A medical practice is both a clinical environment and a workplace. That means occupational health and safety cannot be reduced to one policy in a file. The practice needs a working system that identifies hazards, controls them, trains staff, records what was done and reviews whether the controls remain effective.
The Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993 establishes duties relating to health and safety at work and the protection of people affected by workplace activities. The exact documents and appointments required depend on the practice’s size, services, premises, staffing and risk profile.
A practical medical-practice OHS checklist
- Confirm responsibility. Identify who owns the compliance system, who completes inspections and who follows up corrective actions. A delegated task does not remove the employer’s overall responsibility.
- Map the work. List the services, rooms, equipment, substances, staff activities, contractors and patient flows that may create risk.
- Identify hazards. Consider sharps and biological exposure; cleaning chemicals and medicines; slips and falls; manual handling; workstation ergonomics; electrical and fire risks; security or aggression; waste; equipment failure; and emergency situations.
- Assess and prioritise risk. Record who may be harmed, the existing controls, the likelihood and consequence, further action required, the responsible person and the review date.
- Put controls into practice. Use appropriate engineering, administrative and personal protective measures. Policies should match what actually happens in the rooms.
- Train and brief staff. Keep evidence of induction, task-specific training, emergency arrangements and any competency checks.
- Inspect the workplace. Use a repeatable checklist, record findings and close each action rather than filing an unsigned form.
- Prepare for incidents. Make emergency contacts, first-aid arrangements, exposure pathways and internal reporting steps easy to find.
- Investigate and improve. Record incidents and near misses, identify contributing system factors and verify that corrective actions were completed.
- Control the documents. Give policies and forms clear names, owners, approval dates, versions and review dates.
What should be easy to retrieve?
A practice should be able to retrieve its current policy, risk assessments, inspection records, training evidence, emergency information, relevant appointments, incident records, equipment or maintenance evidence, corrective-action log and the supporting documents required by applicable employment and information-governance law.
The goal is not a thick file. It is consistent evidence that hazards were recognised, decisions were made, people were informed and problems were corrected.
Common mistakes
- using a generic template that does not match the premises;
- listing risks without assigning actions or deadlines;
- keeping signed appointments but no evidence of implementation;
- recording inspections without closing findings;
- treating clinical infection control and employee safety as unrelated systems; and
- allowing outdated versions of policies to remain in circulation.
Where can a practice owner start?
Start with one walk-through of the premises and one master action register. Prioritise serious and likely risks, allocate realistic deadlines, and schedule the next review. If legal interpretation or specialist assessment is required, obtain advice from an appropriately qualified professional.
The Complete Occupational Health and Safety Compliance Handbook by Dr Bianca Crook expands this checklist into a structured compliance-management system for South African medical practices.
Official source
Educational and operational information only. It does not replace legal advice or a site-specific occupational health and safety assessment. Reviewed 2 September 2026.