first aid health and safety

8/7/2019 First Aid Health and Safety

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Health and Saety

Executive

First aid at workYour questions answered

This is a web-riendly version

o leaet INDG214(rev1),

revised 10/09

This lealet answers some basic questions about irst-aid provision at work.

It is aimed at employers in small and medium-sized workplaces, but may be

useul to all employers, managers and others involved in irst aid at work.

Q1: What is irst aid at work?

People at work can suer injuries or be taken ill. It doesnt matter whether the

injury or illness is caused by the work they do or not, it is important to give them

immediate attention and call an ambulance in serious cases. First aid at work

covers the arrangements you should make to ensure this happens. It can save lives

and prevent minor injuries becoming major ones.

Q2: What do I need to do?

The Health and Saety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require you to provide adequateand appropriate irst-aid equipment, acilities and people so your employees can be

given immediate help i they are injured or taken ill at work.

What is adequate and appropriate will depend on the circumstances in your

workplace and you should assess what your irst-aid needs are (see Q3).

The minimum irst-aid provision on any work site is:

a suitably stocked frst-aid box (see Q4); an appointed person to take charge o frst-aid arrangements (see Q5); inormation or employees about frst-aid arrangements (see Q8).It is important to remember that accidents and illness can happen at any

time. First-aid provision needs to be available at all times people are at work.

Q3: What should I consider when assessing irst-aid needs?

Some small workplaces may only need the minimum provision. But, there are

actors that might mean you need greater provision. The checklist in Table 1 covers

the points you should consider.

Q4: What should I put in the irst-aid box?

There is no mandatory list of items to put in a first-aid box. It depends on whatyou assess your needs to be. As a guide, where work activities involve low hazards,

a minimum stock o irst-aid items might be:

a leaet giving general guidance on frst aid (eg HSEs leaet: Basic advice onfirst aid at work- see Q9);

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Health and Saety

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20 individually wrapped sterile plasters (assorted sizes), appropriate to the typeo work (you can provide hypoallergenic plasters, i necessary);

two sterile eye pads; our individually wrapped triangular bandages, preerably sterile;

six saety pins; two large, individually wrapped, sterile, unmedicated wound dressings; six medium-sized, individually wrapped, sterile, unmedicated wound dressings; a pair o disposable gloves (see HSEs ree leaet: Latex and you Q9).This is a suggested contents list only.

It is recommended that you dont keep tablets and medicines in the irst-aid box.

Q5: What is an appointed person?

I you decide you dont need a irst-aider in your workplace, you should appoint

someone to take charge o irst-aid arrangements. The role o this appointedperson includes looking ater irst-aid equipment and acilities and calling the

emergency services when required. They can also provide emergency cover where

a irst-aider is absent due to unoreseen circumstances (annual leave does not

count). Appointed persons do not need irst-aid training, though emergency irst-aid

courses are available.

Even i you decide irst-aiders are unnecessary, there is still the possibility o an accident

or illness, so you may wish to consider providing qualiied irst-aiders. Appointed

persons are not necessary where there is an adequate number o irst-aiders.

Q6: What is a irst-aider?

A irst-aider is someone who has undertaken training and has a qualiication that

HSE approves. This means that they must hold a valid certiicate o competence in

either:

frst aid at work (FAW), issued by a training organisation approved by HSE; or emergency frst aid at work (EFAW), issued by a training organisation approved

by HSE or a recognised Awarding Body o Oqual/Scottish Qualifcations

Authority.

You can obtain lists o suitable training providers and Awarding Bodies rom HSEs

Inoline (see Q9 or contact details).

Use the indings o your irst-aid needs assessment (see Q3) to decide whether

irst-aiders should be trained in FAW or EFAW. EFAW training enables a irst-aider

to give emergency irst aid to someone who is injured or becomes ill while at work.

FAW training includes EFAW and also equips the irst-aider to apply irst aid to

a range o speciic injuries and illness. As a guide, Table 2 suggests the irst-aid

personnel to provide under dierent circumstances.

To help keep their basic skills up to date, it is strongly recommended that your irst

aiders undertake annual reresher training. The training organisations reerred to

above can run these courses.

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Q7: How many appointed persons or irst-aiders do I need?

There are no hard and ast rules on exact numbers. It will depend on the

circumstances o your workplace. Ater working through the checklist in Table 1,

reer to Table 2 which provides a general guide on how many appointed persons orirst-aiders you might need. The numbers given in Table 2 are suggestions only.

You should assess your irst-aid needs in the light o your particular circumstances.

Where there are special circumstances, such as shit work or sites with several

buildings, there may need to be more irst-aid personnel than set out in Table 2.

You will need increased provision to cover or absences.

Q8: Do I have to do anything else?

You have to inorm your employees o the irst-aid arrangements. Putting up notices

telling sta who and where the irst-aiders or appointed persons are and where the

irst-aid box is will usually be enough. You will need to make special arrangementsto give irst-aid inormation to employees with reading or language diiculties.

Q9: Where can I get urther inormation?

Lists o irst-aid training organisations and Awarding Bodies are available rom

HSEs Inoline (see below).

Inormation on irst aid at work is available on the irst aid web pages o HSEs

website at www.hse.gov.uk/irstaid/index.htm.

