Page 31 - BOSS Today Issue 26

HEALTH & SAFETY

KEEPING IT

QUALIFIED

New regulations may not require you to have a qualified

First Aider, so why have one at all?

n accident is defined as – adding to the cost. Now the managed to cut themselves; help you train and develop
Aan unforeseen event and courses on offer need to be this does not require the your staff, improve your Health
therefore, even with all the HSE-compliant only and the emergency services, but it does & Safety credentials, reinforce
safeguarding measures that you trainer can also assess. Another require bandaging to stop the your commitment to a healthy
may have in place, accidents can change is that if a company has bleeding and to protect the and productive workforce and it
still happen at work. So what do decided that it does not require wound from dirt and bacteria, could help save a life – be it an
you need to do as an employer? a full-trained First Aider, then all followed by monitoring to employee or a customer!
Although there have been it needs to have is an ‘Appointed ensure that the bleeding is So, how do you work out
changes in the requirements for Person’: someone who knows under control. A qualified First what first aid cover you should
first aid training in the workplace where the first aid kit is, keeps it Aider would know how to do have? The HSE have produced
in the last few years, it is still a stocked up and knows how to this. guidance on what employers
requirement under the Health ring for the emergency services. need to take into account,
& Safety (First Aid) Regulations However, they do not need to Unpalatable Truths? which can be found at: http://
1981, that you provide adequate be first aid qualified – despite Another example: you have www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/needs-
equipment, facilities and the fact that their colleagues had a meeting where lunch assessment.htm
personnel to ensure that your may well expect this. was provided, but one of the This, along with other
employees receive immediate attendees has started choking. guidance available, can help
attention if they are injured or Why Be Qualified? A qualified First Aider knows you decide what kind of first
taken ill at work; this applies to Why, then, should you have the protocols of the European aid provision you require; but
all workplaces – even those with qualified first aid personnel Resuscitation Council and remember that you do need to
fewer than five employees. at work? Because a qualified knows the force and placement provide some kind of provision.
The changes that have First Aider has been trained required to carry out an
occurred are mainly in relation to recognise the signs of a effective Abdominal Thrust (aka n THE BOSS FEDERATION
to how the courses are assessed life-threatening problem Heimlich Manoeuvre). They also CAN PROVIDE FIRST AID
and who is able to provide the and knows how to deal with know that after the obstruction TRAINING ON SITE BY A
course. It used to be that courses these; they also can recognise has been removed – especially QUALIFIED TRAINER. FOR
for first aid in the workplace had problems that are not if an Abdominal Thrust has FURTHER INFORMATION
to be provided by HSE-approved immediately life-threatening been administered – it is PLEASE CONTACT PHIL
trainers and that the trainers and can deal with these, too. important that the casualty is PATEMAN, CONSULTANCY
could not assess those they had For example, a colleague has seen by medical professionals. SERVICES DIRECTOR ON
previously trained, meaning that broken a glass in the kitchen Having qualified First Aiders 07825 133344
a separate assessor was required and in trying to clear it up has in your workplace can also

February/March 2015 | BOSS TODAY 31

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