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What's the first thing you would do if one of your colleagues was involved in an accident at work? Would you dial 999, scream and run for someone else to help, call the nearest first aider or know how to help the injured person yourself?
All employers, even the smallest, are obliged to make some provision for emergency first aid on their premises so that employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work, regardless of whether the problem has been caused by the job they do.
Suitable facilities and equipment, alongside trained first-aiders on the premises, are the first requirements in meeting official regulations; helping to reduce the seriousness of a work injury and possible consequent accident compensation claim.
An employer will need to decide the level of first aid needs of the workforce, depending on the type of industry or employment and the size of the business. There is no fixed standard to be met but if there was a work accident and it was found the employer had been negligent in not making first aid provision then legal action could be taken.
If an employer decides a first aider in the workplace is unnecessary, then someone should be appointed to supervise first aid arrangements such as looking after first aid equipment and calling the emergency services when needed.
Employers should consider the risks their particular business presents to employees – and to customers, visitors or passers-by – with regard to the nature of the workplace and any specific hazards the size and nature of the workforce, any history of accidents, the needs of any workers who travel or work alone, work patterns and distribution of workforce, the distance of the site from emergency medical services, whether the absence of first aiders or appointed persons will make a difference to the first aid provision and how non-employees would be helped.
When an employer has first aiders on the premises they should be properly trained, and the training up-dated regularly. A certificate in either first aid at work (FAW) or emergency first aid at work (EFAW) is the relevant qualification so that the volunteers are confident and capable of dealing with injury and illness as they arise.
Time off and expenses for training should be met by the employer and many will pay a small annual bonus in recognition of the employees' extra effort in being available to help in an emergency.
To learn the practical skills to become a workplace first aider requires attendance at an approved course, such as those run by St John Ambulance, the Red Cross or some private commercial companies. If learning from scratch, the trainees will usually need three full days or the equivalent to become qualified.
Subjects to be covered in a training course should include:
Refresher courses and specialist training for employees such as those working with young children are also available.
St John Ambulance offers other courses aimed at keeping workers safe and less likely to need to make a personal injury compensation claim. These include training for fire marshals, risk assessment, moving and handling, occupational health and stress awareness. For more information, see the charity's website.
The British Red Cross offers a similar range of training in all aspects of first aid and safety in the workplace. As well as providing courses in centres throughout the UK, its training staff will also visit a workplace where first aid instruction can be tailored to the particular working environment.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has overall responsibility for first aid at work, monitoring work-related accidents and helping employers to reduce the risk of a factory, office or other accident at work. Its guidelines are available on the website.