First Aid in The Workplace
What would happen if an employee or a colleague was to suddenly collapse in your workplace? What if a loved one or family member suddenly collapses? Would you know what to do? Would anyone in your workplace or home know what to do? To become a First Aider will only take one day, but it could save someone’s life.
“The workplace is one of the most common places a First Aid situation will occur”
With the average employee spending 32% of their week at work, this statistic starts to make more sense. We only have to look at the illustration below to see the high rate of workplace first aid incidents.
As an employer, it is your responsibility to ensure you are providing your employees with a safe working environment and this includes having first aid measures in place for the event of a first aid emergency. One of the best ways to ensure you are performing your duties whilst giving personnel confidence in themselves to perform First Aid in a workplace situation is training.
The First Aid training requirements vary per workplace and it is up to you as an employer to keep up with your obligations as set out in the Worksafe First Aid in the Workplace Compliance Code.
The requirement for low risk workplaces with 10 or more employees are:
For a high risk workplace, a higher ratio of First Aiders to employees is required:
According to the First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice, it is recommended that Workplace First Aid should be renewed every three years, with the CPR component being renewed every year. This refresher training ensures personnel are up to date with any changes in the standards but also gives the person a greater sense of confidence in themselves to be able to perform CPR/First Aid if it was required.
A First Aid incident can, and will, occur out of the blue and at any time. There would be nothing worse than the feeling of helplessness when a mate has gone down and you don’t have the knowledge to help them. Ensure the safety of your fellow personnel, employees and workplace by enrolling in a First Aid course today!