Key learning points

• Identification of hazards in the perioperative environment

• The principles of risk assessment

• Measures which practitioners can take to reduce risk

• Carrying out risk assessment

Few practitioners see the topic of health and safety as being relevant or interesting until they start to consider it in depth. As they explore the topic, the individual's anxiety heightens as the awareness of safe and unsafe practices grows. The reality is that any practitioner could, by act or omission, become involved in a critical incident. This awareness is especially important in the perioperative environment which by its nature is dangerous and full of many hazards which can harm patients or staff.

The motivating reasons that influence a practitioner's behaviour towards health and safety can be identified as:

• moral

• legal

• economic

• employment

• professional.

Moral reasons

It should be enough for all practitioners to always apply the principles of risk reduction and good adherence to health and safety practices, just because this is a moral responsibility to others. Nevertheless, if this is not reason enough to motivate practitioners, there is a wealth of health and safety legislation associated with the subject. As with any other Act, a breach of named regulations could result in the individual and/or the organisation receiving an enforceable punishment.

Legal reasons

Interestingly enough, most practitioners are aware of ‘The Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974’ (HSAWA). Why then, if perioperative practitioners have an awareness of their legal responsibilities about health and safety, do they often adopt seemingly complacent attitudes towards it?