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Dental Practice Risk Assessment — CQC-Compliant in Minutes
A dental practice risk assessment is a legal requirement under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and is inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Anyrisks generates a fully written, UK-compliant risk assessment covering infection control, sharps, chemicals, radiography, manual handling, and lone working — tailored to your practice in under 2 minutes.
Used by NHS and private dental practices, solo practitioners, and dental chains across the UK
🦷 CQC inspections focus heavily on infection control, sharps safety, and COSHH compliance. Mention your decontamination procedures, autoclave type, and chemical storage — we'll include HTM 01-05 controls and ensure your assessment meets CQC expectations.
Legal requirements for dental practices
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Section 2(1) requires every employer, including dental practice owners and principals, to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of employees. This includes conducting and recording risk assessments under Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. If you employ five or more people (including associate dentists, hygienists, nurses, and reception staff), the risk assessment must be written down.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates all dental practices in England under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. CQC inspection frameworks explicitly require written risk assessments covering infection prevention and control, safe use of equipment, and management of hazardous substances. Practices that fail to demonstrate comprehensive risk assessments face enforcement action, conditions on registration, or closure notices.
Dental practices face specific regulatory obligations beyond general health and safety law. HTM 01-05 (Decontamination in primary care dental practices) sets out detailed requirements for instrument reprocessing, including zoning of decontamination areas, validation of autoclaves, and daily process monitoring. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) apply to disinfectants, mercury amalgam, bonding agents, and radiographic development chemicals — each requiring assessment, safe storage, and staff training.
If your practice uses X-ray equipment, you must comply with the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (IRR17) and the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 (IR(ME)R). This includes appointing a Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA), maintaining local rules, conducting dose optimisation, and ensuring all staff are trained. Risk assessments must document radiation safety controls, including controlled areas, personal dosimetry where required, and equipment maintenance schedules.
The Health and Safety (Sharp Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013 require employers to prevent sharps injuries, provide safer sharps devices where practicable, eliminate unnecessary use of sharps, and ensure sharps bins are available and not overfilled. Dental practices routinely handle needles, scalpel blades, matrix bands, burs, and endodontic files — all classified as sharps requiring specific controls. Every dental practice risk assessment must address sharps handling, disposal, and needle-stick injury procedures. For more on what makes a legally compliant risk assessment, see our full guide.
How it works
1. Describe your practice
Tell us about your practice type (NHS, private, mixed), number of surgeries, clinical procedures performed (general dentistry, endodontics, periodontics, oral surgery, sedation), staff numbers, decontamination facilities, and X-ray equipment. Mention if you work alone or have lone working periods — we'll include appropriate lone working controls.
2. Let the app take the strain
Anyrisks produces a fully written, CQC-compliant dental practice risk assessment covering all clinical and non-clinical hazards, referencing HTM 01-05, COSHH, sharps regulations, ionising radiation regulations where applicable, and manual handling requirements.
3. Instant download and use
Download as PDF and fully editable Word document. File it in your CQC compliance folder, share it with your team, and update it annually or when procedures change. £29, no subscription. Money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied within 24 hours.
What it covers
Every dental practice risk assessment is written in full — covering all CQC-inspected hazards and UK regulations.
Infection prevention and control — cross-infection risks, hand hygiene, PPE
HTM 01-05 decontamination procedures — instrument reprocessing, autoclave validation, zoning
Sharps safety — needle-stick injury prevention, sharps bins, safer devices
COSHH — disinfectants, mercury amalgam, bonding agents, development chemicals, local anaesthetics
Ionising radiation — intra-oral X-rays, OPG, dose optimisation, IRR17 and IR(ME)R compliance
Manual handling — patient transfers, moving equipment, dental chair positioning
Slips, trips, and falls — surgery layout, trailing cables, wet floors in decontamination areas
Lone working — solo practitioners, evening clinics, emergency procedures
Violence and aggression — patient behaviour, de-escalation, panic alarms
Fire safety — surgery evacuation, oxygen cylinder storage, autoclave risks
Latex allergy — non-latex gloves, patient allergy screening
Pregnancy and new mothers — exposure to chemicals, radiation, manual handling restrictions
Display screen equipment (DSE) — reception and administrative staff workstations
Legionella control — dental unit waterlines, HTM 01-05 water testing requirements
Works for
From single-handed NHS practices to multi-surgery private clinics, Anyrisks covers every dental practice type.
