Be prepared for new first-aid regs
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A BOOKLET, First Aid at Work, about the new regulations on this which come into force on July 1,1982, is published by the Health and Safety Executive and is available from HMSO at £2.50 plus postage. It contains the Approved Code of Practice on the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981; Guidance Notes which supplement the regulations and the code of practice; and the text of the regulations.
The code of practice takes effect on the same day as the regulations. The transitional year between their making and coming into force is intended to enable employers to review firstaid arrangements in the light of the new requirements.
The new requirements aim to ensure that persons meeting similar risks at work have the • same standard of first-aid provision. They are also designed to be flexible and to allow individual undertakings to develop first-aid arrangements tailored to their own needs.
Existing requirements for firstaid provision in particular areas of work will be repealed or revoked by the new regulations.
The approved code sets out the criteria which employers should follow in order to provide the necessary equipment and facilities and, where appropriate, trained first-alders. It also specified the circumstances in which occupational, first-alders with appropriate specialist knowledge and training are required.
The guidance notes contain detailed advice on such matters as first-aid materials and training syllabi.
Part I gives guidance on the contents of first-aid boxes, travelling first-aid kits and firstaid rooms and on the recruitment and selection of first aiders. Part II contains essential advice for organisations and individual employers seeking the approval of HSE for their first-aid training and qualifications.
Part III summarises the guidance set out in the code of practice for employers in small establishments. Part IV is a tabular guide for employers. HM Stationery Office or booksellers