The first aid responsibilities for business owners and employers is a subject I’m often asked about, so let’s look at the necessary requirements.
The three main requirements that need to be in place are as follows:
· There is an adequate number of First Aiders and Emergency First Aiders in place.
· Appropriate equipment, kits and facilities are available.
· A system is in place for incident and accident reporting.
A risk assessment must be conducted to identify the level of provision needed for the business. New guidance on the regulations for employers was introduced in October 2013 (L74 – Third edition), and can be found on the HSE website First aid at work – The Health and safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 (hse.gov.uk)
It provides guidance on:
· Managing the provision of First Aid (first aid kits, equipment, rooms, etc.)
· Requirements and training for First Aider’s
· Requirements for appointed persons
· Making employees aware of First Aid arrangements
· First Aid and the self-employed
· Cases where First Aid regulations do not apply
Considerations that employers need to take into account could include:
· Inexperienced workers or employees with disabilities or particular health problems
· Employees who travel a lot, work remotely or work alone
· Employees who work shifts or out of hours
· Premises spread out across buildings/floors
· Workplace remote from emergency medical services
· Employees working at sites occupied by other employers
· Planned and unplanned absences of First Aiders
· Members of the public who visit the workplace
The following HSE table acts as a guide to ensure that you have sufficient numbers of trained First Aid personnel at your place of work.
Source: www.hse.gov.uk, Jan 2023
I teach Ofqual regulated, HSE compliant workplace first aid qualification courses, on-site at workplaces all over Norfolk which include First Aid at Work, Basic Life Support, Emergency First Aid at Work and Paediatric First Aid. I also run a public Emergency First Aid at Work course on a monthly basis. If you’d like to talk about first aid cover or your training requirements, get in touch today.