What customers say
"We had a CQC inspection coming up and our risk assessment was three years out of date. Anyrisks gave us a complete, HTM 01-05-compliant document in minutes. The inspector was satisfied and we passed without conditions."
Dr Amira Hassan
Principal dentist, Birmingham
"As a single-handed practitioner I work alone most evenings. Anyrisks included lone working controls, emergency procedures, and panic alarm requirements — exactly what CQC expect to see for solo practitioners."
Dr Simon Weaver
Solo GDP, Devon
"We run a three-surgery practice with sedation services. The assessment covered everything — COSHH for midazolam, oxygen cylinder storage, sharps, radiation, the lot. Saved us hours and it's fully editable for annual reviews."
Dr Rachel Patel
Practice owner, Manchester
Anyrisks vs DIY templates
| Anyrisks | DIY / Templates | |
|---|---|---|
| Written in full — not a blank form | ✓ | ✗ |
| HTM 01-05 infection control requirements included | ✓ | ✗ |
| COSHH controls for dental chemicals and materials | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sharps regulations compliance (2013) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ionising radiation controls (IRR17, IR(ME)R) | ✓ | ✗ |
| CQC inspection-ready format | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ready in under 2 minutes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Instant PDF and editable Word download | ✓ | Sometimes |
Frequently asked questions
Does this meet CQC inspection requirements?
Yes — dental practice risk assessments produced by Anyrisks are comprehensive, regulation-referenced documents that satisfy CQC inspection criteria. They cover all clinical and non-clinical hazards relevant to dental practice operation, including infection control, sharps handling, radiography, and manual handling.
Does it cover HTM 01-05 infection control requirements?
Yes — describe your clinical procedures and decontamination processes and the assessment will reference HTM 01-05 (Decontamination in primary care dental practices) and include controls for cross-infection prevention, instrument reprocessing, and clinical waste management.
Can I use it for both NHS and private practice?
Yes — the risk assessment covers all clinical activities regardless of funding source. Whether you operate an NHS practice, private practice, or mixed, the same health and safety obligations apply under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and associated regulations.
Does it cover COSHH for dental chemicals and materials?
Yes — mention the chemicals and materials you use (disinfectants, mercury amalgam, bonding agents, local anaesthetics, development chemicals for radiography) and COSHH controls will be included in accordance with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002.
Does it cover ionising radiation from dental X-rays?
Yes — if you perform intra-oral or OPG radiography, mention it and the assessment will include controls under the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 and IRR(ME)R 2017, including dose optimisation, staff training, and radiation protection adviser requirements.
Can I adapt it for multiple surgeries or branch practices?
Yes — the Word document is fully editable. You can adapt the assessment for different surgery layouts, staff numbers, and clinical procedures. Many multi-site practices use one assessment as a template and customise it per location.
Does it cover lone working for solo practitioners?
Yes — if you work alone or with minimal staff (e.g. a solo associate with a part-time receptionist), mention it and lone working controls including emergency procedures and check-in systems will be included.
How quickly can I get it?
Under 2 minutes. Describe your practice type, clinical procedures, surgery layout, and staff arrangements, and Anyrisks generates a complete, CQC-compliant dental practice risk assessment instantly.
Also see: The Ultimate Guide to Risk Assessment · Do I Need a Risk Assessment? · Risk Assessment Legal Requirements · Risk Assessment Generator