Adaptable First Aid

First aid courses are all about confidence and knowledge. These two factors will be vital when conveying information that could ultimately save somebody’s life. For employers on the other side of the fence however, it becomes a question of what they need to meet the requirements of law under the Health & Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. Having high pass rates is all well and good, but employers need to get a service that they know is going to benefit them on an individual basis, and this takes more than simple high grades. It must work in tandem with the risk assessment that they have already carried out and must address the hazards employees are likely to face during their day-to-day working lives. It is senseless to offer first aid classes that are designed for low hazard areas to those who are routinely working in hazardous construction zones, for instance. The number of employees will also dictate what requirements are placed on the employer with one appointed person required for an organisation with fewer than 25 employers. For between 25 and 50, at least one first aider must be trained in Emergency First Aid at Work. Bigger organisations must have at least one first aider for every 100 employees.

If there is a record of illness or injury in your workplace then first aid must be in place to deal with it if it happens again. Ideally, measures should be taken to prevent it ever happening again. For higher hazard occupations, at least one appointed person must be in place for 5 employees or less. The requirement increases to one EFAW or FAW trained first aider per 5-50 employees, but this should be informed by the types of injuries likely to occur. A FAW trained first aider is then required for each 50 employees thereafter.