Safe workplace
First aid is the immediate and fundamental care of an injured or sick before a doctor, another medical specialist or an emergency service takes over the treatment.
It focuses on maintaining life and minimizing serious injuries by maintaining breathing and circulation, containing bleeding, the immobilization of broken bones, etc.
The requirements for first aid in the workplace can be divided into three categories:
- Accordingly stored first aid suitcase and facilities
- If necessary, an appropriate number of approved first aiders.
- Information of employees about first aid agreements.
This guide contains some suggestions that help you organize your first aid sets, facilities, first aid cases and information for the employees. Some jobs have a higher risk of injury and illness due to their work. These risks are an important factor in deciding on first aid needs, since different first aid institutions may be necessary for different activities.
The duties of the employer
Employers are obliged to provide first aid that takes into account the individual circumstances of their workplace. The circumstances that can affect their first aid needs include things like dangers that are common in their industry or workplace, the number of employees they have and how far they are removed from medical help .
One way to determine your company's first aid requirement is to carry out a first aid requirements analysis at the workplace.
The Health and Safety (First AID) Regulations 1981 require the employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure that the employees receive help immediately if they violate or get sick at work. These regulations apply to all jobs, including those with fewer than five employees and for self -employed.
In order for the first aid requirement of the staff, sufficient first aid performance at the workplace is required. This includes the presence of trained first aiders (or appointed persons), information for employees about first aid agreements and the availability of an expedient first aid case.
The standard BS 8599-1 (published in June 2011) can be used as a guide to determine which type of first aid box is required at the workplace. There are four sizes of first aid boxes: small, medium, large or travel size. The travel sets are intended for one person.
It is the duty of the employer to carry out a first aid requirements analysis so that the content of each individual kit can vary depending on the requirements of the respective workplace. Note that environments with low threats also include business and offices, while environments include warehouses, factories and construction sites with a high risk.
Under certain circumstances, such as remote nature of emergency medicine, shift work or locations that are large or have several separate buildings, more than one first aid box may be required.
It is very important for employers to ensure that they meet their legal obligations by offering employees to workers immediately and adequate first aid services and supporting employees in their work -related health problems.
Management of a medical emergency kit
Kits should not be thrown into the closet and forgotten until there is an emergency. In addition, they should not be used constantly without filling your supplies. Here are a few tips on how to ensure that the deliveries are properly managed:
First of all, you want to ensure that the supplies are easily accessible. Information when setting where the first aid materials are located, when you are to use and how you are accessible in an emergency.
Store the kits in a place where you are easily accessible, but also safely protected against heat, cold or other damage. This could be in a closet in her break room, which does not hang on the windows and food.
As soon as everything is filled up, check the supplies in the first -aid kit at least once a month. Link a certain event that occurs during each month (e.g. if you perform an inventory) with the refill requirement in the office's emergency case so that you do not forget it.
You can consider additions to the kit, such as over -the -counter pain medication and medication for the treatment of allergic reactions, but inform employees about the risks of using these products when setting.
The creation of an emergency plan should also be at the top of your task list. All managers or other office workers should receive specific training in order to correctly assess and react to medical situations. This includes simple steps to maintain a bleeding wound in the case of more serious problems in connection with the implementation of HLW.
The storage of first aid boxes is simply useful. A reasonable training of the staff in the use and management of these kits is also important. It is advisable to have twice the amount of material at hand, perhaps in two different places, as a backup. However, this is only effective if your office team knows when and how to use these products correctly.