Every workplace has a legal responsibility to ensure that they meet adequate First Aid provisions. First Aid provides for the initial and immediate attention to a person suffering an injury or illness and in some extreme cases; a quick first aid response could mean the difference between life and death. In many cases correct use of first aid can reduce the severity of the injury and illness while also reducing unnecessary stress and anxiety.
OHS Regulation 2001 sets out certain minimum standards for first aid; however no two workplaces are exactly the same. The factors that will determine your best first aid plan depend upon the industry you operate in and the specific activities in your workplace.
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To begin to determine your situation you should first of all look for hazards in your workplace. These are things that could cause harm to you or to others involved with your workplace. For examples chemicals or machinery. Secondly, you should decide how serious your health and safety issues might be. For instance what factors contribute to the risk of an injury for yourself, your employees and your customers? Also what injuries could occur, for example burns or fatigue, and how likely they are to occur.
Assessing risk is very important and should be carried out as the first step. Following your assessment of all risks in the workplace, the next step is to eliminate or control risks by making changes that protect people. For example replace dangerous equipment or issue protective equipment for your staff. In the case of first aid, this method helps you to work out what facilities or personnel must be immediately on hand if there is an injury or illness.
The type of work performed will influence the hazards and the possible harmful consequences for employees. For example, employees in an office will have first aid requirements different from those in a manufacturing plant, and so different First Aid Supplies will be required.. Workplaces using hazardous substances may require specialised first aid facilities, such as eyewash stations and emergency showers in order to comply with first aid safety guidelines.
Think about the types of activities that are performed in your workplace and to try to anticipate any risks that could be faced by employees. After identifying the hazards in your workplace you need to assess how serious a problem they are likely to be. You should take into consideration how often employees are exposed to hazards, how long they are exposed to the hazards and also any potential accidents that could occur. Where possible it is always best to eliminate the risk, however if that is not possible the employer must control the risk as much as possible to ensure the hazard does not become a greater danger. Prevention however is always better than cure.
Now that all hazards have been assessed and any required action has been taken, it is now time to train your staff in the act of first aid. The number of trained first aiders is linked to the number of people in your workplace. It is important that all staff and visitors are aware of your First Aid plan.
Often it is also best to have a number of portable kits that can be stored in various sections, depending on the size of your workplace, which can be used in the event of an emergency by anyone at anytime. Again, someone must be responsible for maintenance of these kits.
First Aid and Safety Responsibility in the Workplace
You should ensure that you use only the best quality First Aid Supplies and medical supplies in your First Aid Cabinet or Kit. Make certain to choose only reliable companies, with a good reputation. These companies will only carry the highest quality supplies available. Workplace health and safety states that all workplaces MUST HAVE a First Aid Kit. The contents of First Aid Kits should be appropriate for the types of injuries and illnesses likely to occur at the workplace.
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