The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 govern the provision of first aid at work. These regulations apply only to employees; there is no legal requirement to provide first aid cover to members of the public. However, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) strongly recommends non-employees and pupils in school are included in first aid provision and it is Buckinghamshire Council (BC) Policy to follow that advice.

Volunteers will be treated in the same way as employees for the purposes of first aid provision.

The following document sets out guidance for how the council will fulfil its responsibilities for first aid provision.

This policy does not cover administration of medication including applying creams or lotion to treat illness. Services must have their own medication guidelines for Social Care settings and schools should refer to BC H&S Policy 8.9 Supporting Pupils in School with Medical Conditions

First Aid means: 

• Treatment for the purpose of preserving life and minimising the consequences of injury and illness until medical help is obtained.

Or

• Treatment of minor injuries which would otherwise receive no treatment, or which do not require treatment by a nurse or doctor.

Facilities are responsible for risk assessing and ensuring first aid arrangements are in place for all the centrally managed sites.

Services are responsible for risk assessing and ensuring adequate first aid arrangements are in place for staff and volunteers working at other locations or for mobile workers. Establishment managers must include Service Users and where possible, it is good practice to include members of the public for example in libraries.

Schools are responsible for risk assessing and ensuring adequate arrangements are in place for staff, volunteers, pupils, and visitors to site especially at special events such as sports days and fetes etc.

The first aid arrangements for each service/school/establishment must be in writing and be drawn to the attention of all employees.

• Carry out a risk assessment to ensure that first aid cover is adequate bearing in mind the number of employees, volunteers, pupils, service users and visitors and the type of activities, equipment and premises that are under their control. See Paragraph 4.0 and Appendix 1 for guidance on the numbers of first aiders required and first aid risk assessment.

• Ensure that there are enough qualified first aiders, emergency first aiders or appointed persons as appropriate and available at all times while premises are occupied.

• Elect a competent First Aid Training Provider following HSE Guidance. Voluntary organisations such as St John Ambulance or British Red Cross qualify.

• Arrange for first aiders to be designated and receive a payment (see 4.0) and monitor payments regularly.

• Ensure that there are enough first aid facilities and equipment available.

• Consider provision of a defibrillator.

• Ensure that defibrillators are maintained, and pads and batteries are replaced, according to manufacturer’s instructions.

• Ensure that employees are made aware of the first aid provision in their place of work through induction, briefings, and notices.

• Ensure travelling first aid kits are issued to staff who meet the criteria in Para 9.4.

• Ensure that there are suitable first aid arrangements in place for off-site activities, journeys, and homeworkers, based on the risk assessment.

Where employees work in premises controlled by others, agreement should be reached to share facilities and first aiders (this should not be assumed).  Alternatively, if this is not possible, independent arrangements should be made.

First Aid at Work

The First Aid at Work training course provides a comprehensive set of practical skills needed by first aiders in most workplaces to become a confident first aider at work, giving both the ability and knowledge to deal with first aid emergencies.  It meets the standards required to help comply with Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981.  The initial qualification course is normally of three days duration; retraining and requalification must take place every three years by attending a 2-day course.

This course is suitable for providing first aid to adults only. If children may be present in the workplace, see Schools First Aid or Early Years (Paediatric) First Aid.

Emergency First Aid at Work

This one-day course covers emergency protocols only and is suitable for smaller low risk environments.

This course is suitable for providing first aid to adults only. If children may be present in the workplace, see Schools First Aid or Early Years (Paediatric) First Aid.

Appointed Person

Someone who is not qualified as a first aider but who is nominated to:

• Look after first aid equipment and facilities including restocking the first aid box(es).
• Take charge when someone becomes injured or taken ill in the absence of a first aider.
• Call an ambulance or other professional help as needed.
• Record incidents and details of treatment given.

Appointed persons are not “First Aiders” and should not give treatment for which they have not been trained.

Schools First Aid

A one-day course will give staff a good knowledge of first aid to cover common risks for school students aged 5 and over.  It is ideal for supplementing statutory First Aid at Work or Emergency First Aid at work training.

This course should be attended by those already trained in statutory First Aid at Work or Emergency First Aid at Work who wish to supplement their training to include the provision of first aid to children.

This course is not suitable as a standalone qualification and must be completed in conjunction with either the 3-day First Aid at Work, or 1-day Emergency First Aid at Work training.

Courses are also available from some providers for dealing with Anaphylaxis.

