About This Sector
GP surgeries, dental practices, pharmacies, clinics, and private healthcare providers operate under dual regulatory scrutiny: the Health and Safety Executive for workplace safety and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for the quality and safety of care. A health and safety failure in a healthcare setting carries reputational consequences that go far beyond a fine. Arinite provides Chartered health and safety consultants who understand both the health and safety legislation and the CQC regulatory framework as it applies to primary care and private healthcare.
Sector-Specific Regulations
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 apply to all healthcare employers. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) apply to medications, cleaning chemicals, and clinical waste. The Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 require specific controls for needles and sharps. The Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 apply to dental and medical X-ray equipment. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires fire risk assessments for all healthcare premises. CQC Regulation 12 (Safe Care and Treatment) and Regulation 15 (Premises and Equipment) impose additional requirements.
Common Compliance Failures We Find
These are the health and safety failures Arinite's consultants find most frequently in this sector:
Sharps injury documentation that is incomplete or does not record the follow-up actions taken.
COSHH assessments missing for dental materials, sterilisation chemicals, or pharmacy compounding processes.
No ionising radiation risk assessments or local rules for X-ray equipment in dental or medical settings.
Fire risk assessments that do not account for patients with reduced mobility or oxygen-dependent patients.
Infection control procedures that are not linked to documented risk assessments.
No legionella risk assessment for dental unit waterlines despite the known risk of bacterial colonisation.
Our Services for This Sector
Arinite's healthcare health and safety services include comprehensive risk assessments covering all clinical and non-clinical activities, sharps safety assessments and safe systems of work, COSHH assessments for medications, chemicals, and clinical waste, fire risk assessments for healthcare premises including patient evacuation, legionella risk assessments including dental unit waterlines, health and safety audits aligned with CQC Regulation 12 and 15, ionising radiation risk assessments and local rules, staff training for infection control, sharps safety, fire marshals, and manual handling, and health and safety software for managing compliance across multi-site healthcare operations.
Book a Free Healthcare Gap Analysis Call
Book a free gap analysis call with one of our Chartered health and safety consultants. In 30 minutes, we will assess your current healthcare health and safety arrangements and identify the compliance gaps that matter most.
