Every UK employer includes a duty to protect their workers while they are working for them. As an absolute minimum, employers must have a first aid box and an appointed person in charge in case of a crisis. Every employer also offers the responsibility to provide on-going information with their employees about first aid. For most companies however, sending selected employees on medical training courses proves to be the safest & most responsible approach to first aid in the workplace. An employee that has been trained by an approved organization and holds a qualification in first aid at work can be an asset to their company and their fellow colleagues.
Depending on size of the business, it's advisable for employers to send numerous their employees to attend first aid classes so that there will be a qualified first-aider readily available should a situation arise. Even small companies with fewer employees should still consider sending a couple of visitors to become qualified first-aiders. As an employer it isn't only a legal obligation to make certain first aid is sufficiently catered for, but in extreme circumstances it could mean the difference between life and death.
First aid training can help save lives, that ought to be enough of an incentive for all employers, whatever the size or nature of their business, to send employees on first aid classes. These courses can be conducted either on or off site and vary long from half day refresher sessions to intensive three day courses. The very best first aid courses usually adopt a more practical and practical approach, focusing on scenario based training methods that can build confidence and provide very real and practical life-saving skills.
High Risk Workplaces
Workplaces where there are more significant safe practices risks are much more likely to need a trained and qualified first-aider. In risky workplaces, such as for example building sites for example, failure to provide first aid in case of an emergency could well create a tragic outcome. Workers in these circumstances that are injured or taken ill need immediate and adequate medical assistance until the emergency services arrive, therefore these companies need to have trained first-aiders available on site constantly.
Low Risk Workplaces
Even workplaces that are considered low risk, such as for example small offices with fewer employees should consider sending their workers on first aid classes. https://firstaidtrainingcumbria.co.uk/best-first-aid-course-near-me/ have both a moral and legal obligation to implement first aid in the workplace, regardless of the size of the company.
Legal duties
If employers neglect to implement medical procedures, they could end up running into trouble with the law. MEDICAL and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 requires employers to carry out an assessment, considering workplace hazards, risks along with other relevant factors. Because of this assessment, the Regulations require employers to provide 'adequate and appropriate' equipment, facilities and personnel, including sending employees to medical classes if deemed appropriate. These Regulations apply to all workplaces including people that have significantly less than five employees (see 'Low Risk Workplaces' above).
Multiple First Aiders
It stands to reason that the more staff members that employers send on medical training, the higher their chances will be of handling an initial aid emergency if the problem presents itself. Fortunately that when an employer believes that they may not have sufficient trained first-aiders, it's easy enough merely to send more of these employees on a training course. Some employers are reluctant to get this done however, believing that first aid courses are costly and time consuming. In reality though, this is often false; first aid training courses can be completed in less than half of a day or around three days, depending on the course. This means that employers won't have to spend the large sums of money or lose key members of staff for long periods of time.
Moreover, it means that those employers could have the peace of mind of knowing that their employees are looked after and that the company's legal obligations are being fulfilled.