Early Years (Paediatric) First Aid (EYFS)

A two-day Paediatric First Aid course focuses on emergency scenarios that face those looking after young children and infants, including day nurseries, schools, pre-schools, before and after school clubs for children in the early years age group. St John Ambulance recommends attending this training for supporting the first aid requirements of children aged 0 – puberty.

The Paediatric First Aid course meets the Ofsted and the EYFS Framework.

Nurses

Practising nurses registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and who work to the NMC Standards of Proficiency updated and brought into use in January 2019, may be regarded as First Aiders.

Matron / Welfare Officers

School Matrons / Welfare officers are usually responsible for the health and well-being of the pupils.  Matron / Welfare officer will need as a minimum, a standard First Aid at Work qualification and experience of working with children.

Designated First Aider

A qualified First Aider at Work or Emergency First Aider at Work is paid an allowance by the council, for acting as a Designated First Aider in the workplace.  

The allowance should be paid to first aiders where it is regarded as an additional responsibility.  Where the assessment shows that first aider(s) with a first aid at work qualification is needed then they must all be designated and receive the appropriate payment.  Consideration should also be given to designating and paying those trained to emergency first aid level if appropriate.

The service or local manager is responsible for designating an appropriate number of first aiders and/or emergency first aiders via the First Aid Risk Assessment (see Appendix 1) and for arranging payment. The payment comes out of the service or local manager’s salary budget.

 

The amount and type of first aid cover which should be provided in a workplace is covered by the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 and should be based on the circumstances in each workplace.  In small low risk workplaces, it may be sufficient to rely on appointed persons only and there may be no need for a first aider at all.

The aim should be to ensure that there is a first aider, emergency first aider or appointed person available at all times during normal working hours, although in very small workplaces this may not be possible.  Volunteers should be treated in the same way as employees for the purposes of first aid provision.

The amount of first aid cover should be based on an assessment of risk using the checklist and the guide figures given in Appendix 1. If you are unsure, please contact the BC H&S Team for advice by calling 01296 674412 or email healthandsafety@buckinghamshire.gov.uk 

Where the assessment shows first aiders or emergency first aiders are needed then they must all be designated and receive the appropriate payment.

Employees carrying out hazardous activities on site (use of electric power tools or other harmful equipment) or working with groups of clients or volunteers may also require specialist first aid training

Schools, services, and establishment managers should take pupils, members of the public and clients into account when planning the provision of first aid.

Special training may be needed if first aid provision for children is required; Paediatric First Aid courses are available for early years children and schools (age 0 – puberty).  The age of the casualty may affect the type of first aid procedure required such as resuscitation techniques.

First aid arrangements should also take into account off site trips and visits where first aid cover for the visit and that for those remaining in the establishment must be considered.

Selection of first aiders, emergency first aiders and appointed persons should take account of the following factors:

• Reliability, disposition, and communication skills.
• Aptitude and ability to absorb new knowledge and skills.
• Ability to cope with stressful and physically demanding procedures e.g., staff must be capable of kneeling to provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

Priority should be given to full-time employees who would be more readily available in an emergency.  Part-time employees or those who work away from their work base should not be designated unless no other suitable staff are available.

In the event of difficulty in recruiting volunteers to serve as first aiders, emergency first aiders or appointed persons other arrangements must be made locally.

First Aid Training must be carried out by a competent trainer First Aid Training Provider following HSE Guidance Voluntary organisations such as St John Ambulance or British Red Cross meet this criteria.  A re-qualification course must be taken every 3 years and annual refresher training carried out, over half a day, during any three-year certification period. For properties managed by Facilities, training will be arranged centrally but paid for by the Service.

No personal liability for injuries sustained to a first aid casualty will be attached to any individual first aider, emergency first aider or appointed person acting in the course of their employment as long as they follow any training or other guidance they have been given.  In the event of a claim alleging negligence, action is likely to be taken against the employer rather than the employee.

Employees are always expected to do their best particularly in emergencies, to secure the welfare of their fellow employees, pupils, or clients.  The consequences of taking no action are likely to be more serious than those of trying to assist in an emergency.

9.1 First Aid Boxes

The number, location, and content of first aid boxes should also depend on an assessment of the risk. Each workplace should have at least one first aid box, more if the workplace is large as one box would not be readily accessible to all staff.

