A look at First Aid in the Work Place
First Aid at work can mean many different things. There are as many first aid different situations as there are different types and places of work.
The requirements of a construction site will be different from those of an office based environment, however, by law any work place, even those employing fewer than five people must adhere to certain standards.
People at work can sustain injury, or become unwell at any time and it is important that they are able to receive swift and appropriate attention.
First aid is that which should be in place to make sure that this happens, and can help stopping minor injuries becoming major,. It can also save lives.
Every work place should have an appointed person to take responsibility for first aid arrangements and should be available during all the hours that people are working, this may mean more than one appointed person in some cases.
A suitably stocked emergency box. All work places differ in their risk potential, but the recommendation for all first aid boxes is that they include at least two dozen wrapped sterile adhesive dressings in assorted sizes, two sterile eye pads, four individually wrapped triangular bandages, six safety pins, six medium sized and two large sized individually wrapped sterile un-medicated wound dressings and a pair of disposable gloves.
The appointed person is responsible for the upkeep and re-stocking of the first aid box. They will be in charge should a worker become unwell, or suffer an injury, and be responsible to call an ambulance if necessary.
Get your team booked in now for first aid training and be prepared for the future.
Notices should in prominent view showing where the appointed person and/or the first aid box can be found, and if appropriate, a first aider.
A first aider is required, depending on the risk ratio of the environment, by the number of workers in an office type situation, a first aider is expected if there are between 25 to 50 in the workplace, and another first aider per one hundred more workers.
On a construction site, for instance there must be one first aider for between 5 and 50 workers and one more per subsequent 50.
A risk assessment must be undertaken to determine the ratio of risk to the number of first aiders. If the environment requires working around dangerous machinery for instance, it may be necessary to consider specific training for first aiders, or particular types of first aid equipment.
Should the work place be spread over different floors or buildings, the appropriate first aid provision must be made.