DN9K 04 (GEN3)
Maintain health and safety in a clinical/therapeutic environment
About this Unit
This Unit covers the maintenance of health and safety in a clinical or therapeutic
environment.
This includes control of cross-infection by ensuring effective cleaning rooms, work areas,
equipment and surfaces when required and following agreed cleaning schedules, where
appropriate. It also covers monitoring and maintaining the cleanliness of the environment
and reporting shortfalls to the person in charge of the care area. Monitoring and adjusting
environmental factors, assessing risk and managing and handling emergencies related to
the clinical/therapeutic environment are also included.
Scope
The scope is here to give you guidance on possible areas to be covered in this Unit. The terms
in this section give you a list of options linked with items in the performance criteria. You
need to provide evidence for any option related to your work area.
Cleaning includes:
(a) cleaning the clinical work area before and after surgical procedures
(b) after discharge of patients
(c) or when a substance — such as body fluids — has been split
It involves using cleaning equipment relevant to the cleaning task.
Cleaning equipment includes that is used for manual and powered cleaning of the work area
before and after surgical and therapeutic procedures.
Cleaning materials and agents include:
(a) disposable wipes
(b) disinfectants and detergents
Environmental emergencies include:
(a) fire
(b) water leaks
(c) chemical spillage
Environmental factors include:
(a) temperature
(b) light
(c) humidity
(d) ventilation
(e) pollutants
(f)
ionising radiation and non-ionising radiation
Hazardous materials include:
(a) compressed gases
(b) chemicals
(c) ionising radiation
(d) infectious materials
(e) blood
(f)
sharps and needles
Unit: DN9K 04 (GEN3) Maintain health and safety in a clinic/therapeutic environment
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DN9K 04 (GEN3)
Maintain health and safety in a clinical/therapeutic environment
Standard precautions and health and safety measures a series of interventions which will
minimise or prevent infection and cross infection, including:
(a) hand washing/cleaning before during and after the activity
(b) use of personal protective clothing and additional protective equipment when
appropriate
It also includes:
(a) handling contaminated items
(b) disposing of waste and untoward incident procedures
Waste, spillage and spoilage includes:
(a) room temperature
(b) refrigerated (ie 2-8 degrees)
(c) secured (eg in locked cupboard)
(d) in-patients secured locker — for self administration purposes
Evidence Requirements for the Unit
It is essential that you adhere to the Evidence Requirements for this Unit – please see
details overleaf.
Unit: DN9K 04 (GEN3) Maintain health and safety in a clinic/therapeutic environment
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DN9K 04 (GEN3)
Maintain health and safety in a clinical/therapeutic environment
Specific Evidence Requirements for this Unit
Simulation:

Simulation is permitted for the handling of environmental emergencies part of this
Unit.
The following forms of evidence are mandatory:

Direct observation: your assessor/expert witness must observe you in real work
activities, which provide evidence for a significant number of the performance criteria
for this unit. You should be maintaining the cleanliness of the clinical/therapeutic
environment.

Reflective accounts/professional discussion: these will be descriptions of your
monitoring and maintaining the cleanliness of the environment and reporting shortfalls
to the person in charge of the care area. Monitoring and adjusting environmental
factors, assessing risk and managing and handling emergencies. You should be able to
give examples of how you dealt with any problems encountered eg lack of stock, this
should also include any record keeping and should refer to any current legislation or
regulations.
Competence of performance and knowledge could also be demonstrated using a variety
of evidence from the following:

Questioning: may be used to provide evidence of knowledge, legislation, policies and
procedures, which cannot be fully evidenced through direct observation or reflective
accounts. In addition the assessor/expert witness may also ask questions to clarify
aspects of your practice.

Witness testimony: can be a confirmation or authentication of the activities described
in your evidence that your assessor has not seen. This could be provided by a work
colleague, or the person in charge of the clinical/therapeutic area.

Work Products: these can be any records that you would normally use within your
normal role eg individuals care plan, risk assessment, untoward incident record.
Product evidence will be important for this unit. NB Confidential records are not
required to be in your portfolio, they can remain where they are normally stored and
checked by your assessors and verifier. If they are included they must be made
anonymous.

APL/Assignment/Project: you may have already completed a project or assignment
from Vocationally Related Qualification; you may also have evidence from other
training eg Health and Safety, Infection control, Personal Protective
Clothing/equipment, Moving and Handling, recording and reporting. COSHH,
communication.
General guidance

