8. Describe how and when to report identified health and safety risks

Not you, as you
will be wearing flat, sensible shoes, but this could be an individual you
support.

If you
identify a hazard, you should act quickly, especially because your action could
prevent an accident from happening.

This is a legal
requirement. 

Here are some common
risk examples and the actions that you can take:

-Slips

-Trips

-Falls

-Shock

Is PAT testing a
legal requirement?

I wanted to come
back to this and give you the facts as I know people are sometimes
confused. 

Portable Appliance
Testing (or PAT) is the term used to describe the examination of electrical
appliances and equipment to make sure they are safe to use. The Electricity at
Work Regulations 1989 require electrical equipment that have the potential to
cause injury are maintained in a safe condition. The Regulations DO NOT specify
what needs to be done, by whom or how frequently.

There is no legal
requirement to label equipment that it has been inspected or tested and there
is no requirement to keep records. However, a record or label is a useful way
of monitoring the age of the appliance and when it was last checked for safety.
Organisations need to demonstrate that they have management systems in place to
ensure equipment is safe.

Health
and Safety Executive

This is a link to the PAT FAQ section on
the Health and Safety Executive’s website where you can find out more
information. Use this information to ensure you are aware of the correct facts.

Slips, trips and
falls are the most common cause of non-fatal major injuries in service
industries and account for over half of all reported injuries.

– Health and
Safety Executive

You might find our Slips, Trips and Fallse
course useful.