Unit 4: Staying Safe and Healthy - My Notes
This unit is all about how we can stay safe and healthy, especially in places like hospitals. It's
important to know how to keep ourselves and others out of harm's way!
Introduction: Why is Safety Important?
● Work and Health: The places where grown-ups work can affect how they feel, both in
their body and mind. Sometimes it can cause stress.
● Helping Workers: "Occupational health" is a special way to help workers stay healthy
and happy.
● Dangers (Hazards): A "hazard" is anything that can be a danger or a risk to people or
the environment.
○ Types of Dangers: These can be things you can touch (physical), chemicals, tiny
germs (biological), or even things that make you feel worried (psychosocial).
○ Hospital Dangers: In hospitals, big dangers can be things like too much heat or
bright light, loud noises, special rays (radiation), harmful chemicals, sickness from
germs, or feeling stressed.
● Health Help: Big groups like the World Health Organization (WHO) say that places with
many workers should have special health services to keep everyone well and ready for
emergencies.
Session 1: Keeping Workplaces Safe
To make sure a workplace is safe for everyone, especially in hospitals, here are some
important things to do:
● Know the Rules: Always know and follow your workplace's safety rules.
● Check Before You Start:
○ Look for any risks or dangers.
○ Make sure all equipment is safe.
○ Try to remove anything that could cause harm.
● Care for Patients: Always think about what patients need and want, and make sure
everyone (patients, staff, visitors) is safe.
● Do Your Job Safely: Work within what you are allowed to do and your safety duties.
● Ask for Help: If you have a safety problem, ask your supervisor for help.
● Report Dangers: Tell your superiors about any health or safety issues, following the
rules.
How to Prevent Dangers at Work:
To keep everyone safe, try to:
● Stay Clean: Make sure your own health and hygiene don't put others at risk (like washing
hands!).
● Act Fast in Accidents: Know what to do if someone gets hurt.
● Watch for Crowds: Check if there are too many people in one place.
● Be Careful with Dangerous Work: Follow special rules when doing risky jobs.
● Lift Safely: Use the right ways to move heavy things so you don't get hurt.
● Follow Hygiene Rules: Keep things clean.
● Wear Protective Gear: Use special clothes to stay safe in emergencies.
● Store Things Safely: Keep equipment and materials in safe places, and know how to
clean up spills and throw away trash.
● Emergency Actions: Act quickly in emergencies like:
○ Fire
○ Security problems
○ Accidents
● Help Until Help Arrives: Use your skills to help until someone more qualified takes over.
● Get Help: Always call for the right kind of help.
● Support Others: Help patients and their families who might be scared or affected.
● Write it Down: Always record and report any accidents or emergencies accurately.
Hospital Electrical Safety Rules
Electricity can be dangerous if not used correctly!
● Right Use: Only use electrical equipment for what it's made for.
● Keep Away from Water: Never put TVs or other electrical things near bathtubs or sinks.
Water and electricity don't mix!
● Check Appliances: Always check small electrical things before using them to make sure
they work safely. Make sure they are checked regularly.
● Pull the Plug, Not the Cord: Always pull the plug itself, not the cord, when unplugging
something.
● Don't Overload: Don't plug too many things into one electrical outlet.
● No Faulty Equipment: Never use broken equipment. If something overheats, shocks you,
or smells funny, unplug it and tell maintenance staff.
Hospital Fire Safety Rules
Fires can be very dangerous, especially in hospitals. Always follow these rules:
● Practice Drills: Hospitals must have regular fire drills so everyone knows what to do if
there's a fire.
● Training: Hospital staff (like a General Duty Assistant) must learn about:
○ How to stop fires from starting.
○ Where fire alarms are and how to use them.
○ Where fire extinguishers are and how to use them.
○ Where the emergency exits are.
○ How to help people get out safely.
● Oxygen Safety: Oxygen helps things burn!
○ Look for signs that say "Oxygen in use."
○ If a patient is using oxygen, make sure no one smokes nearby.
● What to Do in a Fire:
○ Sound the Alarm! Activate the fire alarm right away.
○ Turn Things Off: Turn off oxygen, lights, and all electrical equipment near the fire.
○ Get Patients Out: Help patients who are in danger to evacuate.
○ Signs: Make sure signs for "switchboards" and fire extinguishers are easy to see.
○ Close Doors/Windows: Close them to stop air from feeding the fire.
○ Use Extinguisher: If you know how, use a fire extinguisher to put out small fires.
○ Back to Rooms: Ask patients who are not in danger to return to their rooms.
Patient Care Environment Safety Rules
Keeping patients safe is super important!
● Who is at Risk? Some patients are more likely to get hurt:
○ Elderly or mentally ill patients.
○ Patients who can't see or hear well.
○ Patients who have trouble moving (in wheelchairs, using walkers, or partly paralyzed).
○ Patients who have fallen before or have substance abuse history.
○ Patients taking medicines that affect their balance.
● Protect Them: Always protect these patients from injuries.
● Preventing Falls:
○ Lower beds to the lowest position.
○ Keep bedside railings up when you're not actively helping the patient.
○ Advise patients to wear flat, low-heeled shoes when walking.
○ Put non-skid mats or strips near bathtubs and showers.
○ Make sure bathtubs have strong handrails.
○ Warn patients and visitors if floors are wet or slippery.
○ Put up signs when housekeeping is cleaning.
● Preventing Burns:
○ Place hot drinks (coffee, tea) where patients can reach them easily and safely.
○ Be very careful with hot water bags or heating pads; some hospitals don't even allow
them because of burn risks.
● Preventing Infections (Stopping Germs!):
○ Hospitals have rules to stop infections, often following advice from experts like the
CDC.
○ Stopping diseases from germs is a top priority in hospitals.
○ A "General Duty Assistant" must use special cleaning ways (disinfection and
sterilization) to stop tiny germs from spreading and growing.
○ Two Ways to Fight Germs:
■ Surgical Asepsis (Sterilization): This means getting rid of all microorganisms. Think
of it like a super-deep clean, such as washing hands with special germ-killing
soap before surgery.
■ Medical Asepsis: This means reducing the number of germs and stopping them
from growing, especially bad ones that cause sickness. This involves using
anti-germ agents, regular hand washing, and cleaning equipment.
Check Your Progress!
Now, let's see what you remember!
A. Multiple Choice Questions
1. The major emergencies in hospitals are usually due to fire, security problems and:
(a) road accidents
(b) drowning
(c) electrical shock
(d) None of the above
2. A General Duty Assistant must be:
(a) electrician
(b) emergency exits
(c) trees
(d) (This question seems incomplete in the original text, but the context implies knowing
about safety procedures)
B. Short Answer Questions
1. List the fire safety measures to be followed in hospitals.
2. Describe the environment safety measures that need to be adopted for patient care.
3. List the electrical safety measures to be followed in hospitals.
