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GOC Standard 12: Health and Safety in Optical Practice

Promoting Patient and Colleague Safety in the Practice Environment (Within S12)

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Health & Safety (GOC S12)
Health & Safety Matters
Legal & Professional Requirements
Deciding Who Will Help
Health & Safety Policy
Controlling Risks
Consultation & Training
Workplace Facilities
Accidents and Ill Health
Who to Complain To
H&S Law Poster & Insurance
Specific Risks in Optical Practice
Everyday Risks
Vulnerable Groups & Access
Vulnerable Groups (Scenarios)
Emergencies in Optical Practice
Emergency Situations
Reflection & Continuous Improvement
GOC Standard 12 Pass Notes
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GOC Standard 12: Health & Safety
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Scenarios: Emergency Situations

Clarity and calm save time in emergencies. The scenarios below show actions that protect people and create a reliable record of what happened.^[3]^[2]

Scenario 5

Scenario

A cleaner is decanting disinfectant when some of the product splashes into their eye. They immediately clutch their face, reporting sharp pain and visible redness, and nearby colleagues move quickly to help.

What first aid and escalation steps should follow?

Move to the eye-wash station and irrigate with sterile saline for at least 15 minutes, checking the COSHH sheet for product-specific advice. Remove contact lenses if worn and continue irrigation. If symptoms persist or the product is high-risk, arrange urgent assessment. Record the incident with product name, batch if known, PPE worn, first aid given, and advice sought. Review decanting practices, containers and labelling; consider pre-diluted products to remove the decanting step.^[5]^[4]^[6]^[2]
Accountability details: who supervised first aid; what PPE was available; when the COSHH review will occur; and why the chosen control change reduces recurrence.^[1]^[2]

Scenario 6

Scenario

A patient collapses in reception and is unresponsive. Staff and bystanders rush to the scene, and reception space becomes busy and tense as someone shouts for help and a colleague looks for emergency equipment.

How should roles and documentation unfold?

Check responsiveness and breathing. Call 999, start CPR if indicated, and deploy an AED if available. Assign roles: one leads CPR, one calls 999, one meets the ambulance, one documents times and observations. Protect privacy and clear the area. After handover, complete the incident report and support staff with a short debrief.^[3]^[2]^[7]^[6]
Accountability details: who performed each role; what time key actions occurred; when follow-up with staff and patient family will happen; and why any changes to layout or kit location are planned.^[1]^[7]

References (numbered in text)

Standards for optical businesses (effective from 1 January 2025) — General Optical Council Find (opens in a new tab)
First aid at work: Guidance on regulations (L74) — Health and Safety Executive (Publication: 2013; updated 2018 and 2024) Find (opens in a new tab)
Adult basic life support and automated external defibrillation — Resuscitation Council UK (authors listed: Gavin Perkins; Mick Colquhoun; Charles Deakin; Anthony Handley; Chris Smith; Michael Smyth) Find (opens in a new tab)
Harm via skin or eye contact (S100) — COSHH Essentials, Health and Safety Executive Find (opens in a new tab)
Eye injuries — NHS (page last reviewed: 07 June 2022) Find (opens in a new tab)
RIDDOR – Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations — Health and Safety Executive (guidance pages) Find (opens in a new tab)
Patient Safety Incident Response Framework (PSIRF) — NHS England (23 July 2024) Find (opens in a new tab)

Key Points

Please take a moment to review these points, reflect on their significance and consider how they apply to your own experiences.

Tick to confirm (optional):

Chemical eye exposure: irrigate immediately at an eye-wash station for at least 15 minutes and remove contact lenses before continuing irrigation.
Check COSHH data for product-specific advice and record product name and batch if known.
For serious or persistent symptoms escalate promptly to urgent assessment and document rationale.
Patient collapse: assess responsiveness and breathing, call 999, start CPR and deploy an AED if indicated.
Assign clear roles (CPR lead, 999 caller, ambulance liaison, documenter) and record times and actions.
Complete incident reports, conduct a short staff debrief, and implement accountable follow-up actions to reduce recurrence.

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Emergencies in Optical Practice Reflection & Continuous Improvement

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Course Snapshot

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Length: 60 minutes CPD (1.00 CE Credits)
Appropriate for: Optometrists, dispensing opticians, practice managers, practice nurses, dispensing staff, locums and equipment custodians in optical settings.
Course Price: Free
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Harvard

Mecourse Lifelong Learning (2025) ‘Scenario Page 3: Emergency Situations’. Mecourse Lifelong Learning [Online]. Available at: https://www.mecourse.com/scenario-page-3-emergency-situations [Accessed 12 May 2026].

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Mecourse Lifelong Learning. Scenario Page 3: Emergency Situations [Internet]. Mecourse Lifelong Learning; 2025 Aug 22 [cited 2026 May 12]. Available from: https://www.mecourse.com/scenario-page-3-emergency-situations.

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AMA

Mecourse Lifelong Learning. Scenario Page 3: Emergency Situations. Mecourse Lifelong Learning. Published August 22, 2025. Accessed May 12, 2026. https://www.mecourse.com/scenario-page-3-emergency-situations.

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