Dental Compliance
One Stop Shop for Dentists

The First Principle is dedicated to providing you with bespoke and affordable Dental Compliance solutions.

We are pleased to introduce our flagship product "Total Safety Management Pack" for peace of mind to allow you to concentrate on what's really important - dentistry. We take the hard work out of compliance by providing you with a full suite of products and services delivered to exceptional standards, meeting all relevant legislative (CQC, HSE, HIW etc.) requirements.

The "Total Safety Management Pack" has been carefully crafted to provide all the services you require in one cost-effective solution, saving time, money and hassle.

photo from Leeds Dental Implant & Cosmetic Clinic by Dr Hassan Maghaireh

What's included in our pack:

1. General Health and Safety Premises Audit Inspection and Report.

2. General Health and Safety Premises Risk Assessment.

3. Legionella Compliance Pack which includes:

Full premises legionella risk assessment survey report and action plan / recommendations in line with the HSE ACoP L8; HTM.

Provision of Legionella Management Policy and Procedures (Written Scheme)

Provision of bespoke Legionella Management record keeping system (Logbook) PDF and Printed Folder.

Unlimited access to online interactive legionella awareness training (1 Hour CPD)

4. Fire Compliance Pack which includes:

Full premises fire risk assessment survey report to RRFSO 2005 and recommendations for managing actions.

Fire Safety Logbook (PDF Digital Download) for easy record keeping.

Refresher training tool for staff in the form of Toolbox Talk (PDF Document)

If required, In Practice Fire Warden Training (2 Hours CPD for up to 10 Staff) including CPD Certificates.

5. COSHH Management System which includes:

COSHH Management Policy.

COSHH Risk Assessment Management Log.

Individual COSHH Assessments (15 Substances Hazardous to Health) are provided from the latest information to ensure compliance with regulations and CQC. A full hard-copy folder, with practice details completed, is also included in the package.

Unlimited access to online interactive COSHH Training (1.5 Hours CPD)

Access Audit

FREE Access Audit Form

Optional extra that can be added to our total safety pack:

UKAS Water Sampling (TVC, Legionella)

Asbestos Management Survey

Asbestos Demolition and Refurbishment Survey

Basic Life Support Training

Emergency First Aid at Work Training

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By investing in our dental compliance pack, the dental practice can be confident that they are providing safe environment to their staff and patients, which in turn can help to build and maintain their reputation. In addition, it can help to reduce the risk of legal action and fines for non-compliance, saving the practice both time and money in the long run.

Our compliance pack is tailored specifically for dental practices and includes all the necessary policies, procedures, and forms, making it easy to implement and maintain compliance. We also provide ongoing support and guidance to ensure that the practice stays up to date with any changes to regulations or guidelines.

Ultimately, investing in our dental compliance pack is a proactive and responsible approach to running a dental practice, demonstrating a commitment to patient safety and high standards of care. It is a worthwhile investment that can help to protect the practice's reputation and ensure its long-term success.

Do dental practices need to carry out a legionella risk assessment?

In accordance with the Health Technical Memorandum (HTM01-05), dental practices ought to engage an external specialist to aid in fulfilling the recommendations outlined in Section 3 of the guidance for dental unit water lines. This necessity arises from the expertise demanded in this specialised field, as well as the need for specialist knowledge of Legionella and other waterborne organisms. Although dental practices might be capable of carrying out some control measures for dental unit water lines themselves, such as routine flushing and disinfection, it is advisable that they employ an external specialist to perform the risk assessment and provide guidance on suitable control measures. To summarise, dental practices should engage an external specialist to carry out the risk assessment and offer advice on appropriate control measures for dental unit water lines and domestic hot and cold water systems, due to the expertise needed in this specialised field. It is crucial that the individual conducting the risk assessment is trained and competent to do so.
Why do dental practices need legionella risk assessments?

Dental practices, like all businesses, have a moral and legal requirement to ensure the safety of their employees and the public. A legionella risk assessment helps identify potential risks associated with the water system in a dental practice, including the potential for Legionnaires' disease to be contracted by patients or staff. The Health and Safety Executive's Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) L8, as well as the HSE guidance documents HSG 274 Parts 2 and 3, Health Technical Memorandum HTM 04-01, and HTM 01-05, all require businesses to carry out a risk assessment that identifies all foreseeable risks associated with their water system. The risk assessment must include all water systems and dental equipment, including dental lines, ultrasonic scalers, cavitrons, airflows, air purifiers, and any other equipment that may create aerosols or that water flows through. Failure to conduct a legionella risk assessment in a dental practice can result in legal action and serious harm to patients or staff.
How often do I need to review my dental practice legionella risk assessment?

