Regulations first aiders

Despite all the safety precautions taken on construction sites to prevent injury to the workforce, accidents do happen and you may be the only other person able to take action to assist a workmate. This section is not intended to replace a first aid course but to give learners the knowledge to understand the types of injuries they may come across in the workplace. If you are not a qualified first aider limit your help to obvious common-sense assistance and call for help, but do remember that if a workmate s heart or breathing has stopped as a result of an accident they have only minutes to live unless you act quickly. TTie Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 and relevant approved codes of practice and guidance notes place a duty of care on all employers to provide adequate first aid facilities appropriate to the type of work being undertaken. Adequate facilities will relate to a number of factors such as ... 

Employers are under a duty to provide such numbers of suitable persons as is adequate and appropriate in the circumstances for rendering first aid to his employees if they are injured or become ill at work. For this purpose a person shall not be suitable unless he or she has undergone such training and has such qualifications as the Health and Safety Executive may approve. This is typical of the way in which the Health and Safety Regulations are written. The regulations and codes of practice do not specify numbers, but set out guidelines in respect of the number of first aiders needed, dependent upon the type of company, the hazards present and the number of people employed. 

Every accident must be reported to an employer and minor accidents reported to a supervisor, safety officer or first aider and the details of the accident and treatment given suitably documented. A first aid log-book or accident book such as that shown in Fig. 1.34 containing first aid treatment record sheets could be used to effectively document accidents which occur in the workplace and the treatment given. Failure to do so may influence the payment of compensation at a later date if an injury leads to permanent disability. To comply with the Data Protection Regulations, from 31 December 2003 all first aid treatment log-books or accident report books must contain perforated sheets which can be removed after completion and filed away for personal security. 

This is typical of the way in which the health and safety regulations are written. The regulations and codes of practice do not specify numbers, but set out guidelines in respect of the number of first aiders needed, dependent upon the type of company, the hazards present and the number of people employed. 

Let us now consider the questions what is first aid and who might become a first aider The regulations give the following definitions of first aid. First aid is the treatment of minor injuries which would otherwise receive no treatment or do not need treatment by a doctor or nurse or In cases where a person will require help from a doctor or nurse, first aid is treatment for the purpose of preserving life and minimizing the... 

First aid is defined as treatment to preserve life and minimise the consequence of injury until help from a medical practitioner or nurse arrives. It also includes the treatment of minor injuries which may otherwise receive no treatment or would not require treatment by a medical practitioner. The Regulation is supported by an approved Code of Practice and a Guidance Note which lay down in broad terms the first aid facilities to be provided according to the number of people employed, covering the number of first aiders, the provision of first aid rooms and the content of first... 

When an accident occurs, there are certain things that must be done. All accidents need to be reported and recorded in the accident book and the injured person must report to a trained first aider in order to receive treatment. Serious accidents must be reported under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR). Under RIDDOR your employer must report to the HSE any accident that results in ... 

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