Health and Safety at work act 1975

INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAW

Employers have an obligation to proved First Aiders in the workplace if they have more than 5 employees, according the First Aid regulations (1981) which are part of the Heath and Safety at Work Act (1975). This means that, by law, if someone has an accident at work, there must be at the very least an ‘Appointed Person’ who will take charge of the situation, ensure the ambulance is called if necessary, and look after the casualty (they should apply any First Aid they have been trained to do).

After an incident there are legal responsibilities (such as reporting the accident correctly) and it is the designated person’s duty to ensure these are carried out. In my experience, most small companies are unaware of their legal responsibilities and often have no idea of how to report an accident correctly; their accident book is out of date and sometimes have never heard of RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations). The HSE does not look favourably upon organisations who do not follow their legal responsibilities correctly, and it will always be the employer’s responsibility to ensure their staff are trained to do so – hence the existence of the ‘Appointed Person’s’ course. On this course we cover not only a comprehensive First Aid syllabus, but ensure everyone leaves fully aware of how to comply with HSE law.

Those companies classed as ‘high’ or ‘medium’ risk will need to provide fully qualified First Aiders. These candidates complete a 4 day course which differs from the Appointed Person’s course because there is a practical assessment at the end, carried out by external assessors (NOT the course trainer). The organisation running this course must be approved by the HSE, and each provider has a unique number. This course covers not only legal responsibilities and how to manage an accident in the workplace, but also many conditions that may occur such as convulsions, stroke and diabetic coma.

If you are confused as to which type of First Aid course you or your employees need to do, you can call us on 07989 655 280 to discuss, or you can look on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/first aid where there is information under ‘Frequently asked questions’. It is the employer’s responsibility to make appropriate decisions about their risk category and how many First Aiders are needed.

One mistake many organisations make is to fail to provide First Aid cover over shift patterns and holidays – failure to ensure this would be taken into account if the HSE ever decided to investigate an accident. Information collated by the HSE for year 2005/2006 shows that 241 employees were killed at work, and there were 141,340 serious injuries reported under RIDDOR. In this year there were 741 convictions, the average fine being £29,997.