We all hear about it, but What is First Aid? It is simply basic medical treatment that is given to someone as soon as possible after they have been hurt in an accident or suddenly become ill…
For businesses to comply with Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 the law requires you to provide as a business adequate and the necessarily first-aid equipment, facilities & first aiders so employees can be given help if they are injured or fall ill at the workplace.
The Absolute minimum for any employer is the following:
1. A relevant stocked First Aid Kit. (Find out more here)
2. At least one appointed person to take responsibility of any First Aid Arrangements.
3. Information for employees surrounding First Aid Arrangements.
How do you know how many first aiders you require for your business?… well you will need to undertake a First Aid needs assessment as it is not the duty of the Health and Safety Executive to tell you!
Often the risk assessment as to how many people you need trained in First Aid comes with the type of business you are and the number of employees in your business. Also, you will want to consider shift patterns, staff holidays & sickness to ensure you have enough First Aiders on site at all times.
If you are managing a high risk environment you may want to train extra staff, and consider the location of your operation in relation to local professional medical facilities. Do you have multiple sites or workers that work alone? All of these will need to be considered in your assessment.
Even if your workplace is low risk such as offices it doesn’t alleviate the possibility of staff or visitors suddenly falling ill on site as well as slips, trips & fall hazards.
While an Appointed person to take lead in First Aid arrangements as a bare minimum Swift First Aid recommends training at least 2 people in low hazard workplaces to ensure cover for workers and any public visits for First Aid.
Plus, as we know incidents requiring First Aid can happen anytime & anywhere, on the commute, at an offsite meeting, even at the supermarket. Even I as a member of the public have come across situations in real life such as friends tripping down steps, motorbikes skidding off the road, and people fainting.
Our FAIB Accredited First Aid Courses cover not only the vital First Aid Skills you need, but incident control, records keeping & First Aid Regulations knowledge too.
Please contact us at Swift First Aid Training to discuss your First Aid Training requirements further – the sooner you do, the sooner your business and your employee’s could potentially save lives!
