What is a risk assessment?

• A. Auditing staff performance.
• B. Identifying hazards, assessing risks and putting control measures in place.
• C. Recording daily tasks.
• D. Evaluating patient satisfaction.

Answer: (B)

Risk assessment means systematically identifying hazards in the dental environment, judging how likely harm is and how serious it could be, and then putting in place measures to control or eliminate that risk. In practice this means spotting things that could cause harm—like sharps injuries, chemical exposure, infection-control breaches, radiation from X-rays, or slips—assessing how big a danger they pose, and choosing controls such as safer handling, engineering or procedural changes, training, PPE, and proper waste and sterilisation practices. The assessment should be documented and reviewed whenever processes change or new hazards appear. This focus on safety planning is what makes this option the best match. It differs from auditing staff performance, recording daily tasks, or evaluating patient satisfaction, which relate to performance review, administration, or feedback rather than safety protection.