You are responsible for making sure that your employees receive immediate attention if they are taken ill or are injured at work. Accidents and illness can happen at any time and first aid can save lives and prevent minor injuries from becoming major ones.
What employersneed to do
You must make appropriate first-aid arrangements for your workplace. In doing so you should consider the circumstances of your workplace, workforce and the health and safety risks that may be present to help you decide what arrangements you need to put in place.
Some small low-risk workplaces need to have only a first-aid box and a person appointed to take charge of first-aid arrangements such as calling the emergency services and stocking the first-aid box. The appointed person does not need specific first-aid training.
If your workplace has more significant health and safety risks, for example you use machinery or hazardous materials then you are more likely to need a trained first-aider.
You must provide all your employees with details of the first-aid arrangements
First-aid needs assessment
In order to establish what provision for first-aid is required you should make an assessment of the first-aid needs appropriate to the circumstances of your business.
This should include consideration of:
- the workplace,
- the workforce, and
- the hazards and risks present.
You can find out more information on carrying out a first-aid needs assessment, including a suite of example case studies and an online assessment tool to help you decide what arrangements you need to put in place for first aid.
First-aid arrangements
Your arrangements will depend on the outcome of your first-aid needs assessment and the particular circumstances in your workplace at any given time.
The findings of the needs assessment should indicate the level of first-aid equipment, facilities and personnel required.
As a minimum, you must have:
- a suitably stocked first-aid kit
- an appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements;
- information for all employees giving details of first-aid arrangements.
Where your needs assessment identifies workplace or workforce issues, or more significant health and safety risks, you are likely to need a sufficient number of appropriately trained first aiders and may need to arrange additional equipment and facilities.
First-aiders
You might decide that you need a first-aider. This is someone who has been trained by a competent first aid training provider in first aid at work, emergency first aid at work, or some other appropriate level of training (identified by your needs assessment).
If you have identified that you need first-aiders HSE has produced guidance to help you select a competent first aid training provider.
Certificates from Northern Ireland
A member of staff may have done their first aid training – and had their certificate for regulatory purposes issued in Northern Ireland. Both First aid at Work and Emergency First Aid at Work certificates issued by HSE Northern Ireland approved first aid training providers can be recognised by employers in GB as an equivalent to the GB qualifications of the same name, without undertaking any due diligence.
Overseas certificates
A member of staff may have done their first aid training – and had their certificate for regulatory purposes issued in another country outside Great Britain. You will need to make checks that the syllabus content and the standards of training are appropriate and meet the criteria set by HSE.
Appointed persons
Where your first-aid needs assessment identifies that a first-aider is not required, you must appoint a person to take charge of the first-aid arrangements, including looking after the equipment and facilities, and calling the emergency services when required. An appointed person is not required to have any formal training.
It is important that someone is always available to take charge of the first-aid arrangements, including looking after the equipment and facilities and calling the emergency services when required. Arrangements should be made for an appointed person to be available to undertake these duties at all times when people are at work.
Equipment
The minimum level of first-aid equipment you may need is a suitably stocked first-aid box. (First-aid kit.) You should provide at least one first-aid kit for each workplace, although more than one might be required on larger sites. Each kit should be stocked with a sufficient quantity of first-aid materials suitable for the particular circumstances of your workplace.
First-aid kits should be made easily accessible.The contents of first-aid kit should be checked frequently and restocked soon after any use.
Your needs assessment may indicate that additional materials and equipment are required eg foil blankets, cleansing wipes, cutting shears. These may be kept in the first-aid kit if there is room, or stored separately.
HSE has published further guidance on first aid equipment which gives advice on the minimum contents of a first-aid kit.
Facilities
You may need to provide a suitable first-aid room where your needs assessment identifies that one is required. This will usually be necessary in larger premises or where higher hazards are present. The room should be easily accessible and a designated person should be given responsibility for supervising it.
Wherever possible, a first-aid room should be reserved exclusively for the purposes of first aid.
- First-aid rooms should:
- be large enough to hold an examination/medical couch;
- have washable surfaces and adequate heating, ventilation and lighting;
- be kept clean, tidy, accessible and available for use at all times when employees are at work;
- ideally, have a sink with hot and cold running water;
- be positioned as near as possible to a point of access for transport to hospital.
First aid rooms should display a notice on the door advising of the names, locations and, if appropriate, contact details for first-aiders. This information should also be displayed in other appropriate places.
HSE has published further guidance on equipment and facilities that you may require in a first aid room.
Accidents and ill health
Under health and safety law, you must report and keep a record of certain injuries, incidents and cases of work-related disease.
You can find out which ones must be reported and how to report them on our report an incident pages.
RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013) puts duties on employers, the self-employed and people in control of work premises (the Responsible Person) to report certain serious workplace accidents, occupational diseases and specified dangerous occurrences (near misses).
Keeping records will help you to identify patterns in the incidence of accidents and injuries, and will help when completing your risk assessment. Your insurance company may also want to see your records if there is a work-related claim.
