The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have issued draft guidance on amendments to the Health and Safety (First aid) Regulations 1981 which will be amended in 1 October 2013 (subject to parliamentary approval).
The guidance (L74) covers aspects of the Needs assessment in respect of First Aid materials, equipment and facilities, as well as First Aid personnel and First Aid training. The significant amendment is that employers do not have to have HSE approved trainers in the future, provided they reach certain standards.
The guidance also covers the duty of the employer to inform employees of the arrangements made in connection with first aid.
The Appendices to the guidance include
On average 55 vulnerabilities are identified daily.
What can I do?
Review your organisations priorities and ask ‘can we afford a breach?’. What do I do during an incident? Who do I involve? When do I involve the ICO?
If you’re unable to answers these questions, you need help from the experts.
- a template record of first aid provision
- recommendations for first aid items in a first aid box
- a flow chart for suggested numbers of first aid personnel to be available
- suggestions for additional training required after a first aid needs assessment.
- the necessary content of an emergency first aid at work course and a suggested content for annual refresher training