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Prior to commencing this Unit you should agree and complete an assessment plan with
your assessor which details the assessment methods you will be using, and the tasks
you will be undertaking to demonstrate your competence.
Evidence must be provided for ALL of the performance criteria ALL of the
knowledge and the parts of the scope that are relevant to your job role.
The evidence must reflect the policies and procedures of your workplace and be linked
to current legislation, values and the principles of best practice within Health and Care
Settings. This will include the National Service Standard and/or Knowledge and Skills
Framework for your areas of work and the individuals you care for.
All evidence must relate to your own work practice.
Unit: DN9K 04 (GEN3) Maintain health and safety in a clinic/therapeutic environment
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DN9K 04 (GEN3)
Maintain health and safety in a clinical/therapeutic environment
KNOWLEDGE SPECIFICATION FOR THIS UNIT
Competent practice is a combination of the application of skills and knowledge informed by
values and ethics. This specification details the knowledge and understanding required to
carry out competent practice in the performance described in this unit.
When using this specification it is important to read the knowledge requirements in
relation to expectations and requirements of your job role.
You need to provide evidence for ALL knowledge points listed below. There are a
variety of ways this can be achieved so it is essential that you read the ‘knowledge
evidence’ section of the Assessment Guidance.
You need to show that you know, understand and can apply in
practice:
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A factual awareness of the current European and national
legislation, national guidelines and local policies and protocols
which affect your work practice in relation to maintaining health
and safety in a clinical environment, including:
(a) health and safety at work
(b) safe working methods
(c) control of infection
(d) use of hazardous materials (COSHH)
(e) waste disposal
(f)
use of medical devices and product liability
(g) security within the workplace
2
A working understanding of your responsibilities and
accountability in relation to the current European and national
legislation, national guide lines and local policies and protocols.
3
A factual awareness of the importance of working within your own
sphere of competence and seeking advice when faced with
situations outside your sphere of competence.
4
A working understanding of the importance of applying standard
precautions and the potential consequences of poor practice.
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A working understanding of the causes of infection and crossinfection.
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A working understanding of:
(a) exposure prone procedures in which additional protective
equipment is needed
(b) the types of additional protective equipment available
(c) the suitability of different types of additional protective
equipment for different situations
(d) the importance of wearing adequate and appropriate
additional protective equipment
Risk assessment
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A working understanding of the risks which are present in clinical
work areas and how they can be minimised.
8
A working understanding of how to identify risk when planning
work activities and undertaking work in a way which minimises
them.
Unit: DN9K 04 (GEN3) Maintain health and safety in a clinic/therapeutic environment
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DN9K 04 (GEN3)
Maintain health and safety in a clinical/therapeutic environment
You need to show that you know, understand and can apply in
practice:
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A working understanding of how to undertake a risk assessment in
your clinical work area.
10
A working understanding of the health, safety and security risks
which may occur and the appropriate action to take when they do
(eg take action oneself to limit the effect of the risk, call someone
else more able to deal with the risk).
Waste and spillage
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A working understanding of the different types of waste and
spillage, and the colour coded container for disposal of each type.
12
A working understanding of the importance of correctly disposing
of:
(a) non-clinical waste
(b) clinical waste
(c) single-use medical devices
(d) re-useable medical devices for processing
Cleaning
13
A factual awareness of how the cleanliness of the clinical work area
contributes to health and safety and infection control and the
special requirements within your own work area.
14
A working understanding of the times at which cleaning is
required, and the extent of cleaning which should be undertaken.
15
A factual understanding of the times when cleaning areas of the
department would be inappropriate and the reasons for this.
16
A working understanding of circumstances in which agreement to
cleaning should be sought from another member of the team.
17
A factual awareness of which cleaning equipment and materials
should be used on different surfaces and for different cleaning
tasks.
18
A working understanding of methods of diluting cleaning agents,
the importance of correct dilution, the potential consequences of
incorrect dilution and the water temperature required for dilutions
to be effective.
19
A working understanding of safe methods for using and storing
cleaning equipment and materials.
Environmental factors
20
A working understanding of the relationship between patient care
and desired levels of environmental factors.
21
A working understanding of how to measure, adjust and maintain
acceptable levels of temperature, light, humidity, ventilation,
pollutants, ionising radiation and non-ionising radiation.
22
A working understanding of the risks associated with radiation in
the workplace.
23
A working understanding of the radiation precautions undertaken in
the workplace.
24
A working understanding of the reporting procedures for
breakdowns in levels of environmental factors.
25
A working understanding of situations in which levels of
environmental factors may need to be compromised.
Unit: DN9K 04 (GEN3) Maintain health and safety in a clinic/therapeutic environment
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DN9K 04 (GEN3)
Maintain health and safety in a clinical/therapeutic environment
You need to show that you know, understand and can apply in
