has published a wealth of guidance on measures to protect healthcare workers against occupational infection with blood-borne viruses. Guidance is also available on managing infected workers.

The Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives provides guidance on managing blood-borne viruses, such as hepatitis B and C, and HIV/AIDS, covering:

  • who is most at risk from blood-borne viruses;
  • legal duties and obligations relating to blood-borne viruses;
  • reducing risks from blood-borne viruses;
  • employment issues regarding blood-borne viruses;
  • discrimination and blood-borne viruses;
  • combating discrimination and raising awareness; and
  • developing a workplace policy on blood-borne viruses.

Health and safety guidance published by NHS Employers contains information on dealing with and preventing blood-borne viruses, and needlestick management.

The Partnership Information Network guideline on managing health at work includes a section on blood-borne viruses.

More information on blood-borne viruses

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Violence

Section six of the Partnership Information Network guideline on managing health at work deals with violence and aggression at work. There is a separate PIN policy on gender-based violence.

The Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005 provides protection from being assaulted, obstructed or hindered for doctors, nurses, midwives and ambulance workers.

More information on violence

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Latex

The Health and Safety Executive website has a zone on latex allergies, containing information for the health care areas of:

  • GP practice;
  • primary care;
  • residential care;
  • accident/emergency;
  • ambulance services;
  • occupational health;
  • dental practices;
  • outpatients;
  • operating theatres;
  • hospital wards;
  • laboratories;
  • catering; and
  • housekeeping.

The appendix to the Partnership Information Network guideline on managing health at work covers issues surrounding glove selection that arise because of latex allergies.

More information on latex

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Key references

Legislation

Emergency Workers (Scotland) Act 2005