First aid is the immediate care given to a person who has been injured, or has become ill prior to the arrival of qualified medical assistance.
First aid has 3 purposes:
- To PRESERVE life
- To PREVENT the condition getting worse
- To PROMOTE recovery
There are 3 levels of first aid personnel
- First Aiders – These are members of staff who have attended training for first aid at work which meets the prescribed standards, enabling the first aider to administer effective first aid to a range of injuries and illnesses. The training is normally conducted over 3 or more days and the certificate will last 3 years and a requalification is required.
- Emergency First Aid at Work Personnel – Emergency first aid at work training enables a first aider to give emergency first aid to someone who is injured or becomes ill at work. The training is normally provided over a one day course.
- Appointed Persons – Where first aiders are not necessary, an employer must appoint a person to take charge of first-aid arrangements, including looking after the equipment and facilities and contacting the emergency services when required.
How do employers decided on their requirements?
The guidance available for the type and number of personnel required is in the ‘First aid at work Guidance‘ published by the HSE. Employers have to provide facilities based on the risk within their premises and must therefore carry out a risk assessment. In assessing needs, employers should consider:
- Workplace hazards and risks
- The size of the organisation
- The history of accidents
- Nature and distribution of workforce
- Remoteness from medical services
- Annual leave and absence of first aiders and appointed persons
First-aid Equipment
The employer should provide suitable materials and facilities needed to ensure that first aid is available at all times. The minimum level of first-aid equipment is a suitably stocked and identified first-aid container.
If mains tap water is not readily available for eye irrigation then there should be at least one litre of sterile water or sterile normal saline (0.9%) in a sealed, disposable container provided. The eye irrigation container should be safely secured or wall mounted and located in close proximity to the first-aid box.
First-aid boxes should contain:
- Leaflet on first aid
- Contents list of first aid box
- Medium dressing
- Large dressing
- Triangular bandage
- Safety pins
- Eye pads
- Plasters
- Wipes
- Adhesive tape
- Nitrile gloves (pairs)
- Finger dressing
- Resus face shield
- Foil blanket
- Eye wash (250ml)
- Burn dressing
- Safety shears
- Conforming bandage
The first aider should regularly check the first-aid box, ensuring that it is suitably stocked and items are in date and undamaged. There should also be no creams, lotions, potions, medicines or tablets.
We hope that you have found this first-aid guidance helpful and informative. If you require assistance in carrying out a first-aid risk assessment then please CONTACT US to discuss how we can help you.