practice:
Handling environmental emergencies
26
A working understanding of the different types of environmental
emergencies that may occur in the clinical environment.
27
A working understanding of the appropriate safety procedures for
different kinds of emergencies.
28
A working understanding of which type of fire extinguisher/blanket
to use in each type of fire (electrical, chemical, combustible
material).
Records and documentation
29
A working understanding of the records that have to be kept in
relation to health, safety and security.
30
A working understanding of the importance of completing records
accurately, legibly and completely, and passing them on to the
relevant person for further action where appropriate.
31
A working understanding of the importance of immediately
reporting any issues which are outside your own sphere of
competence without delay to the relevant member of staff.
Specific to decontamination facilities/controlled environment
32
A working understanding of the difference between clean and other
areas of the decontamination facility.
33
A working understanding of how to maintain the environment to
enable the unit to meet the requirements specified in the Standards
and Practice Manual issued by the ISSM (The Institute of Sterile
Services Management).
34
A working understanding of reasons why access to various areas of
the department is restricted.
35
A working understanding of how to ensure the traceability of all
equipment received into the controlled environment.
36
A working understanding of why it is important to maintain
positive air pressure in the controlled environment.
37
A factual understanding of the basic system of filtered air
circulation with positive pressure changes to other areas.
38
A working understanding of why stock is transferred through hatch
or air locks.
39
A working understanding of why stock holding is limited in the
controlled environment.
40
A factual understanding of the risk to articles posed by particles in
the controlled environment.
Unit: DN9K 04 (GEN3) Maintain health and safety in a clinic/therapeutic environment
Enter Evidence
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DN9K 04 (GEN3)
Maintain health and safety in a clinical/therapeutic environment
Performance criteria
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DO
RA
EW
Q
P
WT
Apply standard precautions for
infection control and other relevant
health and safety measures.
Ensure you wear personal protective
clothing relevant to the activity and
additional protective equipment when
dealing with exposure prone
procedures.
Identify risks prior to starting work
activities, evaluate and report the risks
identified and respond appropriately.
Use and store all equipment and materials
is accordance with manufacturer’s
instructions and organisational policies
and procedures.
Keep work areas as safe and free from
hazards as is possible during work
activities and report any situations where
risks arise that prevent work going ahead
or continuing, restricting access to risk
area until the area has been assessed as
safe.
Place waste containers in positions that
will minimise hazards to staff and visitors
and dispose of full waste containers
promptly and in accordance with
departmental procedures.
Carry out cleaning of areas according to
the cleaning schedule or as requested,
using the correct equipment for cleaning
according to the surface and the cleaning
task.
Follow manufacturer’s instructions and
departmental COSHH risk assessments
on dilutions, use of cleaning equipment,
materials and agents and additional
protective equipment.
Use the cleaning equipment, materials
and agents in a manner that minimises
risk to yourself and others taking
appropriate action when problems arise
during cleaning.
Set up hazard warnings when the cleaned
surfaces are likely to cause risk to people.
Return cleaning equipment and cleaning
materials in good working order and
condition to the appropriate place after
use.
DO = Direct Observation
EW = Expert Witness
RA = Reflective Account
P = Product (Work)
Unit: DN9K 04 (GEN3) Maintain health and safety in a clinic/therapeutic environment
Q = Questions
WT = Witness Testimony
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DN9K 04 (GEN3)
Maintain health and safety in a clinical/therapeutic environment
Performance criteria
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DO
RA
EW
Q
P
WT
Equipment is safely stored and does not
block any entry/exits or emergency
equipment.
Observe and monitor the general
cleanliness of the environment and report
to the appropriate person when there is
concern over the level of cleanliness.
Identify all people entering the
department area and establish their right
to entry.
Minimise your movement within
controlled areas and restrict access to
others.
Maintain segregation of designated clean
and other areas within the department.
Monitor and regulate environmental
factors to maintain acceptable levels.
Respond appropriately to environmental
emergencies.
Complete all documentation relating to
health and safety, accurately and legibly
in line with organisational policy.
DO = Direct Observation
EW = Expert Witness
RA = Reflective Account
P = Product (Work)
Unit: DN9K 04 (GEN3) Maintain health and safety in a clinic/therapeutic environment
Q = Questions
WT = Witness Testimony
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DN9K 04 (GEN3)
Maintain health and safety in a clinical/therapeutic environment
To be completed by the Candidate
I SUBMIT THIS AS A COMPLETE UNIT
Candidate’s name: ……………………………………………
Candidate’s signature: ………………………………………..
Date: …………………………………………………………..
To be completed by the Assessor
It is a shared responsibility of both the candidate and assessor to claim evidence, however, it
is the responsibility of the assessor to ensure the accuracy/validity of each evidence claim and
make the final decision.
I CERTIFY THAT SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE HAS BEEN PRODUCED TO MEET
ALL THE ELEMENTS, PCS AND KNOWLEDGE OF THIS UNIT.
Assessor’s name: …………………………………………….
Assessor’s signature: ………………………………………....
Date: …………………………………………………………..
Assessor/Internal Verifier Feedback
To be completed by the Internal Verifier if applicable
This section only needs to be completed if the Unit is sampled by the Internal Verifier
Internal Verifier’s name: ……………………………………………
Internal Verifier’s signature: ………………………………………..
Date: ……………………………………..…………………………..
Unit: DN9K 04 (GEN3) Maintain health and safety in a clinic/therapeutic environment
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