Managing Safety and Health in Healthcare

In recent years there have been increased demands on all healthcare organisations to demonstrate excellence in governance. These demands have come from a range of sources including service users, taxpayers and public representatives and the healthcare sector is endeavouring to respond to these increased demands.

The Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires employers to manage safety and health at work.

Evidence shows that the more committed leaders and senior management are to safety, health and welfare enhancement, the greater is the level of commitment of the workforce. This in turn promotes the prevention of workplace accidents and illnesses.

It is against this backdrop that the Health and Safety Authority Guidance Document for the Healthcare Sector and the Audit Tool for the Healthcare Sector have been produced. This provides a means of integrating safety health and welfare into existing management systems. It will facilitate compliance with legislation and demonstrate excellence in governance. See:

• Guidance Document on Developing a Safety and Health Management System
• Safety and Health Audit Tool for the Healthcare Sector

For small healthcare providers e.g. residential care facilities, medical centres, GP and dental practices see Health and Safety Management in Healthcare Information Sheet - a guide for small employers in Healthcare.