Health & Safety Policy

Document reference: KCL-POL-005
Version: 1.0  |  Last reviewed: June 2026
H&S Responsible Person: Registered Manager, Kome Care Ltd
Regulatory basis: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999; Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992; Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992; Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR); Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)

1. Policy Statement

Kome Care Ltd recognises and accepts its legal and moral responsibilities to provide a safe and healthy working environment for all employees, care workers, and the people it provides services to. We are committed to complying with all applicable health and safety legislation and to maintaining safe systems of work across all our operations.

The health, safety, and wellbeing of our care workers and the people in our care is paramount. We view all health and safety incidents as preventable and will work continuously to identify and reduce risks.

2. Responsibilities

Management

The Registered Manager is responsible for:

• Ensuring the organisation complies with all relevant health and safety legislation
• Providing and maintaining safe equipment, facilities, and working systems
• Ensuring all staff receive appropriate health and safety training
• Investigating accidents and near-misses and implementing corrective action
• Reviewing and updating this policy at least annually

Employees and Care Workers

All employees have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to:

• Take reasonable care of their own health and safety and that of others affected by their work
• Cooperate with their employer's health and safety measures
• Report any hazard, near-miss, accident, or unsafe situation to their manager without delay
• Use equipment, PPE, and materials as instructed and trained
• Not interfere with or misuse anything provided for health and safety purposes

3. Risk Assessment

Kome Care carries out a home environment risk assessment for every new client prior to care commencing. This assessment identifies and documents any hazards in the client's home environment that may affect the safety of care workers or the client, including:

• Trip and fall hazards (floor coverings, clutter, poor lighting)
• Manual handling requirements (hoisting, transfers, repositioning)
• Pets and other animals
• Access and parking (particularly relevant for late-night or lone visits)
• Infectious diseases or COSHH substances in the home
• Smoking and respiratory hazards
• Violence, aggression, or behaviour risk (where known history exists)

Risk assessments are reviewed following any significant change in the client's condition or home environment, and at minimum annually.

4. Manual Handling

Manual handling injuries are among the most common types of workplace injuries in the care sector. Kome Care complies with the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 and our approach is to:

1. Avoid hazardous manual handling operations wherever possible (e.g. using equipment such as hoists, slide sheets, and transfer boards)
2. Assess the risk of any manual handling tasks that cannot be avoided
3. Reduce the risk of injury as far as reasonably practicable

All care workers receive manual handling training at induction and refresher training annually. No care worker is required to manually handle a client without appropriate equipment being in place where identified by risk assessment.

5. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Kome Care provides appropriate PPE free of charge to all care workers. PPE requirements are assessed on a client-by-client basis depending on the care tasks involved and any known infection risks. Standard PPE supplied includes:

• Disposable gloves (nitrile)
• Disposable aprons
• Face masks (where clinically indicated or requested)
• Eye protection (where indicated by specific care procedures)

Care workers are required to wear PPE as directed and to dispose of it safely in accordance with our infection control procedures.

6. Infection Prevention and Control

Kome Care follows standard infection prevention and control (IPC) precautions for all care deliveries, in line with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) guidance. All care workers are trained in hand hygiene, the use of PPE, and the safe disposal of clinical waste. Care workers with symptoms of communicable illness must not attend client visits and must report their symptoms to their line manager immediately.

7. Lone Worker Safety

The majority of our care workers operate as lone workers in client homes. Kome Care takes the safety of lone workers seriously and has implemented the following measures:

• All care workers are required to check in at the start and end of each visit using our electronic monitoring system
• Care coordinators conduct regular welfare checks, particularly for evening, overnight, and weekend visits
• Care workers have 24/7 access to an on-call manager for support or emergencies
• Lone worker risk assessments are carried out where specific risks have been identified (e.g. known client behaviour risks)
• All care workers are encouraged to share any concerns about their safety at any time

8. Accident and Incident Reporting

All accidents, incidents, and near-misses, whether involving care workers, clients, or any other person, must be reported immediately to the care worker's line manager and recorded on our incident reporting system. This includes:

• Falls (whether or not an injury results)
• Manual handling injuries or near-misses
• Medication errors or near-misses
• Aggressive or violent incidents
• Any accidental harm or unplanned event affecting a client's safety or wellbeing

All incidents are investigated by the Registered Manager and documented. Lessons learned are shared with the team through supervision, briefings, or updated care plans.

9. RIDDOR — Reporting to the HSE

Under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), Kome Care is required to report certain incidents to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). These include:

• Work-related deaths
• Specified injuries (e.g. fractures other than fingers/toes, amputations, serious burns)
• Injuries resulting in an employee being unable to work for 7 or more consecutive days (excluding the day of the incident)
• Certain occupational diseases
• Dangerous occurrences (near-miss events prescribed in the regulations)

The Registered Manager is responsible for ensuring RIDDOR reports are submitted within the required timescales.

10. COSHH — Hazardous Substances

Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH), Kome Care assesses the risk of any hazardous substances care workers may encounter, including cleaning products, medications, and clinical waste. Care workers are trained to handle such substances safely and to refer to product Safety Data Sheets (SDS) where required.

11. Training

Health and safety training is provided to all staff at induction and updated through regular refresher training. Training topics include:

• Health and safety law — employee rights and responsibilities
• Manual handling and moving and handling people
• Infection prevention and control
• Use of PPE
• Fire safety awareness
• Lone worker safety
• First aid awareness

12. Policy Review

This policy is reviewed annually by the Registered Manager and updated as required following changes in legislation, guidance, or following a significant incident. All staff are notified of material changes through team briefings and supervision.