Running your own business comes accompanied with a shedload of worries, and arguably, Health and Safety (which includes First Aid provision) can be at the forefront.
When faced with an emergency, the last thing you want to discover is an empty first aid kit. So within the workplace, it’s essential that you have an adequately stocked First Aid kit because you never know when you might need it. At the risk of stating the obvious, it’s also important that you know how to use it. And lastly, you need to know where it’s stored and what you’re looking for. (A green box with a white cross on).
First Aid kits differ in shape and size. You can buy a pre-assembled kit or put one together yourself. As the bare minimum, every workplace needs to have First Aid provision that includes an appointed person to take control of First Aid arrangements, an appointed person to contact the emergency services and to replenish the First Aid box and to manage information for employees’ First Aid arrangements. To be sure that you’re prepared for any incident, the appointed person or First Aider should carry out formal 6 monthly inspections to ensure the kit is fully replenished.
The different types of First Aid cover depend entirely on the type of your business. The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 state that Health & Safety Responsible Person must carry out a First Aid Risk Assessment. This includes whether trained First Aiders are needed, what should be included in the First Aid box and if a First Aid room is required. Low-risk workplaces, such as an office should as a minimum have a first aid kit and an appointed person. Workplaces with more significant risk ideally need to have a trained first aider.
Ask yourself…
- Are there any specific risks?
- How many employees?
- Do workers travel or work alone?
- Are there inexperienced or disabled workers?
- Is the site remote? This can have a massive impact on Emergency services being able to get to your site and may result in the need for a trained first aider
Whilst regulations don’t give specific personnel numbers, suggested numbers are as follows:
A good First Aid kit needs to help you in dealing with a minor injury (e.g. cuts and minor sprains) but also keep a more serious injury stable whilst you seek additional help, for injuries like a broken bone. To make it easy, we’ve prepared an instrumental list of what to include in a first aid kit, so you’re prepared for a simple graze or all eventualities:
Don’t forget, the above items are just the basics and if you work in an environment where there’s an increased risk of hazards, additional provisions should be provided. Examples include environments where food is handled, where there’s increased risk of eye injuries and where water is not readily available.
Did you know?
You must never put items in your kit such as tablets, medicines, creams, sprays and lotions. This is because the patient could suffer an allergic reaction. Leave that for the medics! It is also against the law to administer any form of First Aid if you are not First Aid trained.
What if I don’t have the right First Aid provisions in place?
According to the HSE, breaches of the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 are dealt with respectively. First Aid can improve the outcome of an incident by minimising the short term and long term effects and can also be the difference between an injury and a fatality. First Aid will not only provide better care for your employees, but also reduce potential costs of a serious injury occurring. Investing in First Aid training for you or an employee is a simple way in ensuring full first aid safety compliance.
If you’re worried you don’t have suitable provisions in your business, then we can help! Our dedicated trainers run courses to help improve your knowledge or those in your business…
Level 2 Emergency First Aid at Work Training Course – First aiders in lower-risk environments
Level 3 First Aid Training Course – Anyone who has a responsibility for first aid and health & safety within your business
Don’t wait for something to go wrong, call us now on 020 3740 3744 or visit our homepage. We can produce tailored Health and Safety Management Systems, provide training for your business to upskill your workforce and provide advice through our unique Helpline Service so you can rest assured.
The information contained in this blog article has been created for marketing purposes and is not official guidance and should not be used as a substitute for official Food Safety, Fire Safety and Health & Safety advice. Shield Safety take no responsibility if the information in the blog article is used to form part of a safety management system or used to form part of any legal or regulatory compliance for your business. For official guidance and to engage with Shield Safety services please do call our team on 020 3740 3744 or email hello@shieldsafety.co.uk.
