Health and Safety

Reporting Accidents, Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences

You are responsible for reporting any accident or dangerous occurrence immediately to your Manager.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have documented any injury you have sustained in the Accident Book held in the Branch Office. If you are unfit for duty due to an accident at work you must inform your Manager.

Electrical Equipment

It is your responsibility to ensure you use a circuit breaker whilst working in a service user’s own home. Your Manager, on payment of a returnable deposit, may supply circuit breakers.

Before using any electrical equipment, make sure you check the following:

• The casing of the appliance should be in a reasonable condition i.e. not badly damaged. Be aware that it could be damaged internally
• The cable should be held firmly into the plug with no wires exposed. The plug itself should be in a reasonable condition, not scorched or broken
• The whole length of the cable leading from the appliance to the plug should be in good condition, not frayed, broken, cracked or taped up
• The cable should be held firmly and securely into the appliance itself, with no coloured wires visible at the point of entry
• The coloured wires inside should not be visible anywhere along the cable
• The on/off switch should work properly and not be damaged or loose.

Do not use any electrical appliance that has a defect. Inform your Branch Manager if caring for a service user at home. Put a DO NOT USE note on the appliance and date it. Inform colleagues and the service user that the appliance appears unsafe.

Do not handle electrical equipment with wet hands.

Do not rely on surgical rubber gloves to insulate your hands.

Do not attempt to repair a blown main fuse. Never make any repairs or carry out maintenance work of any description.

DO NOT TOUCH ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN ELECTROCUTED until you have isolated the electricity supply (turn off at the mains). Call the emergency services.