Risk Assessment and Management in the Home
Published: 07 September 2023
Published: 07 September 2023
Most injuries are preventable, but despite this, there were 538,000 injury hospitalisations in Australia in 2021-22 (AIHW 2023).
Alarmingly, the most likely location for accidents resulting in injury to occur is in the home (RoSPA 2015).
As a home care worker, you must be vigilant when working in client residences in order to minimise the risk of injury or harm to yourself and others. Consider that:
(Skatssoon 2019; PropertySafe 2017; Liotta 2019)
An essential component of home care is conducting risk assessments. You must know how to identify potential hazards, assess the risks they pose and implement appropriate control measures (Workplace Health and Safety Queensland 2018).
This will help ensure that you, your clients, your clients’ carers and other workers are safe in home environments (Workplace Health and Safety Queensland 2018).
Risk management is the process of identifying, assessing and controlling risks. It should be a proactive, planned and systematic process that addresses all potential hazards and risks in the workplace. Risk assessment is not a once-off task; it should be an ongoing process that responds to changes in the workplace and allows for continuous improvement. It should also be performed before undertaking any hazardous work activities (Safe Work Australia 2018).
There are four steps in the risk management process:
(Safe Work Australia 2018)
Risk management should be conducted together with the client, and any control measures should be implemented as part of their care or service plan (Workplace Health and Safety Queensland 2018).
Hazards are any objects or situations that have the potential to cause harm. In home care settings, hazards might arise from the client’s physical home environment; the equipment, materials and substances being used; or the work activities you are performing. Some hazards may be an inevitable part of your work, but others may be the result of accidents or failures (Safe Work Australia 2018).
The following table outlines some examples of hazards you might encounter in home care settings:
Type of Hazard | Examples | Potential harm |
---|---|---|
Gravity (hazards that cause a person to fall or have something fall onto them) |
|
|
Chemical and biological |
|
|
Energy sources |
|
|
Extreme temperatures |
|
|
Machinery and equipment |
|
|
(WorkSafe Victoria 2017; Safe Work Australia 2018; Workplace Health and Safety Queensland 2018)
Once a hazard has been identified, the next step is to conduct a risk assessment. This will help you to determine the overall severity of the risk, whether existing control measures are effective, whether you need to take any further action, and how urgently further actions should be taken (Safe Work Australia 2018).
Note: If the particular risk is already well-known, with established control measures, a formal risk assessment may not be necessary (Safe Work Australia 2018).
Ask the following three questions:
(WorkSafe Victoria 2017)
The hierarchy of control measures lists different types of control measures from most to least reliable. You should always aim for elimination, as it offers the highest level of protection and is most effective in reducing the risk of harm. However, if elimination is not feasible, you should work your way down the hierarchy until you find the next best option (Safe Work Australia 2018).
Keep in mind that the lower levels of the hierarchy are less effective because without eliminating the hazard, there is no way to completely eliminate the risk. Even if you are able to minimise the risk, it will still exist in some capacity (Safe Work Australia 2018).
As a general rule:
(WorkSafe Victoria 2017)
Elimination involves completely removing the hazard and its associated risks.
This can be achieved through:
(Safe Work Australia 2018)
The next best option is to either:
(Safe Work Australia 2018)
Administrative controls are work methods or procedures that aim to minimise exposure to the hazard and provide appropriate information, training and instruction to staff. Examples include implementing new policies or using signs to warn people about a hazard (Safe Work Australia 2018).
PPE should be used to reduce any remaining risks. It must be used and worn correctly in order to be effective (Safe Work Australia 2018).
The final stage of the risk management process is to regularly check that control measures are working effectively. Control measures should be reviewed:
(Safe Work Australia 2018)
Scenario: You are a home carer for Greta, a 78-year-old woman who lives alone. During one of your visits, you notice that the shower in Greta’s bathroom is leaking, causing the bathroom floor to become wet and slippery.
In this case, the hazard has been identified as the shower leak.
In order to assess the risk, you now need to ask the following questions:
How severe would the potential harm be? |
|
How could harm occur? |
|
What is the likelihood of harm occurring? |
|
Elimination | This is not possible, as Greta needs a shower in her home. |
|
|
Administrative Controls | You could put a wet floor sign in Greta’s bathroom whenever you notice that the shower has leaked. |
PPE | Greta could wear slip-resistant footwear in the bathroom. |
The best option here appears to be substituting the hazard with a safer alternative by having the shower repaired. While the shower cannot be eliminated completely, fixing it will hopefully ensure that there is no more water leakage onto the floor.
Once the shower has been repaired, you should check the bathroom floor during your visits to ensure that there is no more leakage.
Question 1 of 3
You are visiting a client, Frank. You notice that he is leaving shoes at the front entrance, which could cause someone to slip. What would be the best and most appropriate control measure for managing this hazard?