HEALTH AND SAFETY

Children and Young People's Health and Safety



Children and Young People's Health and Safety

Healthy and safe indoor and outdoor environments and services

For a healthy environment, which is indoor or outdoor, it is essential to ensure that a checklist is prepared for the injury and risk prevention. When it comes to indoors, it is essential to ensure that anything that can harm a child or young people should be monitored and either removed from the home or kept out of reach of children. In addition, a first aid kit should be kept at home at all times so that in case of an accident, some basic help can be provided. The walkway in the home should be well lit and well cleaned so that children breathe in a clean and safe environment. For outdoors, the attention should be paid on weather and environmental safety and hygiene for children as well as road safety.

Health and safety at workplace

The health and safety of the workers is the responsibility of the employer. This is one of his prime responsibilities and basic rights of the workers. In order to ensure that the environment provided for the workers and employees are free from risks and hazards, the employer should not only make specific safety measures and guidelines but also monitor and maintain health and safety on a continual basis. In other words, there is a need to remain focuses on achieving workplace safety excellence (York, 2010, p. 25-36). Workplace safety excellence is a rather novel concept and involves ensuring a secure environment for the employees of the organization. In this context, it is imperative to lay down the constituent characteristics of a safe environment. A work environment that is free from injuries and ill health, avoids incidents such as loss events, has high-performance standards and prevents damage to property may be considered as a safe workplace.

Planning healthy and safe environments and services

This involves three key steps: management commitment, hazard control and inspection programs.

Management commitment

Management commitment is management's conviction towards providing its employees a safe and healthy work environment. Vredenburgh (2002) points out that specific management practices have been outlined by organizations that have been consistent and dedicated in the provision of safe and healthy environment. These management practices when followed properly help the organizations in ensuring a safer healthier environment for the employees of the organization.

Hazard control

Another very important responsibility on the part of the organization/family of the young children's health and safety is hazard control. Hazard is anything and everything that can cause any sort of harm (McPhaul, 2004, p. 58-59). Some organizations tend to undermine the significance of hazard control. Hazard control starts with identification of possible hazards. You need to understand each identified hazard and estimate the possible damage it can cause. The hazards which have been highlighted should be eliminated.

Inspection programs

The underlying objective of designing a comprehensive inspection program is to keep a check on the risk management practices of the organization and measure their ...