Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Anaphylaxis
- A severe, life-threatening allergic reaction needing immediate emergency treatment.
- Blood-borne virus
- An infection such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV that can be passed on through blood.
- Botulinum toxin
- A prescription-only medicine injected to relax muscles, commonly used to smooth facial lines.
- Caldicott Guardian
- The senior person responsible for protecting the confidentiality of people's health and care information.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Cold chain
- Keeping vaccines and certain medicines within a safe temperature range from delivery to use.
- Competent person
- Someone with enough training, experience and knowledge to help manage health and safety properly.
- Control of Artificial Optical Radiation at Work Regulations 2010
- The law requiring employers to protect workers from harmful light sources such as lasers and intense pulsed light.
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)
- The law for safely managing chemicals and other hazardous substances at work.
- Controlled treatment area
- A defined space where laser or intense pulsed light use is restricted and protective measures apply.
- Cryogen
- A very cold substance, such as liquid nitrogen, used to freeze and remove skin lesions.
- Cytotoxic waste
- Waste containing medicines or materials that are toxic to cells and must be disposed of with special care.
- Decontamination
- The combined process of cleaning, disinfecting and, where needed, sterilising equipment so it is safe to reuse.
- Dermal filler
- An injectable gel used to smooth lines or add volume to the skin, often based on hyaluronic acid.
- Display screen equipment
- Computer screens and similar display devices that staff use, which can cause strain if not set up safely.
- Energy-based device (EBD)
- Equipment that delivers light or other energy to the skin for treatment, such as a laser or intense pulsed light system.
- Environmental Protection Act 1990
- The law setting out the duty to handle and dispose of waste safely and responsibly.
- FFP3 respirator
- A close-fitting face mask that filters out fine airborne particles to protect the wearer's lungs.
- Hazard
- Anything with the potential to cause harm, such as a chemical, a sharp object or a wet floor.
- Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005
- The law controlling how dangerous waste is stored, moved and disposed of.
- Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992
- The law requiring employers to assess and reduce the risks of computer and screen work.
- Health and Safety (Sharps Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013
- The law setting out how to prevent and respond to injuries from needles and other sharp items in healthcare.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- The main law making employers responsible for the health, safety and welfare of staff and others affected by their work.
- Health and Safety Executive
- The national body that regulates and enforces workplace health and safety law in Great Britain.
- Health and Safety Law poster
- An official poster employers must display telling staff their basic health and safety rights and duties.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting the fundamental standards that providers of regulated care must meet, enforced by the Care Quality Commission.
- Hierarchy of control
- A ranked approach to reducing risk, starting with removing the hazard and using protective equipment only as a last resort.
- Hyaluronic acid
- A natural substance used in many dermal fillers because it holds water and adds volume to the skin.
- Hyaluronidase
- An enzyme injected to dissolve hyaluronic acid filler, used to treat complications such as a blocked blood vessel.
- Infection prevention and control
- The measures used to stop infection spreading between clients, staff and visitors.
- Intense pulsed light
- A device that uses broad-spectrum light to treat the skin, for example for hair or pigment removal.
- Laser Protection Adviser
- A specialist who advises a clinic on the safe use of lasers and intense pulsed light equipment.
- Laser Protection Supervisor
- The staff member responsible for day-to-day safe use of lasers and intense pulsed light in the clinic.
- Local Rules
- Written safety instructions for using a specific laser or intense pulsed light device and its controlled area.
- Lone working
- Working alone without close or direct supervision, which can carry extra personal-safety risks.
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999
- The law requiring employers to assess risks and put suitable health and safety arrangements in place.
- Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992
- The law on avoiding and reducing the risk of injury from lifting, carrying and moving loads at work.
- Microneedling
- A treatment that uses tiny needles to make small punctures in the skin to encourage repair.
- Near miss
- An event that could have caused harm but did not, by chance or because it was caught in time.
- Nominal ocular hazard distance
- The distance from a laser beyond which it is no longer expected to harm the eyes.
- Nominated Individual
- The senior person responsible to the regulator for supervising how a service is provided.
- Optical density
- A measure of how strongly protective eyewear blocks a particular wavelength of light.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Items such as gloves, aprons, masks and eyewear worn to protect against harm or infection.
- Plume
- The smoke or vapour given off when tissue is treated with a laser or electrosurgical device.
- Portable appliance testing
- The routine checking of electrical equipment to confirm it is safe to use.
- Prescription-only medicine (POM)
- A medicine that may lawfully be supplied only on the instruction of an appropriate prescriber.
- Reasonably practicable
- A level of safety effort that is sensible given the risk, where extra measures would be grossly out of proportion to the benefit.
- Registered Manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Regulated activity
- A type of care or treatment the law requires a provider to register with the regulator to deliver.
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
- The law requiring a responsible person to assess and manage fire risks in a workplace.
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
- The law requiring certain workplace injuries, diseases and dangerous events to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive.
- Responsible Person
- The person legally accountable for fire safety in a building, normally the employer or registered manager.
- Risk assessment
- A structured check identifying what could cause harm and what is being done to prevent it.
- Sharps
- Needles, blades and other items that can cut or puncture the skin.
- Sodium deoxycholate
- An injectable substance used to break down small pockets of fat.
- Thread lift
- A procedure that uses dissolvable threads inserted under the skin to lift and tighten it.
- Vascular occlusion
- A blockage of a blood vessel, a serious complication that can occur after a dermal filler injection.
- Waste transfer or consignment note
- The legal record that tracks waste from a clinic to the licensed company that disposes of it.