About this course
Strong health and safety means reduced risks, protected patients, and confident teams.
[podcast mini /media/goc-standard-12-h-and-s-intro.mp3]
Every clinic, whether bustling on the high street or quietly serving patients at home, shares one responsibility: keeping people safe. Health and safety in optical practice isn’t just about regulations or paperwork—it’s about creating an environment where patients trust you, staff feel confident, and risks are spotted before they become incidents.
Think about the moments that matter: a spill on the floor that could cause a fall, an electrical fault that interrupts care, or a rushed locum unsure of emergency procedures. Small oversights in these areas can have huge consequences. That’s why GOC Standard 12 places health and safety at the heart of professional practice.
This course will guide you through practical, proportionate steps—risk assessments, simple checklists, clear roles, and effective record-keeping—that make safety part of your daily routine. By embedding these habits, you’ll not only comply with the law—you’ll reduce stress, build resilience in your team, and create a safer, more reliable service for every person who walks through your door.
A safe environment is essential for effective optical care. This course guides you through identifying hazards, following safety procedures, and meeting your legal responsibilities. With clear strategies, you will be equipped to meet GOC Standard 12 with confidence.
This course is relevant to the whole optical team, including
- Registered optical professionals wanting reliable CPD mapped to GOC Standards
- Locums, jobseekers, and overseas practitioners needing to demonstrate current knowledge
- Colleagues addressing professional challenges who require structured CPD for reflection and remediation
- Managers and teams who want consistent, defensible training
CPD Time: 60 minutes (1 CE Credit / 1 Non-interactive CPD Point)
Assessment: 10 MCQs. Pass mark 80%. more…
On passing the assessment you will immediately receive a CPD Certificate.
Customer feedback on this course
- Practical and concise — we implemented the daily checks the next week.
- Clear role templates made assigning responsibilities straightforward.
- Excellent scenarios that mirror real practice risks.
- Helpful guidance on accessibility and reasonable adjustments.
- Useful checklists and record formats that reduced paperwork.
Aim:
To meet GOC Standard 12 by equipping optical practice staff to maintain a safe, accessible, and well-recorded working environment focused on proportionate risk controls.
Course objectives:
- Provide clear teaching on legal and professional health and safety duties, including essential records, role allocation, and proportionate controls in optical practice.
- Deliver practical tools, checklists, and scenarios to help learners identify hazards, implement reasonable adjustments, and prepare for emergencies effectively.
Anticipated learning outcomes:
On course completion you will be able to:
- Describe legal and professional responsibilities (Standard 12) for health and safety in optical practice, including key UK regulations and record-keeping requirements.
- Identify common workplace risks and apply proportionate controls (Standard 12) to premises, equipment, and accessibility for vulnerable patients.
- Implement emergency preparedness measures and document incidents accurately (Standard 12) to support accountability, reflection, and continuous improvement.
GOC Framework Mapping:
Standard 12: Safe Environment: Health & Safety
Domain: Clinical Practice
Learning content:
Why Health & Safety Matters | Legal and Professional Requirements | Deciding Who Will Help | Health & Safety Policy | Controlling Risks | Employee Consultation, Training, and Information | Workplace Facilities | Accidents and Ill Health | Who to Complain To | The Health & Safety Law Poster & Insurance | Specific Risks in Optical Practice | Scenario Page 1: Everyday Risks | Vulnerable Groups and Accessibility | Scenario Page 2: Vulnerable Groups | Emergencies in Optical Practice | Scenario Page 3: Emergency Situations | Reflection and Continuous Improvement | MCQ | Reading List
View full course description
GOC Standard 12: Health and Safety in Optical Practice
Course Description
GOC Standard 12: Health and Safety in Optical Practice
This course provides practical guidance for optical professionals to meet GOC Standard 12. It focuses on proportionate controls, clear role allocation and concise records to reduce incidents and demonstrate compliance.
Why Health & Safety Matters
Explains the link between safety, patient trust and regulatory compliance. Covers routines that reduce cognitive load and high-yield daily controls suited to small practices.
Legal and Professional Requirements
Summarises relevant UK law and regulations, including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Management of H&S Regulations, COSHH, manual handling, DSE, RIDDOR and the Equality Act 2010. Lists essential records to demonstrate compliance.
Deciding Who Will Help
Guidance on appointing H&S leads, fire responsible persons, first aiders, equipment custodians, DSE assessors and COSHH coordinators. Covers role clarity, deputies and adapting roles for small teams or locums.
Health & Safety Policy
Shows a concise policy structure (statement, organisation, arrangements), required content, revision logs and making the policy a practical working document.
Controlling Risks
Teaches the five-step risk assessment process and the hierarchy of control. Emphasises observing real work, choosing effective controls and recording owners and review dates.
Employee Consultation, Training, and Information
Explains the legal duty to consult staff, induction and refresher training topics, placing key information where needed, and recording evidence of consultation and training.
Workplace Facilities
Covers waiting-room and reception safety, staff welfare and DSE setup, chemical storage and COSHH access, facility check schedules and accessibility features.
Accidents and Ill Health
Covers first-aid needs, eye-wash provision, accident book essentials, RIDDOR criteria, proportionate investigations and secure record storage.
Who to Complain To
Explains internal complaints procedures and external reporting routes (local authority, HSE, GOC, police), plus using complaints to improve systems while protecting openness.
The Health & Safety Law Poster & Insurance
Covers displaying HSE materials, employers' liability certificates, professional insurance records and review checks.
Specific Risks in Optical Practice
Focuses on DSE issues, electrical safety, PAT testing, fire, manual handling, PPE, slips and contact dermatitis with practical controls and check schedules.
Scenario Page 1: Everyday Risks
Practical responses to trip hazards, faulty equipment and proportionate recording and ownership of corrective actions.
Vulnerable Groups and Accessibility
Guidance on ramps, signage, hearing loops, sensory adjustments, seating and domiciliary visit planning to ensure reasonable adjustments.
Scenario Page 2: Vulnerable Groups
Case-based actions for wheelchair access, autistic children and recording adjustments with named owners.
Emergencies in Optical Practice
Covers fire drills, evacuation, medical emergencies, BLS, anaphylaxis, eye irrigation, ambulance liaison and emergency logs.
Scenario Page 3: Emergency Situations
Scenario guidance for chemical eye exposure, patient collapse, assigned roles, documentation and debrief actions.
Reflection and Continuous Improvement
Using incident logs and audits for small cycles of improvement, tracking a small set of measures and encouraging open reporting including locums.
Reading List
Key UK legislation and HSE guidance (HSWA, Management Regs, COSHH), DSE, PPE and MHRA guidance, RIDDOR and regulator responsibilities.
Course completion
You will complete a feedback survey, take a 10-question multiple-choice exam and receive a CPD certificate on passing. The course emphasises practical application, records and short audit cycles.
You can copy and adapt this example PDP entry for your own needs and circumstances.
| PDP Learning or Maintenance need |
| Understanding and applying GOC Standard 12 in day-to-day optical practice |
| How does this relate to my field of practice? |
| Ensures the practice environment is safe, accessible and compliant for patients and staff. |
| Which development outcome(s) does it link to? |
| Standard 12 |
| What benefit will this have to my work? |
| Reduced incidents, clearer accountability, improved patient trust and regulatory readiness. |
| How will I meet this learning or maintenance need? |
| Complete this course, update key risk assessments and implement simple daily checks and role allocations. |
| When will I complete the activity? |