Remember
Make sure you protect people's personal details by storing records confidentially in a secure place.
- If you have more than 10 employees, or own or occupy a mine, quarry or factory, you must keep an accident book under social security law.
- You can buy an accident book from HSE Books or record the details in your own record system.
FAQs
Is it first aid at work or emergency first aid at work? ›
There are two types of first aid qualification that certify someone as a first aider: First Aid at Work (FAW) and Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW). First Aid at Work is a Level 3 qualification, while Emergency First Aid at Work is classed as a Level 2 qualification.
What is first aid short answer? ›First aid refers to medical attention that is usually administered immediately after the injury occurs and at the location where it occurred. It often consists of a one-time, short-term treatment and requires little technology or training to administer.
What is the time of response for an employer to provide first aid level response? ›While the standards do not prescribe a number of minutes, OSHA has long interpreted the term "near proximity" to mean that emergency care must be available within no more than 3-4 minutes from the workplace, an interpretation that has been upheld by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and by federal ...
What is the meaning of first aid at work? ›Emergency first aid at work (EFAW) training enables a first-aider to give emergency first aid to someone who is injured or becomes ill while at work. First aid at work training includes the EFAW syllabus and also equips the first-aider to apply first aid to a range of specific injuries and illness.
How often do you have to do first aid at work? ›HSE strongly recommends that first-aiders undertake annual refresher training, over half a day, during any three-year certification period.
What is first aid in an emergency situation? ›GOLDEN RULES OF FIRST AID
Loosen all tight clothing or materials around the victim's neck waist, wrist, etc. Arrest bleeding, cover all wounds, burns or scalds and immobilize all fractures. Improvise all necessary materials, which are not readily available. Dispose/transport the victim properly.
- D for Danger – Assess the situation.
- R for Response – Check consciousness, check on vital signs.
- A for Airway – Open airway.
- B for Breathing – Check respiration rates.
- C for Circulation – Give chest compressions.
- Preserve Life.
- Prevent Deterioration. ...
- Promote Recovery. ...
- Taking immediate action. ...
- Calming down the situation. ...
- Calling for medical assistance. ...
- Apply the relevant treatment.
- Preserve Life.
- Prevent Deterioration.
- Promote Recovery.
All successful participants will receive a certificate and wallet-sized certification card which is valid for two years. Recertification in First Aid Response is required every 2 years.
How long should an employer take to respond? ›
It typically takes one to two weeks to hear back after applying for a job. An employer may respond faster if the job is a high priority, or if they're a small and efficient organization. It can also occasionally take longer for an employer to respond to a job application or resume submission.
What is the main objective of first aid? ›The main objective of first aid is not to cure, but to ensure safety until the patient or affected person accesses specialised treatment. It is the initial assistance or care of a suddenly sick or injured person. It is the care administered by a person as soon as possible after an illness or accident.
Why is basic first aid important? ›First aid is an important tool in quickly responding to accidents to ensure that injuries can be efficiently and promptly dealt with before a trained medical professional arrives to administer more specialised treatment.
Who is your first priority in an emergency situation? ›Preserve Life. As a first responder to any situation, you first priority should be to preserve life. You may need to perform CPR, stop bleeding or take other action to preserve the victim's life. Start with C-A-B—circulation, airway, and breathing.
Are first aiders allowed to give medication? ›First aiders Tablets and medication
First aid at work does not include giving tablets or medicines to treat illness. The only exception to this is where aspirin is used when giving first aid to a casualty with a suspected heart attack, in accordance with currently accepted first-aid practice.
Contents. If a person is unconscious but is breathing and has no other life-threatening conditions, they should be placed in the recovery position. Putting someone in the recovery position will keep their airway clear and open. It also ensures that any vomit or fluid won't cause them to choke.
What is the difference between emergency and first aid? ›The initial differences are that standard first aid is the most common type of training that is required for most workplaces, whether that workplace is within an office or a daycare. Emergency first aid trains you for sudden and emergent situations required in some workplaces, particularly jobs in recreational centers.
What are 3 steps you could take during any first aid emergency situation? ›First aid is as easy as ABC – airway, breathing and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). In any situation, apply the DRSABCD Action Plan. DRSABCD stands for: Danger – always check the danger to you, any bystanders and then the injured or ill person.
What 4 steps need to be taken during first aid emergency situations? ›- Assess.
- Plan.
- Implement.
- Evaluate.
The underlying principles are: Use the Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure (ABCDE) approach to assess and treat the patient.
What are the P's first aid? ›
When it comes to first aid, the three Ps are life preservation, deterioration prevention, and recovery promotion. These simple first-aid procedures are not too hard to perform nor require any medical training, yet they could save someone's life or keep a wounded person from getting severe injuries or infections.
What are the most common first aid situations? ›- anaphylaxis (or anaphylactic shock)
- bleeding.
- burns and scalds.
- choking.
- drowning.
- electric shock (domestic)
- fractures.
