First Aid Training for the Workplace
Emergency First Aid at Work- Appointed Person
Employers' Duties
Legal Duties
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to enable first aid to be given to employees if they are injured or become ill at work. These Regulations apply to all workplaces including those with five or fewer employees and to the self-employed. Detailed information can be found in the Approved Code of Practice and Guidance: First aid at work. The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 L74.
What is adequate will depend on the circumstances in the workplace. This includes whether trained first aiders are needed, what should be included in a first aid box and if a first aid room is needed. Employers should carry out an assessment of first aid needs to determine this.
The Regulations do not place a legal obligation on employers to make first aid provision for non-employees such as the public or children in schools. However, HSE strongly recommends that non-employees are included in a first aid needs assessment and that provision is made for them.
Assessment of first aid needs
Employers are required to carry out an assessment of first aid needs. This involves consideration of workplace hazards and risks, the size of the organisation and other relevant factors, to determine what first aid equipment, facilities and personnel should be provided.
- First aid at work: your questions answered
This free HSE leaflet contains a useful checklist covering the points employers should consider when carrying out the assessment.
Application of the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 to self-employed workers
If you are self-employed, you are required to ensure you have adequate equipment to provide first aid to yourself while at work.
You must make an assessment of the hazards and risks in your workplace and establish an appropriate level of first aid provision. What this means in practice is that if you work in a low hazard activity, eg clerical work at home, a normal domestic first aid box would be adequate. If your work involves driving long distances or you are continuously on the road, the assessment may identify the need to keep a personal first aid kit in your vehicle.
Many self-employed people work on mixed premises with other self-employed or with employed workers. Although you are legally responsible for your own first aid provision, it is sensible to make joint arrangements with the other occupiers and self-employed on the premises. This would generally mean that one employer would take responsibility for first aid cover for all workers on the premises. HSE recommends there is a written agreement for any such arrangement.
Special requirements for offshore work
Industry specific legislation exists for the offshore industry to take account of the remoteness and difficulties of access to medical and health care expertise. The Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (First-Aid) Regulations came into force in 1989. The Regulations require the person in control (such as an installation operator) to provide suitable first aid and medical facilities, as well as sufficiently trained and competent first aiders and offshore medics. The person in control should assess the level of first aid and health care provision needed on individual installations or barges. This will include how many trained offshore medics and first aiders are needed, the amount and type of equipment and the types of drugs supplied. A minimum equipment list: First aid and medical equipment on offshore installations, has been produced by the United Kingdom Offshore Operators’ Association (UKOOA - www.ukooa.co.uk).
The person in control has to ensure that adequate basic health care and first aid is provided for everyone on the installation or barge, including visitors and contractors. This extends to people working on certain associated vessels (eg during installation commissioning or decommissioning). The person in control also has to make arrangements for a registered medical practitioner to supervise the offshore medic and give advice if necessary. This practitioner is usually based onshore. The offshore medic would normally have responsibility for the sickbay. The size, siting, layout and facilities of the sickbay should be sufficient to provide accommodation and medical support for an ill or injured person for up to 48 hours - see the UKOOA publication above for more information.
Detailed information can be found in the Approved Code of Practice and Guidance: Health care and first aid on offshore installations and pipeline works L123. This publication was revised in 2000 and provides supporting guidance to the Regulations. The UKOOA guidance referred to above should also be read in conjunction with this publication.
More information on the offshore industry can be found on HSE’s website at: www.hse.gov.uk/offshore.
Special requirements for diving
Under the Diving at Work Regulations 1997 a diving contractor is required to provide first aid and medical equipment during a diving project. In the event of a diving medical incident, the diving supervisor remains in control of any action to be taken.
HSE’s web pages on diving include information on the first aid requirements for commercial inland/inshore and offshore diving projects: www.hse.gov.uk/diving
Visit our website ENVICO ONLINE to locate first aid training courses running in your local area, alternatively to book an in-house course for a group of delegates