Every UK employer includes a duty to protect their workers while they are doing work for them. Being an absolute minimum, employers must have an initial aid box and an appointed person in control in case of a crisis. Every employer also has the responsibility to provide on-going information to their employees about medical. For most companies however, sending selected employees on first aid training courses proves to function as safest and most responsible approach to first aid in the workplace. An employee that has been trained by an approved organization and holds a qualification in first aid at work is an asset to their company and their fellow colleagues.
With regards to the size of the business, it's advisable for employers to send several their employees to attend first aid training courses so that there will be a qualified first-aider readily available should a situation arise. Even small companies with fewer employees should still consider sending a couple of visitors to become qualified first-aiders. Being an employer it isn't just a legal obligation to ensure that first aid is sufficiently catered for, however in extreme circumstances it might mean the difference between life and death.
First aid training can 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 very best first aid courses usually adopt a more practical and practical approach, focusing on scenario based training methods that are designed to build confidence and offer very real and practical life-saving skills.
High Risk Workplaces
Workplaces where you can find more significant safe practices risks are more likely to require a trained and qualified first-aider. In risky workplaces, such as building sites for instance, failure to provide medical in the event of an emergency may result in a tragic outcome. Workers in these situations that are injured or taken ill need immediate and adequate medical assistance until the emergency services arrive, therefore these companies have to have trained first-aiders on site constantly.
Low Risk Workplaces
Even workplaces which 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 first aid in the workplace, whatever the size of the business.
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If employers neglect to implement medical procedures, they could find themselves running into trouble with regulations. MEDICAL and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 requires employers to carry out an assessment, considering workplace hazards, risks along with other relevant factors. Due to this assessment, the Regulations require employers to supply 'adequate and appropriate' equipment, facilities and personnel, including sending employees to medical classes if deemed appropriate. These Regulations connect with all workplaces including people that have less than five employees (see 'Low Risk Workplaces' above).
Multiple First Aiders
It stands to reason that the more workers that employers send on medical training, the higher their chances will undoubtedly be of handling an initial aid emergency if the situation presents itself. Fortunately that when an employer believes that they may not have enough trained first-aiders, it's easy enough merely to send more of their employees on a training course. Some employers are reluctant to get this done however, believing that medical courses are expensive and time consuming. The truth is though, this is very often false; first aid training courses could be completed in less than half a day or around three days, depending on the course. Therefore employers won't need to spend the large sums of money or lose key members of staff for long periods of time.
Moreover, it means that those employers could have the reassurance of knowing that their workers are looked after and that the company's legal obligations are being fulfilled.