Calculating your organisations’ First Aid requirements and deciding which First Aid course is most suitable need not be confusing or daunting. Here’s a quick explanation and a few useful links….
Employers have a legal duty to make arrangements to insure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work. It doesn’t matter whether the injury or illness is caused by the work they do, or started in the workplace. What is important is that they receive immediate attention and that an ambulance is called in serious cases.
First aid can save lives and prevent minor injuries becoming major ones. It also reduces absence due to illness and injury.
So how is it done?
An employer should make an assessment of first-aid needs appropriate to the circumstances (hazards, risks & locations) of each workplace. Based on the findings of this assessment, sufficient first-aid equipment, facilities and suitably trained personnel should be made available at all times, taking account different shift patterns, to:
- give immediate assistance to casualties with both common injuries and illnesses in the workplace
- call Emergency Services or other professional help if needed
For more information, the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 set out the essential aspects of first aid that employers have to address.
As a quick overview:
An Emergency First Aid at Work course covers key skills needed to treat life threatening emergencies in a working environment until Emergency Services can attend.
The First Aid at Work course covers the skills needed to manage life threatening emergencies. It also covers the recognition and treatment of common medical conditions and workplace injuries.
Paediatric First Aid is suited to those who are working with children or infants whether at school, in nurseries, playgroups, after school clubs or as a childminder or at home. It covers child and infant first aid protocols that are not included in the First Aid at Work scheme.
If you feel that a standard course doesn’t meet your needs we also offer alternatives such as our Forestry First Aid courses, Equine First Aid courses, Automated External Defibrillator training. Alternatively we can configure a bespoke package to meet your needs.
Please contact us or a no obligation consultation.
Choosing a First Aid Training Provider
Despite what some companies will tell you, the HSE do not directly approve any First Aid training providers. It is down to each individual organisation to ensure that they carry out due diligence. This may be done through an Industry Body, an Awarding body or in-house. Industry bodies and Awarding bodies are third-parties who accredit certain qualifications, however accreditation is not always necessary.
Our trainers always teach to the latest guidelines and protocols. They are also subject to regular monitoring to ensure that our training is to the highest standard. Where accreditation is required, we work with the leading industry body and one of the biggest awarding bodies.