Every UK employer has a duty to protect their workers while they are doing work for them. Being an absolute minimum, employers should have a first aid box and an appointed person in control in case of an emergency. Every employer also has the responsibility to supply on-going information with their employees about medical. For some companies however, sending selected employees on first aid training courses proves to be the safest and most responsible approach to medical in the workplace. An employee that has been trained by an approved organization and holds a qualification in first aid at work can be an asset to their company and their fellow colleagues.
With regards to the size of the business, it's advisable for employers to send a variety of their employees to attend first aid classes so that there will be a qualified first-aider on hand should a situation arise. Even small companies with fewer employees should still consider sending one or two people to become qualified first-aiders. Being an employer it is not just a legal obligation to make certain medical is sufficiently catered for, however in extreme circumstances it could mean the difference between life and death.
First aid training might help save lives, which should be enough of a motivation for all employers, regardless of the size or nature of these business, to send employees on medical training courses. 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 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 you can find more significant safe practices risks are much more likely to require a trained and qualified first-aider. In high risk workplaces, such as for example building sites for instance, failure to provide medical in the event of an emergency may create a tragic outcome. Workers in these situations which are injured or taken ill need immediate and adequate medical attention before emergency services arrive, therefore these companies need to have trained first-aiders on site always.
Low Risk Workplaces
Even workplaces that are considered low risk, such as for example small offices with fewer employees should think about sending their workers on first aid training courses. Employers have both a moral and legal obligation to implement medical in the workplace, regardless of the size of the business.
Legal duties
If employers neglect to implement first aid procedures, they could end up running into trouble with the law. Look at more info and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 requires employers to handle an assessment, considering workplace hazards, risks along with other relevant factors. Because of this assessment, the Regulations require employers to provide 'adequate and appropriate' equipment, facilities and personnel, including sending employees to first aid classes if deemed appropriate. These Regulations apply to all workplaces including people that have significantly less than five employees (see 'Low Risk Workplaces' above).
Multiple First Aiders
It stands to reason that the more workers that employers send on first aid training, the better their chances will be of handling an initial aid emergency if the situation presents itself. Fortunately that when an employer believes they may not have enough trained first-aiders, it's easy enough just to send more of these employees on an exercise course. Some employers are reluctant to do this however, believing that medical courses are expensive and time consuming. In reality though, this is often not the case; first aid training courses can be completed in as little as half a day or up to three days, based on the course. This means that employers won't have to part with large sums of money or lose key members of staff for long periods of time.
Moreover, it means that those employers will have the satisfaction of knowing that their employees are looked after and that the business's legal obligations are increasingly being fulfilled.