E-fact 35 - Risk Assessment for Care Workers

Following a brief introduction about home care workers and OSH in care worker activities, the article includes sections on ‘How to do a Risk Assessment’ and ‘How to use a Checklist’. A general checklist is then presented to help determine ‘Does the hazard exist at the workplace?’. An extensive list of ‘Proposed solutions and examples of preventive measures’ is then considered, for the different questions posed in the general checklist. A case study is then presented, showing how appropriate education and training and the use of risk assessment tools and a resource guide can alter a home care worker’s perception of occupational safety and health issues and through this reduce the potential for injuries and claims. Finally, sources of further information are presented at the end of the article.