Dental Nurse Assignment: Hazards, Risks, and Reporting Procedures

This assignment, completed by a trainee dental nurse, addresses the identification and management of workplace hazards and risks within a dental surgery setting. The assignment details various hazards, including those associated with autoclaves, X-ray machines, disinfectants, smoking, eating/drinking, illegal drug use, fire, mercury spillage, water spillage, and body fluid spills. For each hazard, the assignment outlines potential risks to the dental nurse, colleagues, patients, and visitors, and proposes preventive measures and reporting protocols. The nurse discusses the importance of safe working methods, equipment maintenance, and adherence to organizational and legal requirements to minimize risks and ensure a safe environment for all stakeholders. The assignment emphasizes the trainee's responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others, highlighting the need for proactive hazard identification and effective communication to prevent incidents and maintain a healthy workplace.

City and Guilds
Unit 301 – Reducing risks to health and safety in the dental setting
Work Product Hazards and Risks
301. 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 Range: 1abc, 2a
301. 3.1, 3.2 Range: 1abc, 2abcdeg, 3a
301. 4.1, 4.2, 4.4,
304. 1.7 Range: 4abc
304. 2.4ab Range: 2abcd
As a trainee dental nurse and working in the health care sector you are responsible for your own safety as well as
others, therefore you must be able to identify and deal with hazards in order to prevent any risks from happening.
Please complete the table below regarding:
- identifying and dealing with hazards following organisational and legal requirements as to prevent risks from
happening
- identifying the risks associated to each hazard
- who do you report the hazards to
As to help you gathering the information needed to complete the table below please discuss this with your employer
and refer to your workplace policies, risk assessment and any other records that are in place at the dental surgery
where you work as guidance on your organisational procedures and policies.

City and Guilds
Unit 301 – Reducing risks to health and safety in the dental setting
Please define the terms give an example to help you clarify understanding
Hazard
Probable source or origin of danger is known as hazard and it’s an agent which can cause harm to humans, property as well
as environment. In fact, hazard can be segregated into distinct ways as sometime it can also classify as natural,
anthropogenic or technological. Basically, determination of hazards assumes by the potential targets that specific targets
might be defined. However, natural Hazards are defined as extreme events which originated into biosphere, hydrosphere,
lithosphere or atmosphere.
Risk
Risk is a term which means probability of losing something valuable. It can also defined as intentional interaction with full
of uncertainty. However, uncertainty is all about potential, unpredictable and uncontrollable result which means that risk is
seen as a result of action which has been taken in spite of uncertainty. In simple terms, risk shows the possibility of injury,
loss or unwelcome situation which affect human beings in negative manner.
Working practices
which could harm
yourself and
others
Potential risks to yourself, work
colleagues, patients or any other
visitors
How do you prevent / deal with
the risk?
Who must you report
these problems to
(externally as well if
necessary)
Safe
working
methods
and
equipment
Auto
clav
e
(incl
udin
g
failur
e to
work
)
Autoclave is used by dentistry with high
temperature pressure chambers carefully
in order to kill bacteria, spores and germs
resistant to boiling water and strong
detergents. As a dental nurse I have
found that re-used items in autoclave
equipment’s creates a major possibilities
of infection for us, our colleagues can
also get affected by this as well as
patients which are coming next. For
example re-using surgical blades, dental
hand pieces and anaesthetic cartridges. In
fact, one of the top most risk is that
autoclave was poorly maintained and
records temperature, pressure which is
As a nurse I can easily manage the
uncertainty and control the heavy risk
which incurred due to the failure of
autoclave. However, following of
suitable steps aids in minimizing the
risk of infection transmission to
several patients, colleagues and
visitors.
 First thing is to prevent
ourselves by wearing safety
eyewear, face masks, gloves
etc.
 Pre-Soak the instruments
 Clean the instruments before
steam.
These problems will be
reported to management team
of dental clinic in order to make
them update about all the
requirements while using
autoclave equipment’s.

City and Guilds
Unit 301 – Reducing risks to health and safety in the dental setting
not required as per British Dental
Association. As a result, patients are
negatively influence by this as proper
cleaning hasn’t done because of improper
management of autoclave. On the other
hand, overloaded sterilizers are the main
reason behind failure of autoclave. As a
nurse I am handling all the individual
instruments which can cause sharp
injuries to me and risk to my colleagues
also.
 It’s difficult to dry after
sterilization in an autoclave
but it’s essential to dry the
instruments.
 Packing the entire instruments
with clean wraps or pouches.
 Now load the instruments
carefully into each autoclave
cycle
X-
ray
mac
hine
(incl
udin
g
failur
e to
work
)
Most foremost risk for nurse because of
X-ray is possibilities of cancer. In fact, all
the health workers are in a risk of
cataracts, skin lesions and cancer. Along
with this, there is also probability of high
blood pressure and high cholesterol. On
the other hand, few people thought that
X-rays are not safe because of radiations
exposure can create cell mutations which
may resultant into cancer.
If it is indispensable for staff
members or nurse to entered into
experimental hutch area wherever x-
rays is going to generated then
interlock system helps in preventing
exposure of maintenance staff to x-
rays. As a nurse I can also use
various equipment’s for protecting
ourselves from instant radiation such
as; using clean clothes while entering
into room, protective glasses for eyes
and so on.
These things can be report to
the x-ray managing team and
specialist who is liable for
managing x-ray room.
Disin
fecta
nts
Disinfectants are used at clinical hospital
for frees from infection which helps in
destroying vegetative forms of dangerous
microorganism. This will risky for the
health of mine as well as influence my
entire teammates and patients which are
coming because infection affects the life
of people in various manner. For
example; disinfectants is harmful even
toxic for human beings.
This risk can control by proper team
work and awareness programmes
which helps other individuals,
patients, visitors and my colleagues
from misuse of disinfectants.
Disinfectants must be managed
by cleanliness team of clinic
and the head who is liable for
maintaining environment free
from infective germs.

