Why Home Care Agencies Need a Safety Plan

Imagine if your team member was working at a client’s home in Pacific Palisades when the recent wildfires erupted. Would that team member know what to do, which protocols to follow, and how to keep both herself and the client safe when the evacuation was ordered?

While this is a rare and extreme scenario, it illustrates why home care agencies need a safety plan. While working in clients’ homes, there are countless unexpected situations to navigate.

What Is A Safety Plan?

A safety plan is a written document that covers policies to prevent workplace injuries. It is a central part of your overall safety program, and it plays a critical role in keeping both your team members and your clients safe.

In addition to preventing workplace injuries and incidents, OSHA says a safety program may provide additional benefits, such as improving regulatory compliance, reducing costs, and increasing productivity.

OSHA recommends that safety programs include the following:

• Hazard identification and assessment. What are the hazards to health and safety?
• Hazard prevention and control. How can you avoid or minimize hazards?
• Education and training. How will workers and managers learn about hazards and the relevant safety policies?
• Worker participation. How will you involve workers in the safety program? For example, how will they share their concerns without fear of retaliation?
• Management leadership. How will management make safety a priority and set an example?
• Program evaluation and improvement. How will you track program goals, and how often will you reevaluate the program?
• Communication and coordination with relevant partners. For example, if your home care company uses staffing agencies, how will you ensure they follow your safety plan?

Safety Plan Concerns in the Home Care Setting

The unpredictable nature of home care makes health and safety an urgent concern. Both clients and workers face unique hazards that must be identified and addressed. Furthermore, each home is different and may present unusual or unexpected risks.

As you conduct each home risk assessment, consider the conditions your team members will encounter. Walk through every room while documenting potential hazards that could harm team members or their clients. For example:

• Are there any slip and fall hazards, such as loose/absent safety railings or handrails, loose rugs, cords or slippery steps?
• Are entrances well-lit and easy to access?
• Are fire and carbon monoxide detectors present?
• Are space heaters in use?
• Do you notice the presence of mold, pests or toxic odors?
• Are there dogs or other pets that could present a threat?
• Are there other people in the home who could be dangerous?
• Could the client be threatening or violent?
• Are there unsecured weapons in the home?
• Is there a safe place to park?
• Is the neighborhood safe?
• How are medications handled and stored?

There are countless safety issues to consider, spanning far beyond this list. Home care agencies should conduct a thorough hazard assessment (ideally with the support of a safety expert) to identify, mitigate or eliminate potential safety exposures.

How to Create a Safety Plan

• Assemble your safety team. Someone needs to be in charge of creating, implementing, and updating the safety plan. You may also want to involve outside safety consultants who will provide an unbiased perspective.
• Identify the hazards. Identify the hazards that clients and workers may encounter in a home care setting. Since each home is unique, it’s important to use an inspection checklist as part of the initial onboarding process.
• Create safety policies and procedures. For home care agencies, it’s important to have policies that address worker safety issues (such as what workers should do if they feel unsafe and how they should stay safe while driving) as well as a checklist to assess residences for safety issues and policies on how to control the hazards you have identified.
• Create an emergency response plan. In addition to covering common and everyday hazards, a safety plan should address less common but more severe threats, such as fires or earthquakes. Consider how you will handle communication and/or evacuation during an emergency.
• Train workers. All workers need to know what your policies are and how to adhere to them, how to respond to emergencies and threats, and how to report incidents.
• Monitor incidents and near-misses. Recordkeeping is a vital part of any safety plan. When an incident occurs, a worker should fill out an incident report. You should then analyze the information to determine what went wrong and how you can prevent future incidents. You should also document near-misses, as they provide information that may help home care agencies uncover risks and take corrective action before incidents occur.
• Review and update as needed. You should review the safety plan periodically to see if you need to make updates. Additional reviews may be necessary after incidents or near-misses.

Tailored insurance coverage is another critical part of your overall safety program. In the event of a worker injury or lawsuit, your policy will provide coverage and reduce the financial impact on your agency. Heffernan Insurance Brokers offers exclusive insurance programs and risk management tools designed for home care businesses. Learn more.