- heart attack.
- Check. Before rushing into an emergency situation, remember the first C: CHECK. ...
- Call. Calling for emergency help early is one of the most important things you can do. ...
- Care.
- Step 1: Danger.
- Step 2: Response.
- Step 3: Send for help.
- Step 4: Airway.
- Step 5: Breathing.
- Step 6: CPR.
- Step 7: Defibrillator.
St John WA recommends refreshing your first aid training every 12 months to ensure your first aid skills are kept current and to maintain the confidence to deliver first aid in an emergency situation.
How often does first aid training have to be refreshed? ›A first aid refresher course should be undertaken at least once every year, after your initial training. During this course, which is much shorter than the initial programme you will have completed, you will cover all first aid essentials.
How long does it take to go through first aid? ›The first aid training and certification process takes just a few hours to complete, but can help you deliver the care that someone needs while waiting for medical professionals to arrive.
How many back blows should be given? ›Bend them forwards and give up to 5 back blows to try and dislodge the blockage. Hit them firmly on their back with the heel of your hand between the shoulder blades. Hitting them on their back creates a strong vibration and pressure in the airway, which is often enough to dislodge the blockage.
What happens if you do CPR on someone with a pulse? ›The physicians and scientists at the Sarver Heart Center, have found that the old saying "Never perform CPR on beating heart" is not valid. According to these professionals, the chances that a bystander could harm a person by pressing on their chest are slim to none, even if the heart is working normally.
Do you give CPR if there is a pulse but no breathing? ›If they do have a pulse but aren't breathing, give them CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) until help arrives. CPR chest compressions are important because they provide oxygenated blood flow to all parts of the body and keep organs alive until medical personnel arrive on scene.
What does it mean when interviewer says HR will get back to you? ›
If you have finished an interview for a job and the interviewer tells you that HR will get back to you, this simply means that they will let you know their decision. The HR team is a team that often handles the last steps of the hiring process for a company.
How long is too long to respond to a job? ›You can justifiably take about a week if you want, but the employer might expect you to respond sooner (as in a situation where they think they've offered you a really good position). Generally, you can wait up to three work days without hurting any feelings if there's not a hard deadline.
Why do employers take so long to get back to you? ›Hiring decisions often get delayed because someone who is a key part in making those decisions is absent. They may be ill, they could be on vacation, traveling for work, or they may need to deal with a more pressing issue. The process may come to a halt until this person can resume their hiring duties.
What do you mean by 3 P's of first aid? ›The three Ps of first aid— Preserve Life, Prevent Deterioration and Promote Recovery —must always be kept in mind.
What are the two principles of first aid? ›The basic principles of First Aid are as follows: (i) Preserve life: This includes preserving the life of the casualty and the rescuer. (ii) Ensure protection of the casualty from further harm: The treatment area needs to be safe and must not have excess people.
Is it first aid or emergency first aid? ›In a nutshell, an emergency first aider's role is to maintain life and prevent the situation from worsening while waiting for the emergency services to arrive. A first-aider should be able to recognise and diagnose injuries and illness, as well as understand how to administer emergency treatment and life support.
What is emergency escape or first aid? ›Emergency escape/first aid safety sign (Green)
Emergency escape and first aid signs are used to show information that indicates a safe escape route or the route to first aid facilities. These health and safety signs are required to be green, and usually have a white symbol on a green background.
A workplace emergency is an unforeseen situation that threatens your employees, customers, or the public; disrupts or shuts down your operations; or causes physical or environmental damage.
What are the examples of first aid? ›- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. Those trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can help a victim of cardiac arrest to start breathing again. ...
- Bleeding. It's important to stop a wound from bleeding to prevent the loss of too much blood. ...
- Burns. ...
- Choking. ...
- Broken Bones.
- Basic First Aid Courses: ...
- Advanced First Aid Course: ...
- Marine First Aid Course: ...
- First Aid for Wilderness: ...
- Mental Health First Aid:
What does I am first aid mean? ›
: emergency care or treatment given to an ill or injured person before regular medical aid can be obtained.
What is the most common first aid emergency? ›- anaphylaxis (or anaphylactic shock)
- bleeding.
- burns and scalds.
- choking.
- drowning.
- electric shock (domestic)
- fractures.
- heart attack.
Two types of emergencies that require first aid: Injury and sudden illness.
What are the 3 P's emergency first aid? ›When it comes to first aid, the three Ps are life preservation, deterioration prevention, and recovery promotion. These simple first-aid procedures are not too hard to perform nor require any medical training, yet they could save someone's life or keep a wounded person from getting severe injuries or infections.
What are 3 common types of workplace emergencies? ›- fires or explosions.
- medical emergencies.
- severe weather.
- earthquakes.
- major power failures.
- hazardous material spills.
You have the right to take time off work to deal with an emergency involving someone who depends on you. This is sometimes called 'compassionate leave'. Your employer can't penalise you for taking the time off, as long as your reasons for taking it are genuine.