What Do I Need To Know About First Aid Regulations?

Knowing what you need to do as an employer is confusing when it comes to your legal First Aid Requirements, below is the latest information covering First Aid Regulations in the workplace, however, effective First Aid Skills and how to act in an emergency should be something everyone has access to.

First Aid and Safety Training run monthly first aid courses that are open to the public and first aid courses that are run on-site for businesses to ensure that all members of staff are trained to the required levels.

If you have any questions or would like to book a course you can contact us on 0191 7166601, email us at admin@firstaidsafetytraining.com or send us a message online.

This is what you need to know about First Aid Regulations

The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 state that all employers should carry out an assessment of their first aid requirements. Although there is no requirement for this assessment to be formal, it may be useful for results to be recorded as employers may have to provide justification as to their level of first aid provision.

The more staff trained in Emergency First Aid the better, it is essential that your staff know what to do in an emergency situation and not panic. However, regulations state that for a workplace with between 5 and 50 employees at least 1 must be officially trained and qualified in either First Aid At Work (3-Day) or Emergency First Aid Aid Work (1-Day) dependant on the risks associated with that workplace.

Our Opinion

We believe that everyone should have a minimum level of First Aid training, both in and out of the workplace, during the training that we have conducted, 95% of learners have had to deal with a First Aid situation, some have had to administer life saving First Aid and that without the skills they had developed during training they would not have known what to do. The Emergency First Aid Course provides those essential, potentially life saving skills that everyone should know.

First Aid Kits within First Aid Regulations

The amount of first aid provision an employer should stock is dependant upon the individual characteristics of their workplace. The level of provision should be in proportion to the amount of facilities, equipment and personnel for which it is intended to cover.

In assessing their needs, employers should consider:

  • the nature of the work and workplace hazards and risks
  • the size of the organisation
  • the nature of the workforce
  • the organisations history of accidents
  • the needs of travelling, remote and lone workers
    work patterns
  • the distribution of the workforce
  • the remoteness of the site from emergency medical services
  • employees working on shared or multi-occupied sites
  • annual leave and other absences of first-aiders and appointed persons
  • any first-aid provision intended for non-employees

Are you aware of the new British Standard for Workplace First Aid Kits?

BS-8599-1 is an all new British Standard to specify the contents of First Aid Kits in the workplace. On 30th June 2011 it came into effect – following this date, BS-8599-1 workplace first aid kits are a clear and safe way for an employer to fulfil their first aid obligations.

The HSE were on the committee that proposed and implemented this standard.

Why Has This Been Implemented?

The BS-8599-1 list of required contents forms part of a modern approach to what is considered to be a suitable range of products in the workplace of today. Factors such as new technologies in product development, different types of injury & risk, alterations to training protocols as well as an increased awareness of infection control have resulted in the current kits no longer being suitable.

This standard will bring workplace first aid kits in line with other safety products such as hard hats and fire extinguishers.

How Does the First Aid Regulations Affect Me?

Ultimately, employers are still responsible for carrying out a formal assessment of the first aid provision that are required in the workplace, and ensure that suitable items are available to treat injuries that may arise from any hazards on site. BS-8599-1 specifically relates to adequate contents and supplies guidance on the size of kit needed. In terms of protocol, HSE Law still applies:

  • An employer shall provide or ensure that there are provided such equipment and facilities as are adequate and appropriate in the circumstances for enabling first aid to be rendered to their employees if they are injured or become ill at work
  • The contents of first-aid containers should be examined frequently and should be restocked as soon as possible after use. Sufficient stocks should be held in a back-up stock on site

What If I Don’t Comply?

Once a British Standard exists, if an employer chooses not to follow it, and then an employee has an accident, then the employer’s legal defence would be very weak in any negligence claim.

For example; a formal risk assessment of any modern workplace would identify the risk of scalding from a boiling kettle, yet current kits do not contain burns dressing which are proven to reduce pain, scarring and infection complications an employer will now be liable for if they have failed to provide sufficient first aid supplies for treatment.

What Are The Specific Changes?

  • Gloves are now Nitrile and the new kits have an increase in the number of pairs previous kits had 1 pair of gloves but 29 dressings
  • Triangular Bandages are no longer recommended for immobilisation of limbs in first aid training protocols, so the number of these within the kit have been reduced
  • Finger dressings have been introduced; previously the smallest dressing was 12 x 12 cm which was impractical for finger injuries where plasters were not suitable
  • Many first aiders prefer not to use safety pins, so Adhesive tape is now included to secure dressings and bandages without the need for pins
  • Burn dressings to cover injuries caused by modern workplace hazards, such as kettles. A conforming bandage should also be included to effectively attach and retain the dressing
  • Shears capable of cutting leather and fabric have also been added in accordance with modern First Aid training protocol. These are used to remove clothing around wound sites to allow first aid treatment
  • A resuscitation device has been introduced, this provides protection from cross infection for first aiders when performing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
  • Protection against the effects of clinical shock is enabled by the inclusion of an emergency foil blanket
  • The addition of a sterile eyewash for travel kits to provide eye irrigation when it may not be readily available.
  • Alcohol Free Wipes have been replaced with Sterile Saline Cleansing Wipes to ensure safer treatment of injuries

What Size Of Kit Do I Require?

There are four sizes of BS-8599-1 first aid kit available; Small, Medium, Large and Travel. The old ‘HSE’ system specified the correct choice of first aid kit based on the number of employees it needed to cover. This approach, however, did not take into consideration the level of risk present in a workplace.

Use the table below as a guide to choosing your size of BS-8599-1 compliant first aid kit. The table below can be used as a guide to find the right sized of first aid kit for you:

Low Risk

Shops, Offices, Cafe, etc

Less than 25 staff = 1 x Small First Aid Kit

25 – 100 staff = 1 x Medium First Aid Kit

Over 100 staff = 1 x Large First Aid Kit per 100 employees

High Risk

Engineering, assembly, food processing, warehousing, construction, chemicals

First Aid Kits should be in places of increased risk with easy access and staff trained to know how to use them.

Still Have Questions About First Aid Regulations

If you are not sure how the HSE (First Aid) Regulations effect your business and if you are compliant, call First Aid and Safety Training on 0191 7166601, email us at admin@firstaidsafetytraining.com or send us a message online. We support businesses, community groups, charities and more, all across the North East from our South Shields First Aid Training Centre.

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