The frequency of reviewing the legionella risk assessment in a dental practice depends on a number of factors, including the condition of the practice water system, management system, and other factors. The risk assessment should be reviewed regularly enough to keep it up to date and ensure that control measures remain effective. Dental practices should refer to their competent person risk assessment, which should clearly advise when the risk assessment should be reviewed. It is important to note that the risk assessment should not only be reviewed when the dental practice receives a call from the CQC. According to the Health and Safety Executive's Approved Code of Practice (ACOP L8), the risk assessment is a living document that must be reviewed regularly and specifically whenever there is reason to suspect it is no longer valid. This may result from changes to the water system or its use, changes to the building in which the water system is installed, the availability of new information about risks or control measures, the results of checks indicating that control measures are no longer effective, changes to key personnel, or a case of legionnaires’ disease/legionellosis associated with the system. In summary, dental practices should ensure that they have a competent person risk assessment in place, which clearly advises when the risk assessment should be reviewed. They should also be aware of the factors that may require a review of the risk assessment, and ensure that the assessment is revised immediately when necessary to protect the health and safety of their patients and staff, rather than waiting for a call from the CQC.
What are the requirements and qualifications for a responsible person or their deputy in a dental practice?

In line with the HTM guidance for dental practices, the registered manager is considered to be a responsible person. As part of their role, they should attend suitable training to ensure that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Basic awareness training is not considered to be adequate for someone who is nominated as a responsible person or their deputy. Instead, more comprehensive and in-depth training should be pursued to equip them with the expertise needed to maintain a safe and compliant environment within the dental practice.
What is a legionella written scheme of control for dental practices?

A written scheme of control for dental practices is a document that outlines how the practice will manage and control the risks associated with legionella and other bacteria in its water systems. The CQC expects all dental practices to have a site-specific written scheme of control in place to ensure compliance with legal requirements and ensure patient safety. All of our legionella compliance packs for dental practices include a site-specific written scheme of control draft and bespoke record keeping system for their practice. CQC Dental Mythbuster 5: Legionella and dental waterline management https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/dentists/dental-mythbuster-5-legionella-dental-waterline-management
What checks must dental practices do internally to manage the risk of legionella in their water system?

The checks required for each dental practice will vary depending on the specific water systems present in the practice. However, standard checks may include weekly flushing of infrequently used water services, monthly temperature monitoring of hot and cold water outlets, and quarterly cleaning of showerheads. These checks are intended to prevent the growth of legionella bacteria by ensuring that water is not allowed to stagnate and that temperatures are kept at safe levels. It is important to note that these checks are not exhaustive, and there may be other checks that are necessary depending on the specific water system in a dental practice. For this reason, it is important for dental practices to refer to their site-specific legionella risk assessment, which should identify all water systems present in the practice and set out the control measures required to manage the risk of legionella.
Do dental practices need to take dip slides from their dental lines?

The Health Technical Memorandum (HTM 01-05) guidance does not advocate the routine use of dip slides. Instead, dental practices should have a system in place to manage the level of microbiological activity in their dental unit waterlines. This system should include a mixture of control measures, such as regular and proactive disinfection of the dental unit waterlines, flushing of lines to prevent water stagnation and biofilm formation, and other measures outlined in HTM 01-05. It is important to note that the product used for routine disinfection of dental unit waterlines MUST be approved by the chair manufacturer (for example, Belmont, Kavo, A-dec, Stern Webber). Using a product that is not approved by the manufacturer may invalidate the warranty and could potentially damage the dental unit. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that only approved products are used for routine disinfection. If you decide to deviate from the advice provided by HTM 01-05 and the chair manufacturer, you should prove that the control measures you have adopted are effective. Regular sampling could be used to demonstrate that control is in place. Although many suppliers advocate using dipslides or HPC samplers, HTM considers those methods unreliable and advises that UKAS-accredited methods of testing, such as TVC sampling, should be used. Microbiological sampling may provide some useful information about water quality, but the data is limited to the specific date and time when the sample was collected. Rather than relying solely on testing, proactive periodic disinfection should be used to maintain water quality.
Should routine water sampling be carried out in a dental practice to monitor for legionella?

Routine water sampling for legionella is not usually required in a dental practice, unless there is doubt about the efficacy of the control regime or it is known that recommended temperatures, disinfectant concentrations, or other precautions are not being consistently achieved throughout the system. Sampling may be appropriate in certain circumstances, such as when water systems are treated with biocides or in high-risk areas. If sampling is carried out, it should be in accordance with BS 7592.