Every UK employer includes a duty to protect their workers while they are doing work for them. Being an absolute minimum, employers should have an initial aid box and an appointed person in control in case of an emergency. Every employer also has the responsibility to provide on-going information to their employees about medical. For most companies however, sending selected employees on medical training courses proves to be the safest and most responsible approach to first aid in the workplace. A worker that is trained by an approved organization and holds a qualification in first aid at work is an asset with their company and their fellow colleagues.
Depending on First Aid Courses Barrow of the business, it's advisable for employers to send several their employees to attend first aid classes so that there will always be a qualified first-aider readily available should a situation arise. Even small companies with fewer employees should still consider sending one or two people to become qualified first-aiders. As an employer it is not just a legal obligation to make sure that medical is sufficiently catered for, but in extreme circumstances it might mean the difference between life and death.
First aid training can help save lives, that ought to be enough of a motivation for all employers, regardless of 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 in length from half day refresher sessions to intensive three day courses. The best medical courses usually adopt a far more practical and hands on 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 more likely to require a trained and qualified first-aider. In risky workplaces, such as building sites for example, failure to provide medical in case of an emergency could well result in a tragic outcome. Workers in these situations 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 on site constantly.
Low Risk Workplaces
Even workplaces that are considered low risk, such as for example small offices with fewer employees should think about sending their employees on first aid training courses. Employers have both a moral and legal obligation to implement medical in the workplace, whatever the size of the business.
Legal duties
If employers fail to implement medical procedures, they could find themselves running into trouble with the law. MEDICAL and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 requires employers to carry out an assessment, considering workplace hazards, risks and other relevant factors. Due to this assessment, the Regulations require employers to supply 'adequate and appropriate' equipment, facilities and personnel, including sending employees to first aid classes if deemed appropriate. These Regulations connect with all workplaces including those with 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 first aid training, the higher their chances will undoubtedly be of handling a first aid emergency if the situation presents itself. The good news is that if an employer believes they may not have sufficient trained first-aiders, it's easy enough merely to send more of their employees on an exercise course. Some employers are reluctant to do this however, believing that first aid courses are expensive and time consuming. The truth is though, this is often false; first aid classes can be completed in less than half of a day or around three days, with respect to the course. This means that employers won't have to spend the large sums of money or lose key members of staff for extended periods of time.
Moreover, it means that those employers will have the reassurance of knowing that their workers are looked after and that the business's legal obligations are being fulfilled.