health and safety

A warning from CQC – ensure your fire safety measures have not been compromised

On 7 August 2020, CQC sent out its regular COVID-19 update email to adult social care providers. One of the topics covered in the email bulletin was ‘making sure your building is safe from fire’. The email stated that, “Due to the ongoing coronavirus risks, measures have been put in place in many care homes …

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Past the peak: Why the fairytale ending will have to wait for the social care sector

It has been an unforgettable few months for all of us. The profile of our world has changed forever and we have quickly adapted to connecting and working in ways that we never have before. For the majority, we have been lucky. We have been able to carry on with some semblance of normality with …

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Death of an employee in adult social care due to COVID-19 – PHE publishes advice on notifications

Public Health England published helpful guidance last week to local authorities and social care providers on who and what they should notify when an employee or volunteer working in adult social care dies from COVID-19. The guidance, which is available here, covers the following: Telling the deceased’s family Telling others at work Reporting to the …

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DHSC issues version 2 of its guidance on “Admission and Care of Residents in a Care Home during COVID-19

Introduction & Previous Guidance This is the fourth article I have written examining the developing Government guidance on the issue of admissions into care homes during the COVID- 19 pandemic. On Friday 19 June 2019, the government issued an updated version (v.2.) of its Guidance “Admission and Care of Residents in a Care Home during …

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Update: What healthcare providers need to know about reporting of Covid-19 under RIDDOR

On 15 May 2020, I wrote an article in relation to what healthcare providers need to know about reporting of Covid-19 to the Health and Safety Executive (“HSE”) and considered the guidance ‘RIDDOR reporting of Covid-19’.   On 11 June 2020, the HSE published ‘Further guidance on RIDDOR reporting of Covid-19’ after recognising that the …

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PPE Guidance Update

Public Health England guidance “COVID-19 How to work safely in care homes” and “COVID19 How to work safely in domiciliary care in England” was first published on 17 and 27 April 2020 respectively and has now been updated. “COVID-19 How to work safely in care homes” guidance has been renamed COVID-19 Personal protective equipment (PPE) …

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What healthcare providers need to know about reporting of Covid-19 under RIDDOR

This article is written for healthcare providers in their capacity as employers and it will consider employer duties in relation to work related incidents and the reporting of Covid-19 to the Health and Safety Executive (“HSE”). In the context of Covid-19, employers must only make a report under RIDDOR (The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and …

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An important lesson in Legionella management and large company fines

BUPA has been fined £3million following the death of a service user who contracted Legionnaires’ disease and died. This Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution is significant because it looks at large company fine levels. Ipswich Crown Court heard that the service user moved into a BUPA care home in March 2015 and died three …

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