Social assistance services

Hazards and Solutions

1. Hazard 1 Cleaning and homecare

   • Apply good housekeeping practices (eg remove clutter and provide sufficient storage).
   • Provide appropriate equipment (eg light, adjustable, easy to use and maintain, and suited to the person).
   • Ensure beds have castors with brakes and can be accessed on both sides.
   • Provide adequate people for the task (eg when turning mattresses use mechanical aids or team lifting).
   • Ensure employees are not exposed to repetitive tasks for long periods or tasks that require a significant amount of high force.
   • Ensure cleaning products are stored appropriately and have material safety data sheets where required.
2. Hazard 2 Lifting and assisting clients

   • Eliminate manual lifting of patients, except in life-threatening situations.
   • Encourage patients to assist in their own transfers.
   • Provide appropriate mechanical aids and equipment (eg overhead tracking, hoists, mobile hoists, wheeled equipment, slide sheets), and ensure they are used properly and maintained in accordance with manufacturer specifications.
   • Develop a patient care plan that includes information about recommended mechanical aids and equipment, plus safe handling methods (including how many people should assist with transfer). Review the plan regularly.
   • Train employees on safe handling methods (eg work is done between shoulder and mid-thigh height and with the elbows close to the body) and how to safely use any mechanical aids and equipment.
3. Hazard 3 Office ergonomics

   • Ensure workstations are adjustable (eg height-adjustable chairs, height-adjustable monitors).
   • Ensure there is adequate lighting at desks, and sufficient foot space.
   • Organise ergonomic assessments for employees to ensure that workstations are set up correctly.
   • Provide headsets for phones to eliminate sustained awkward postures.
   • Train employees on office ergonomics.
   • When employees are doing similar work for long periods, implement task variety so they can adopt different work postures.
   • Provide opportunities for employees to take regular breaks.
   • Ensure home offices and off-site work areas also incorporate these considerations.
4. Hazard 4 Slips trips and falls

   • Keep rooms tidy and remove unnecessary items and clutter (eg by providing sufficient storage and ensuring things are put away).
   • Ensure floor or ground surfaces in work areas, car parks and entrances are clean, well lit, and clear of obstacles and in good condition.
   • Ensure that floors throughout work areas are level.
   • Ensure all steps and stairs have appropriate handrails.
   • Ensure ladders used are designed for moving between levels using three points of contact at all times.
   • Develop policies on how to safely carry objects (eg no unstable or unbalanced loads), particularly on stairs.
   • Provide height access equipment (eg mobile steps with handrails) for reaching objects or performing work above shoulder height.
5. Hazard 5 Work-related stress bullying and harassment

   • Develop and implement appropriate policies and procedures for workplace bullying and harassment.
   • Encourage a positive workplace culture, including reporting of bullying and harassment.
   • Ensure all employees understand what bullying and harassment is, and the procedures for reporting incidents (eg policies and procedures should be promoted during employee induction and workplace bullying prevention or training).
   • Provide access and encourage employees to use employee counselling / support services, where possible.
   • Encourage employees to report any workplace stress factors (eg work demand, low control, poor support, lack of role clarity, organisational culture) and control appropriately.
6. Hazard 6 Work-related violence

   • Develop and implement appropriate policies and procedures (eg exchange of information between shifts and offices, incident notification).
   • Encourage employees to report all incidents and provide appropriate incident response and feedback.
   • Provide appropriate personal protection, including methods to obtain assistance (eg duress alarms, mobile phones).
   • Ensure appropriate security measures are in place (eg toughened glass, no blind spots, access / egress control, barriers).
   • Provide security and/or call police to assist with occupational violence, when required.