Industrial First Aid : An introduction
Importance of First Aid:
The basic principle of first aid is to keep the injured person alive until professional medical assistance arrives, sometimes called 'The 4 P':
- Preserve life.
- Prevent deterioration.
- Promote recovery.
- Protect the unconscious
also provide treatment for minor injuries.
What is the importance of first aid at the workplace?
- Basic principle of first aid is to keep the injured person alive until professional medical assistance arrives. (to save Golden time- e.g. 5/10/30 minutes)
- It helps to Preserve life of victim / affected person.
- It helps to Prevent deterioration.
- It helps to Promote recovery.
- It helps to Protect the unconscious
- First aid provide treatment for minor injuries.
Benefits for employers of First Aid Training
1. Faster response during an emergency
2. Reduce workplace accidents through awareness
3. A more positive and safe work environment
4. legal requirement
1. Faster response during an emergency
In the event of an emergency, a fast employee response can save lives. Employees trained in first aid will understand the steps to take during an emergency, thanks to increased confidence and preparation. A quick response can reduce recovery time, leading to less time lost from injuries.
2. Reduce workplace accidents through awareness
First aid training helps employees learn to be more conscious of safety in the workplace, leading to a reduced number of accidents and injuries. Minimizing risk for workers and decreasing workplace incidents is a benefit to everyone, but for employers, it has implications within all aspects of business operations.
3. A more positive work environment
By making first aid training available to employees, employers can show their workforce that they care about providing a safe work environment. First aid training provided in the workplace can even be used as an excellent team-building exercise and morale booster.
Benefits for employees of First Aid Training
- Safety in the workplace and Home
- Safety while working alone
1. Safety in the workplace
Employees benefit from others around them receiving first aid training because it keeps them safer. Besides the benefits to employers that we’ve already noted, a safe work environment is an attractive benefit for employees.
2. Safety at home
Training in first aid is just as useful outside of the workplace. Knowing first aid could someday help to save the life of a friend or family member. First aid training is especially important for anyone living with someone at risk of cardiac arrest.
3. Safety while working alone
First aid training can teach employees how to properly use first aid kits, and to stay calm during an emergency. These skills are important for providing first aid to others, but for employees who work alone, these same skills could help buy time until help can arrive.
An employer has a duty to make appropriate first-aid provisions for his employees, which include:
- First Aid Facilities:
- An appropriate location where first-aid treatment can be given.
- First Aid Equipment:
- Suitably stocked first-aid kits and other equipment.
- First Aid Personnel:
- First Aid Trained staff.
Employers must inform people of these arrangements.
First-Aid Room basic requirement:
- It should be Centrally located;
- It should be accessible by emergency services.
- It should be Clean and adequately heated, ventilated and lit.
- It should have Hand-wash facilities, chair, clinical-waste bin, etc.
First Aid Equipment:
Name of some First Aid Equipment-
- First-aid boxes
- Eye-wash stations.
- Emergency showers.
- Blankets.
- Splints.
- Resuscitation equipment.
- Stretchers.
- Wheelchairs.
- Other equipment, as required.
Factors for selecting Staff to be First Aiders
- Reliable, calm, good communication skills.
- Aware of own limitations and of the training.
- Ability to absorb new knowledge and learn.
- Ability to cope with stressful situations.
- Able to accept responsibility.
- Physically fit enough.
- Must be able to be released from normal duties to attend an incident.
What factors would you consider when selecting individuals to be first aiders?
Factors for first aid assessment at the workplace :
Your first aid assessment should take account of: (It will depend on following factors)
- The nature of the work ( more risky/hazardous work - more first aid arrangements)
- The competency level of the workers ( Low Competency- more first aid arrangements)
- The number of workers ( more numbers -more first aid arrangements) (Distribution of the workforce)
- Size of the Organization ( Big Organisation - more first aid arrangements)
- The general or significant risk/hazard level of the workplace. ( more Risk/Hazard - more first aid arrangements)
- Previous Accident/ Incident history. ( Any previous accident history exist- more first aid arrangements)
- Presence of Vulnerable persons( Including medical ill health condition workers) ( More vulnerable people – more first Aid arrangements)
- Work patterns to be considered
- Shift systems to be considered(three shift/ day and night shift/ Out of Shift i.e. maintenance work).
- Working Hours to be considered (12 hours shift )
- Workplace location (geographic). ( e.g. outskirt of the town)
- The spread of the workplace. ( e.g. Railway Projects )
- The history and consequences of injuries/ accidents
- The remoteness of the site from the hospitals / emergency services, including location, terrain and weather conditions (e.g. Traffic)
- Working on shared or multi-occupied sites ( e.g multi-occupier are working)
- Annual Leave of First Aider Person
- Holidays ( absence of First Aider person) + Lone Worker
- other absences of Rescue team ( First Aider person)
- Number of First Aiders available on site.
- Non-Employees - The presence of trainees and members of public( including visitors , vendors , suppliers etc.)
- The possibility of medical conditions or allergies
- All Legal Requirement (First Aid regulation 1981 , MHSWR 1999, ILO) to be considered
- Proximity to Emergency Services (i.e. Fire Brigade etc.)
What should I put in the first-aid box?
Refer: www.hse.gov.uk
There is no mandatory list of items to put in a first-aid box.
It depends on what you assess your needs to be.
As a guide, where work activities involve low level hazards, a minimum stock of first-aid items would be:
- 20 individually wrapped sterile plasters (of assorted sizes),
- appropriate to the type of work (you can provide hypoallergenic plasters if necessary);
- two sterile eye pads;
- four individually wrapped triangular bandages,
- preferably sterile;
- six safety pins;
- two large, individually wrapped, sterile, un-medicated wound dressings;
- six medium-sized, individually wrapped, sterile, un-medicated wound dressings;
- at least three pairs of disposable gloves (you can find more advice at ww.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/gloves.htm). This is a suggested contents list only. The contents of any first-aid kit should reflect the outcome of your first-aid needs assessment.
Group Discussion:
- Discuss the issues that you would need to consider to decide the level of first-aid coverage in your workplace.
- What is the basic function of first aid?
- What should be considered when selecting the first aiders on site?
- What factors should be considered when evaluating the overall level and type of first-aid provision for a site?
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