First aid
EVERY WORKER EXPECTS his or her working environment to be safe. Yet, as we know, accidents do happen. With that in mind, it is equally comforting to know that should an accident occur, there would be measures in place to deal with it in the best possible way.
Employers should, therefore, ensure that any employee who is injured or falls ill at work receives first aid immediately.
The HSE openly states it will prosecute where it finds a disregard for standards, significant risks and poor compliance with the law, so it is in employers’ best interests to make sure they have adequate equipment, facilities and procedures in place for their staff. This means you will then be complying with The Health and
Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
Q1: What should I be doing then?
For any site or workplace, the minimum you should make sure you have is a suitably-stocked first aid box and an appointed person who will look after the first aid arrangements. The first aid kit should be suitable for the size and undertaking of the workplace, and should include basic items like assorted sized adhesive dressings, eye pads, safety pins, sterile bandages, eye wash and a selection of wound dressings. Remember to keep your stocks up to date – and tell people where it is located!
Q2: What does my appointed person have to do?
Your appointed person is essentially a member of staff who can take charge if someone becomes ill or injured, and also has responsibility for looking after the practice’s first aid equipment.
This might mean restocking the first aid kit or carrying out a risk assessment, for example. Remember that there should be an appointed person available whenever people are working, so you might need to appoint more than one to cover all shifts.
Q3: Isn’t that the same as a first aider?
Not quite! A first aider is someone who has been on an HSEapproved training course in how to administer first aid at work and has a certificate to show they have passed. Again, you may find you need more than one to cover your working patterns. You can, however, appoint your first aider as your appointed person.
HSE guidelines suggest that for medium-risk premises (such as light engineering or manufacturing) employing up to 20 staff, there should be at least one appointed person. For any company with more than 20, there should be at least one first aider. Remember, these are only guidelines and the HSE expects you to assess your needs depending on your circumstances.
Q4: Once I have these measures in place, is that it?
All you need to do is make sure you communicate to your employees what the first aid arrangements are in your workplace. There is no point in having the arrangements if staff are unaware of them. Put the information on staff notice boards, hold a quick meeting to tell your employees or put it in your staff handbooks.
Encourage staff to take an interest – it is essentially their wellbeing you are looking after!
Q5: Should I be taking any further steps?
Again, this will vary from practice to practice, but it is always recommended that a proactive stance should be taken. If you feel it will be beneficial, further first aid courses are an option, as are training up more members of staff. It might even be plausible, if you have a first aider, for them to hold a quick briefing with the rest of the team on what they know and what they can do to help should first aid be required. This provides great peace of mind for the staff.
Finally, don’t forget your responsibilities under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)!
Employers should, therefore, ensure that any employee who is injured or falls ill at work receives first aid immediately.The HSE openly states it will prosecute where it finds a disregard for standards, significant risks and poor compliance with the law, so it is in employers’ best interests to make sure they have adequate equipment, facilities and procedures in place for their staff. This means you will then be complying with The Health and
Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.
Q1: What should I be doing then?
For any site or workplace, the minimum you should make sure you have is a suitably-stocked first aid box and an appointed person who will look after the first aid arrangements. The first aid kit should be suitable for the size and undertaking of the workplace, and should include basic items like assorted sized adhesive dressings, eye pads, safety pins, sterile bandages, eye wash and a selection of wound dressings. Remember to keep your stocks up to date – and tell people where it is located!
Q2: What does my appointed person have to do?
Your appointed person is essentially a member of staff who can take charge if someone becomes ill or injured, and also has responsibility for looking after the practice’s first aid equipment.
This might mean restocking the first aid kit or carrying out a risk assessment, for example. Remember that there should be an appointed person available whenever people are working, so you might need to appoint more than one to cover all shifts.
Q3: Isn’t that the same as a first aider?
Not quite! A first aider is someone who has been on an HSEapproved training course in how to administer first aid at work and has a certificate to show they have passed. Again, you may find you need more than one to cover your working patterns. You can, however, appoint your first aider as your appointed person.
HSE guidelines suggest that for medium-risk premises (such as light engineering or manufacturing) employing up to 20 staff, there should be at least one appointed person. For any company with more than 20, there should be at least one first aider. Remember, these are only guidelines and the HSE expects you to assess your needs depending on your circumstances.
Q4: Once I have these measures in place, is that it?
All you need to do is make sure you communicate to your employees what the first aid arrangements are in your workplace. There is no point in having the arrangements if staff are unaware of them. Put the information on staff notice boards, hold a quick meeting to tell your employees or put it in your staff handbooks.
Encourage staff to take an interest – it is essentially their wellbeing you are looking after!
Q5: Should I be taking any further steps?
Again, this will vary from practice to practice, but it is always recommended that a proactive stance should be taken. If you feel it will be beneficial, further first aid courses are an option, as are training up more members of staff. It might even be plausible, if you have a first aider, for them to hold a quick briefing with the rest of the team on what they know and what they can do to help should first aid be required. This provides great peace of mind for the staff.
Finally, don’t forget your responsibilities under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR)!
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