The named, designated first aider or appointed person is responsible for ensuring that service/establishment first aid boxes are kept fully stocked. Facilities are responsible for maintaining first aid boxes at centrally managed establishments. Sterile items should be replaced by the date on the wrapper or if the wrapper is damaged. Where there is more than one first aider, emergency first aider or appointed person in a workplace then the manager should nominate who is responsible for the first aid box. A record of the location of all first aid boxes including travelling ones should be kept.

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:

• A leaflet giving general guidance on first aid (PDF Download);
• 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, unmedicated wound dressings.
• Six medium-sized, individually wrapped, sterile, unmedicated wound dressings.
• At least three pairs of disposable gloves. Visit http://www.hse.gov.uk/skin/employ/gloves.htm 

This is a suggested contents list only as the contents of any first-aid kit should reflect the outcome of your first aid needs assessment.

Supplementary items may be kept in the first aid box if there is room or can be stored separately for example:

• Adhesive tape.
• Disposable aprons.
• Resusciades (a device for use in mouth-to-mouth resuscitation).
• Paper towels (for clearing up spillages).
• Individually wrapped moist wipes.
• Scissors (only required where there is a possibility that clothing may have to be cut away in which case, they should be a minimum of 12.7cm long, blunt ended, stainless steel or Tuff Cut Clothing scissors).
• Spills kit.

Where no mains tap water (drinking quality) is readily available at least a litre of sterile water or sterile normal saline solution (0.9%) in sealed disposable containers should be provided. Once the seal is broken containers should not be kept for reuse.

School science rooms must have eyewash facilities and should refer to CLEAPSS guidance as follows:

‘At least one tap in each laboratory should have a clear rubber tube about 300mm long allocated for this purpose. There may be advantages in placing the piece of clean, soft rubber tubing in a plastic bag, pinning it to the wall adjacent to the tap and clearly labelling it FOR EMERGENCY EYE WASHING.’

9.2 First Aid Kits in Vehicles

All Council vehicles should carry a small travelling first aid kit maintained by the appointed person for the service using them. Staff using their own vehicles, who spend a large proportion of their time away from their work base, should be provided with a travelling first aid kit for which they will be personally responsible. These should be paid for from local budgets.

9.3 First Aid/Medical Rooms

The decision to provide a first aid room should be based on a risk assessment but would not normally be required except in schools, high-risk establishments or those remote from medical services. Any room provided to fulfil the requirements of the regulations must be easily accessible to stretchers and to any other equipment required to convey patients to and from the room.

The room should also be signposted with an approved sign (green background with the standard white cross and First Aid Room).

9.4 First Aid for Agile and Homeworkers

First aid arrangements should be considered during the job role risk assessment process. Staff who use non-BC premises without first aid provision should be provided with a small first aid kit. Managers should provide staff who are required to work from home with a small first aid kit, unless one is available in the house.

There should be at least one notice of an approved type posted in a conspicuous position in each workplace giving the location of first aid equipment and personnel. More notices will be required in larger workplaces, again this should be determined as part of the risk assessment. Refer to Health and Safety (Safety Signs and Signals) Regulations 1996 for guidance.

Notices should be kept up to date by the designated first aider, emergency first aider or appointed person (where there is more than one first aider/appointed person the manager must nominate one person as responsible for updating the notice).

Contact numbers and procedures in the event of an accident could also usefully be displayed in appropriate areas, for example:

• Illustrations of special procedures e.g. lifesaving, treatment for electrical shocks and burns

• Where the nearest defibrillator is located

• Telephone number of the local doctors’ surgery or health centre.

A record should be kept of any first aid treatment given, by the person giving the treatment. The record should include:

• Name and job of the person treated.
• Date, time, and place of incident.
• Nature of injury or illnesses and first aid given/action taken.
• What happened to the person immediately afterwards (went home, went to hospital, went back to work).
• Name and signature of person dealing with the incident.

The record must be filled in by each first aider or appointed person whenever first aid is given and kept secure and confidential, only managers with a need to access the information may do so on order to comply with GDPR.  Records must be retained for 6 years as a minimum for employees and for a child, until they reach the age of 22 in the event of any claims arising. This would also apply to a younger contractor or visitor to the site or premises.

The incident may also need to be reported via BC Assessnet Accident/Incident reporting system if it meets the criteria for reporting accidents/incidents/near-misses see BC Health and Safety Polices & Procedures, Accident & Incident Report policy for full details.

