1. A dental practice is a workplace

This course

1 hour of verifiable CPD. Standalone. GDC Development Outcomes C and D. Related 1-hour courses: Fire Safety, COSHH, Manual Handling.

Suggested study time

• Duties and competent people — 18 min
• Risk assessment that is used — 20 min
• Accidents, first aid, RIDDOR — 17 min
• Knowledge check — 5 min

The core duty

Employers must protect the health, safety and welfare of employees and others affected by the work (patients, visitors, contractors) so far as is reasonably practicable. Employees must take reasonable care of themselves and others, and cooperate with the arrangements. Self-employed principals still have duties if they employ people or if their work could affect others.

Policy is not a PDF

If you have five or more employees you must have a written health and safety policy. Even below that, you still need to manage risk. A policy nobody can find during a CQC visit is not a system.

Named competent person

Someone must own the risk assessments, the accident book, and contractor induction (engineers, cleaners, lab couriers). A deputy is needed when they are on leave. Competence means they can recognise the hazards of this building, not that they once watched a video in 2014.

Patients are “others”

Wet floors, trailing cables, poorly stacked gypsum bins, and a broken chair arm are patient-safety issues as well as staff ones. GDC Standards and CQC sit next to HSE, they do not replace it.