City and Guilds
Unit 301 – Reducing risks to health and safety in the dental setting
Smoking
Smoking is injurious for my own health,
colleagues; affect negatively on patients
as well as visitors whosever are coming
at clinic. In fact, smoking passes negative
message to the visitors.
Risk of smoking is controlled by
conducting awareness programmes at
workplace, post images by showing
the danger influence of smoking and
many more.
Doctors must aware about this
for suggesting corrective path
for controlling the risk.
Eating and
drinking
Drinking at hospital and eating infect the
stomach of my colleagues because
various types of chemicals are used in
medicine for treating dangerous disease.
Along with this, probabilities of infection
are too much high because various types
of patients are coming with several health
issues which might attack other members
as well as me as nurse while treating
them.
In order to control major health
problems from drinking and eating,
we have to create separate sections
for having food and water which are
away from hospitals. However, risk
of germs in drinking water can
control by using advanced technique
of purifying water and many more.
Management team is liable for
handling this due to which
reporting of this section is
handling by them.
Use of illegal
drugs
This is dangerous for the health of
patients and somehow me as a nurse is
getting involved in breaching the legal
terms and conditions. As a result, I got
involved in a risk of legitimate problems
as well as my teammates also.
I can control this risk by setting
guidelines which needs to follow by
each and every member whether it’s
my colleagues, patients or any
visitors.
Higher authority is liable for
setting organizational policies
which must be followed each
and every member at
workplace.
What to
do in the
event of
an
emergen
cy
/spillage
in the
workpla
ce
Fire in
the
workpla
ce
Fire can create a panic situation which
can affect the health of patient which was
admitted, visitors can also get scared as
well as sometime our whole teammates
get afraid by this and failed in performing
their duties.
Fire alarm can play major role in
controlling this risky situation.
Management team is
responsible for this reporting.
Mercur
y
spillage
Mercury is a major element of dental
amalgam which is used by dentists for
filling the irregular cavities in teeth.
Thus, exposure to mercury vapour is
resultant into various illnesses such as;
Risk of mercury spillage get
controlled by doing certain things
which is discussed as follows-
 Select suitable PPE.
 Wipe up spill instantly with
Reporting of this will be done
to Dentist specialist.

City and Guilds
Unit 301 – Reducing risks to health and safety in the dental setting
destroying of central nervous system and
neurological disorders.
absorbent material.
 Place the contaminated
absorbent materials in plastic
bag.
 Clean the entire area with the
use of warm detergent
solution.
Water
spillage
Staff might get infected during water
spillage if they will not wear gloves as
well as it may affect other staff members
and off course patient too
This risk can control by using paper
towels or absorbent material and
requisite to place in a plastic garbage
bag. First l will put the disposable
gloves for preventing contamination
of hands.
Reporting is done at
management team.
Body
fluids
spillage
Body fluid spills poses a risk of
transmitting infection to the staff who are
handling the entire situation and
sometime cause various disease also such
as; Viruses, diarrhoea and vomiting
illness. However, major risk of the body
fluid to staff, patients and visitors is
infection which follows through hand to
mouth/ nose/ eyes contacting. Apart from
this, there is also a risk through infection
because of cuts in skin or any scratches.
For controlling the risk of body fluid,
it is essential for management team
to place disposable paper towels over
the spillage. Along with this, clear
way with the use of paper towels as
well as dump into garbage bag in
order to wash the area with detergent
or warm water. Moreover, staff
members need can also ventilate the
area by opening doors or windows.
Management team.
Chemic
al
spillage
Chemical fluids create major risk for me
and my staff members by affecting skin,
creating risky environment for patients
and visitors. Basically, chemical accident
is unintentional release of few hazardous
substances which can harm health of
human beings and entire surrounding.
This risk can control by proper
managing the chemical spillage and
create a separate section for handling
various types’ chemicals.
Specialist team of chemical
department
Moving
and
Moving
and
Moving and handling of heavy loads
creates major possibilities of injury and
This risk can control and managed by
doing all the activities in proper Management team

City and Guilds
Unit 301 – Reducing risks to health and safety in the dental setting
handling
handlin
g heavy
loads
damages. Along with this, destroy the
goodwill of dental clinic in the eye of
visitors if there occurrence of damages
due to handling heavy loads.
manner for handling heavy loads and
protect visitor’s staff members. In
fact, these activity can handle by
hiring skilled labours who are
masters in loading activities.
Why must the following aspects of the dental environment be adjusted?
Environmenta
l factors
Ceiling lights
not working
(lighting)
Lighting is essential for proper accomplishment of dentist activities as ceiling lights helps doctors in
seeing clear view of teeth for treating the problem in corrective manner.
Hot radiators
(heating) Helps in vaporizing the teeth and to maintain a clinical environment for patient.
Jammed
windows
(ventilation
and humidity)
It is essential to maintain ventilation environment for providing outstanding surrounding.
Re