First aid regulations
Page 70
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THE LEGAL requirement to provide first-aid facilities at places of work is contained in no fewer than four Acts of Parliament and 38 pieces of subordinate legislation. Even this abundance of law does not provide for about eight million workers who were brought within the scope of health and safety legislation by the Health and Safety at Work etc Act, 1974.
It is now proposed to remedy this unsatisfactory position by introducing a single set of regulations which will replace the present law, and a consultative document has been circulated by the Health and Safety Executive with this in mind.
Although the draft regulations are not yet law, a look at what will soon be required may be helpful.
Regulation 3 of the draft requires an employer to provide such equipment and facilities and such number of suitable persons as are adequate and appropriate in the circumstances for rendering first aid to: His employees if they are injured or become ill at work; and Persons not in his employment who are injured or become ill while at work on premises under his control.
"Suitable personsare:
Trained first aiders holding approved qualifications; or Persons appointed by the employer to provide first aid cover when the trained first aider is absent in exceptional and temporary circumstances: or .
Where there is little risk, and only a few persons are employed, an untrained person appointed by the employer.
It is stated that trained first aiders need not be appointed in establishments with relatively low hazards, such as offices or shops, unless more than 150 persons are employed. In factories and warehouses a first aider is needed, it is suggested, if 30 persons are employed.
In large establishments, where significantly more than 30 workers are employed, there should be at least one first aider for every 150 workers. This means there should be one first aider for establishments with between 30 and 150 workers, two first aiders for 150 to 300 workers and an additional one for each further 150 employees.
Where there are insufficient workers to justify a trained first eider there must be an "appointed person", that is a person designated by the employer to look after first aid materials and to take the necessary steps (eg to call an ambulance) in cases of serious accident or major illness_ The Code of Practice states that in general an employer need only provide a suitably equipped and staffed first aid room where 250 or more persons are employed at an establishment.
The road transport industry has not actively encouraged first aiders as much as it could have done: certainly not to the same extent as the railways who have given free travel passes and extra days off to employees who are qualified in first aid.
Self-employed persons come within the scope of the proposed regulations. Regulation 4 requires them to provide equipment to render first aid to themselves if injured or becoming ill at work.
The first-aid requirements of workers such as lorry drivers — those who travel in the course of their employment — are particularly discussed. It is pointed out that those who always operate in urban areas, within easy reach of National Health Service emergency facilities will not need first aid provisions beyond that provided in their employer's establishment. On the other hand, employees whose work involves travelling alone for a long distance in or through the countryside should be provided with small travelling first-aid kits. These kits, which should be kept in suitable weatherproof containers, are considered sufficient if they contain the following items: Individually wrapped waterproof sterile adhesive dressings; One medium size sterile unmedicated dressing, safety pins.
First-aid boxes or simila containers like bags or cup boards which are to form part an establishment's permanen first-aid provision should con tam n only the following items an nothing else: Leaflet giving general first-a i, guidance; Individually wrapped watet proof sterile adhesive dressing5. Sterile eye pads, with attaclrnent;
Sterile water solution in dispo! able bottles (where tap water not available); Sterile triangular bandages; Medium-sized sterile ur medicated dressings; Large sterile unmedicated dre sings; Extra large sterile unmedicate dressings; Safety pins; Prepacked swabs for woun cleansing; Paracetamol tablets BP; Magnesium trisilicate powdi BNF.
The proposed Regulatior and the Code of Practice shou make a great improvement the first-aid facilities available workers, and employers w have a clearer understanding what is required of them.
In view of the addition requirements which it is pr posed to be placed employers in respect of first-a equipment and facilities and tl training of first-aid personni the Health and Safety Comm sion proposes that there shou be a period of 12 months bi ween the date the regulatio are made and the col approved and the date ti regulations and the code cor into force.
By Les Oldridge, T. Eng (CE MIMI