Health & Safety Statement
Elite Dental Agency recognizes its responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and secondary healthcare regulations. We are committed to ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare of our temporary agency staff (nurses and receptionists) and anyone else who may be affected by our operational activities.
Because our personnel operate remotely inside third-party dental practices across Kent and Sussex, health and safety is a shared obligation between our agency, our registered professionals, and our host practice clients.
Our Objective: To promote an incident-free working culture where clinical teams feel safe, practices remain fully compliant, and the public or patients receive care in a secure environment.
1. Our Responsibilities as an Agency
Elite Dental Agency takes proactive steps to ensure our candidates are fit, qualified, and prepared to operate safely. We accept responsibility for:
- Pre-Placement Vetting: Validating candidate compliance profiles before dispatch, including GDC status, up-to-date clinical immunisation records, and valid personal indemnity cover.
- Information Provision: Ensuring locum workers receive adequate details regarding their host practice assignments, including the type of dental software in use and any known structural parameters.
- Feedback Processing: Monitoring workplace safety standards through continuous communication channels, treating candidate concerns regarding host clinical environments with absolute priority.
2. Host Practice Responsibilities
Host dental practices utilizing locum support from Elite Dental Agency assume day-to-day statutory responsibility for the workplace environment. Host practices must ensure:
- Local Inductions: Providing clear on-site orientations on the first day of cover, pointing out fire exits, first aid kits, emergency dental drug cases, and localized emergency evacuation paths.
- Equipment Safety: Maintaining all clinical equipment—including dental chairs, X-ray machinery, and autoclave units—in safe working order, accompanied by valid maintenance certifications.
- Infection Control & COSHH: Providing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and maintaining strict protocols regarding hazardous materials, clinical waste disposal, and sharps safety in line with current UK cross-infection guidelines.
3. Agency Staff Responsibilities
All temporary dental nurses and receptionists placed by Elite Dental Agency have a legal duty to take reasonable care of their own health and safety, alongside that of colleagues and patients. Agency staff are required to:
- Comply strictly with the local health, safety, and cross-infection protocols established by the host practice.
- Utilize provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) properly throughout all clinical or surgical cycles.
- Report any workplace hazard, near-miss, broken equipment, or safety concern immediately to the on-site Practice Manager or clinical lead.
- Refuse to perform any clinical task or operate any dental equipment if they have not received proper training or feel it poses an immediate safety hazard.
4. Accident and Incident Reporting
In the event of an injury or accident occurring during a temporary placement assignment (such as a needle-stick injury or a slip, trip, or fall):
1. The agency professional must immediately follow the host practice’s internal emergency and first aid protocols.
2. The incident must be documented in the host practice's official physical or digital Accident Book.
3. The agency professional must notify Elite Dental Agency via phone or email as soon as reasonably possible so we can offer support and log the event into our central tracking systems.
5. Policy Monitoring
This statement and our internal vetting grids are reviewed annually to stay perfectly aligned with changing healthcare guidelines and standard UK workplace legislation.
For any queries, hazard reports, or documentation updates, please reach out directly:
Email: Info@elitedental.uk