More detailed practical guidance on complying with your irst-aid duties is availablein First aid at work. The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981. Approved

Code of Practice and guidance L74 HSE Books 2009 ISBN 978 0 7176 6260 9.

You may also ind the ollowing publications helpul:

The ree lealet Basic advice on first aid at workINDG347(rev1) HSE Books 2006

(single copy ree or priced packs o 20 ISBN 978 0 7176 6193 0)

www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg347.pd.

Two irst aid posters: Basic advice on first aid at workHSE Books 2006

ISBN 978 0 7176 6195 4 and Electric shock: First aid procedures HSE Books 2006

ISBN 978 0 7176 6203 6.

The ree lealet Latex and you Lealet INDG320 HSE Books 2000

www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg320.pd.



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Table 1 Checklist or assessment o irst-aid needs

Point to consider Impact on frst-aid provision

Hazards (use the fndings o your risk assessment and take account o any parts o your workplace that havedierent work activities/hazards which may require dierent levels o frst-aid provision)

Does your workplace have low-level hazards, like you

might ind in oices and shops?

The minimum provision is:

an appointed person to take charge o frst-aidarrangements;

a suitably stocked frst-aid box.Does your workplace have higher level hazards, such

as chemicals or dangerous machinery? Do your work

activities involve special hazards, such as hydroluoric

acid or conined spaces?

Employees

You should consider:

providing frst-aiders;additional training or frst-aiders to deal withinjuries caused by special hazards;

additional frst-aid equipment;precise siting o frst-aid equipment;providing a frst-aid room;inorming the emergency services.

How many people are employed on site? Where there are small numbers o employees, the

minimum provision is:

an appointed person to take charge o frst-aidarrangements;

a suitably stocked frst-aid box.Where there are large numbers o employees youshould consider providing:

frst-aiders; additional frst-aid equipment; a frst-aid room.

Are there inexperienced workers on site, or employees You should consider:

with disabilities or particular health problems? additional training or frst-aiders; additional frst-aid equipment; local siting o frst-aid equipment.Your irst-aid provision should cover work experience

trainees.

Accidents and ill-health recordWhat injuries and illness have occurred in your Make sure your irst-aid provision caters or the type o

workplace and where did they happen? injuries and illness that might occur in your workplace.

Monitor accidents and ill health and review your irst-

aid provision as appropriate.

Working arrangementsDo you have employees who travel a lot, work You should consider:

remotely or work alone? issuing personal frst-aid kits; issuing personal communicators/mobile phones to

employees.

Do any o your employees work shits or work out o You should ensure there is adequate irst-aid provision

hours? at all times people are at work.



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Point to consider Impact on frst-aid provision

Health and Saety

Executive

Are the premises spread out, eg are there several You should consider provision in each building or on

buildings on the site or multi-loor buildings? each loor.

Is your workplace remote rom emergency medical You should:

services? inorm the emergency services o your location; consider special arrangements with the emergency

services.

Do any o your employees work at sites occupied by You should make arrangements with other site

other employers? occupiers to ensure adequate irst-aid provision. A

written agreement between employers is strongly

recommended.

Do you have enough provision to cover or your irst- You should consider:

aiders or appointed persons when they are absent? what cover is needed or annual leave and otherplanned absences;

what cover is needed or unplanned andexceptional absences.

Non-employeesDo members o the public visit your premises? Under the Regulations, you have no legal duty to

provide irst aid or non-employees, but HSE strongly

recommends that you include them in your irst-aid

provision.

Table 2 Suggested numbers o frst-aid personnel to be available at all times people are at work

1 From your risk assessment, what 2 How many 3 What irst-aid personnel do you need?

degree o hazard is associated with employees do you

your work activities? have?

Low hazard Less than 25 At least one appointed person

eg oices, shops, libraries

25-50 At least one irst-aider trained in EFAW

More than 50 At least one irst-aider trained in FAW or

every 100 employed (or part thereo)

Higher hazard Less than 5 At least one appointed person

eg light engineering and assembly work,

ood processing, warehousing, extensive 5-50 At least one irst-aider trained in EFAW or

work with dangerous machinery or sharp FAW depending on the type o injuries that

instruments, construction, chemical might occur

manuacture

More than 50 At least one irst-aider trained in FAW or

every 50 employed (or part thereo)



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Health and Saety

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Further inormation

HSE priced and ree publications can be viewed online or ordered rom

HSE Books, PO Box 1999, Sudbury, Suolk CO10 2WA Tel: 01787 881165

Fax: 01787 313995. HSE priced publications are also available rom bookshops.

For inormation about health and saety ring HSEs Inoline Tel: 0845 345 0055

Fax: 0845 408 9566 Textphone: 0845 408 9577

e-mail: [email protected] or write to

HSE Inormation Services, Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG.

This leaflet contains notes on good practice which are not compulsory but

which you may find helpful in considering what you need to do.

This lealet is available in priced packs o 15 rom HSE Books,

ISBN 978 0 7176 6372 9. Single copies are ree and a web version can be

ound at www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg214.pd.

Crown copyright This publication may be reely reproduced, except or

advertising, endorsement or commercial purposes.

First published 10/09. Please acknowledge the source as HSE.

Published by the Health and Saety Executive INDG214(rev1) 6 o 6 pages

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