Your Questions Answered: Workplace First Aid

Whether you work in an office building, a leisure centre with a pool or on a busy building site, a First Aid at Work qualification is an absolute must for any company. 

It is the legal duty of the employer to ensure that staff are provided with adequate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure that immediate attention is received, should one of the team fall ill or suffer an injury whilst at work.

We get asked many questions regarding workplace first aid, so to help boost your knowledge around the subject, we’ve answered the hot topics we encounter most when discussing workplace first aid.

What is First Aid at Work?

First Aid at Work is a qualification which simply delivers help and/ or assistance to someone who has been injured or who has fallen ill whilst at work.

The type of First Aid that is delivered to the casualty will depend on a variety of factors. Some of these could include:

• The severity of the injury
• The environment
• The availability of First Aid essentials
• The training level of the responder

As previously stated, it is the responsibility of the employer to implement appropriate first aid precautions for their employees. These should be done in accordance with Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 and apply to all workplaces and to those who are self-employed and have less than five employees.

What Should a Workplace First Aid Kit Contain?

The findings of the first aid needs assessment will influence what needs to be included in your workplace’s First Aid kit.

An example of a first aid kit contents could be:

• Plasters
• Sterile eye pads
• Triangular bandages (individually wrapped and sterile)
• Safety pins
• Disposable gloves

Employers can refer to British Standard BS 8599 which provides information on the contents of a workplace’s First Aid kit.

Some items which should be included in your workplace’s first aid kit should be replaced prior to the expiry date on the packaging. These items will usually be the sterile items and will need to be used before the expiry date is reached. There is no set guidelines for replacing the goods in your first aid kit, but having an appointed first aid kit minder will assist in ensuring your kit is always stocked up and ready to be used in a medical emergency at work. 

How Can I Learn First Aid?

The only way to learn the skills required for workplace first aid is to enrol onto a First Aid at Work course.

In-house first aid courses are a popular choice for small and large businesses alike. This training format is usually a class of 12 where a trainer will physically demonstrate what needs to be done in certain scenarios and the learners will be tested.

If your employer doesn’t want to disrupt your daily duties, then E-Learning courses might be an option for you and other employees. Imperative’s E-Learning platform allows you to improve your first aid skills whenever you have the time on any computer or device that is connected to the Internet.

If there are just a few of you who wish to be qualified in First Aid at Work, Open Courses are the perfect solution for you. You simply choose a time and place that suits you and book onto the course.

First Aid Ready

So, there you have it. We hope we’ve covered everything you could think of when it comes to workplace first aid.

If you still have an unanswered question about first aid within the workplace, head on over to our Twitter page @imptraining and tweet us what you’d like to learn more about – we’re always happy to help!