All staff must take precautions to avoid infection. Basic hygiene procedures must be followed. When dealing with blood or other body fluids, staff should use single use disposable gloves. Items contaminated with blood or other body fluids should be treated in the following ways:

• Disposable items should be sealed in a plastic bag and disposed of with general waste.
• Clothing can be cleaned in an ordinary washing machine on the hot cycle (80ºC).
• Other equipment and surfaces should be cleaned using a fresh hypochlorite solution, e.g., bleach (one-part bleach to ten parts water) or Milton.

See BC Health and Safety Policies and Procedures Section 8.2 Blood Borne Viruses.

 

Walton Street

Contacting a First Aider

A list of first aiders and their phone numbers for Walton Street can be found on the council intranet under emergency procedures. First Aider notices are displayed on all floors. Any changes on the floor should be notified to the floor reps to enabling updating of the notices. If a first aider is needed, they should be contacted directly referring to the notices displayed on the floor or via the emergency numbers below.

Summoning First Aid Assistance

Phone 7777 or 01296 387777 from a mobile phone.

The emergency numbers are always available and when used, will initiate a rehearsed emergency procedure by the Contact Centre. In each case say where and what the problem is, the operator will contact first aiders in the vicinity and call the emergency services if required.

First Aid Room

Guidelines for the use of the First Aid Room have been issued to all Walton St first aiders. Anyone using the room must be under the supervision of a first aider or other responsible person.

The Facilities Team has overall responsibility for maintenance of the room and equipment within it, any problems should be reported to the Facilities Helpline/Mailbox.

The Gateway

Contact Reception if no first aider is available in the immediate location. Reception will locate one within the building for you.

Queen Victoria Road

A list of first aiders and their phone numbers can be found at each stairwell and on each floor on the Health and Safety Notice Boards. This also states the location of the Automatic Electronic Defibrillator and those trained to use it.  A first aid/rest room is available on the first floor.

Amersham and Denham

A list of first aiders and their phone numbers can be found at each stairwell and on each floor on the Health and Safety Notice Boards.

Further advice or information can be obtained via the Health and Safety Team on 01296 674412 or e-mail healthandsafety@buckinghamshire.gov.uk .

HSE – First Aid at Work, your questions answered

 

 

Assessment of first aid needs

The minimum first-aid provision for each work site is:

• A suitably marked and stocked first aid container.
• A person appointed to be in charge of the first aid arrangements.
• Information provided for employees on first aid arrangements.

Hazards, accident and ill health records, type of premises and working arrangements such as lone working, shift work, remote working and activities being carried out must be considered.  A checklist can be found in the above mentioned HSE document.

Suggested numbers of trained first aid personnel to be available at all times people are at work:

Schools

Nursery, Early Years, Infant, Junior, Primary. Pupil ages 0 – puberty.

Suggested minimum number of first-aid personnel is based on findings of risk assessment. At least one Paediatric First Aider must be on site at all times. Must also take into consideration first aid requirements for off-site activities. For provision of first aid to staff, see the Workplace provision requirements below.

Secondary. Pupil ages 11 – 18.

Suggested minimum number of first-aid personnel is based on findings of risk assessment. Risk assessment may identify the requirement for the provision of Paediatric First Aid based on student ages and/or physical maturity. Where this is the case, at least one Paediatric First Aider must be on site at all times. For students who have reached puberty, refer to the recommended Workplace provision below. For provision of first aid to staff, see the Workplace provision requirements below.

Workplaces

Low hazard including shops, offices, and libraries.

• Less than 25 employees – At least one Appointed Person.
• 25 – 50 employees – At least one Emergency First Aider.
• More than 50 employees - At least one First Aider for every 100 employed (or part thereof)

Higher hazard including workshops, kitchens laboratories, warehouses, and depots.

• Less than 5 employees - At least one Appointed Person.
• 5 – 50 employees - At least one First Aider or Emergency First Aider, depending on the type of injuries that may occur.
• More than 50 employees - At least one First Aider for every 50 employees (or part thereof).

Other factors must be considered - for example: inexperienced workers, employees who work alone or on shift, if the premises is spread out or in a remote location or if there are hazards such as confined spaces, chemicals, or dangerous machinery. Remember to factor in absence of First Aiders and appoint enough trained staff to cover in all instances. For further advice, contact the Health and Safety Team on 01296 674412 or e-mail healthandsafety@buckinghamshire.gov.uk