First Aid & The Law
A first–aider helps an injured person.
The regulatory document governing the practices surrounding First Aid at Work was updated and issued in March 1997 and is known as the ACOP L74.
Extracts taken from — Approved Code of Practice (ACOP L74) covering The Health & Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981.
This code has been approved by the Health & Safety Commission and gives practical advice on how to comply with the law. Health & Safety Inspectors seek to secure compliance with the law and may refer to this guidance as illustrating good practice. The Regulations are in place and are to be adhered to by all business. The relevant salient regulations are:
- Regulation 3(1)
- An employer shall provide, or ensure that there are provided, such equipment and facilities as are adequate and appropriate in the circumstances for enabling first–aid to be rendered to his employees if they are injured or become ill at work.
- ACOP 3(4)
- An employer should make an assessment of first–aid needs appropriate to the circumstances of each workplace.
- ACOP 3(20)
- Employers are responsible for meeting the first–aid needs of their employees working away from the main site, for example those who travel regularly or who work elsewhere. The assessment should determine whether those who travel long distances or are continuously mobile should carry a personal first aid kit. Organisations with employees who work in remote areas should consider making special arrangements such as issuing personal communications, providing special training and organising emergency transport facilities. Where employees work alone, other means of summoning help such as a portable telephone may be useful to call for assistance in an emergency.
- ACOP 3(31)
- There is no mandatory list of items that should be included in a first aid container. Employers should decide what to include in the first–aid container from information gathered during their risk assessment of first–aid needs.
- ACOP 3(32)
- The contents of first–aid containers should be examined frequently and should be restocked as soon as possible after use. Sufficient supplies should be held in a back–up stock on site. Care should be taken to discard items safely after the expiry date has passed.
- ACOP 3(34)
- The assessment may conclude that there is a need for additional materials and equipment, for example scissors, adhesive tape, disposable aprons and individually wrapped moist wipes. These may be kept in the first–aid container if there is room. But they may be stored separately as long as they are available for use if required.
- ACOP 3(36) — Eye wash
- Where mains tap water is not readily available for eye irrigation, at least 1 litre of sterile or normal saline (0.9%) in sealed, disposable containers should be provided. Once the seal has been broken, the containers should not be kept for re–use. The container should not be used after the expiry date.
- ACOP 3(44)
- Where the first aid assessment identifies a need for people to be available for rendering first aid, the employer should ensure that they are provided in sufficient numbers and at an appropriate location to enable first aid to be administered without delay should the occasion arise. Where 50 or more people are employed, at least one such person should be provided unless the assessment justifies otherwise.
- ACOP 3(47) — Selection
-
The selection of first–aiders depends on a number of factors, including an individual' s:
- Reliability, dispositions and communication skills;
- Reliability, dispositions and communication skills;
- Ability to cope with stressful and physically demanding emergency procedure;
- Normal Duties. These should be such that they may be left to go immediately and rapidly to an emergency.
- ACOP 3(58) — Appointed Person
- Where an employer's assessment of first–aid needs identifies that a first aider is not necessary, the minimum requirement on an employer is to appoint a person to take charge of the first aid arrangements, including looking after the equipment and facilities and calling the emergency services when required. Arrangements should be made for an appointed person to be available to undertake these duties at all times when people are at work.
- ACOP 3(60)
- It should be remembered that appointed persons are not first aiders and so should not give first aid for which they have not been trained. However, as the appointed persons is required to look after the first–aid equipment and should ideally know how to use it, employers are strongly advised to consider the need for emergency first–aid training for appointed persons.
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