Every UK employer includes a duty to protect their employees while they are doing work for them. As an absolute minimum, employers must have a first aid box and an appointed person in charge in case of an emergency. Every employer also offers the responsibility to supply on-going information with their employees about medical. For some companies however, sending selected employees on medical classes proves to be the safest & most responsible approach to medical in the workplace. First Aid Course Near Me Cumbria that has been trained by an approved organization and holds a qualification in medical at work is an asset with their company and their fellow colleagues.
Based on the size of the company, it's advisable for employers to send a variety of their employees to attend first aid classes so that there will always be a qualified first-aider readily available should a predicament arise. Even small companies with fewer employees should still consider sending one or two people to become qualified first-aiders. Being an employer it is not just a legal obligation to make certain first aid is sufficiently catered for, however in extreme circumstances it could mean the difference between life and death.
First aid training can help save lives, which should be enough of an incentive for all employers, regardless of the size or nature of their 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 best medical courses usually adopt a far more practical and hands on approach, focusing on scenario based training methods that are designed to build confidence and provide very real and practical life-saving skills.
High Risk Workplaces
Workplaces where you can find more significant safe practices risks are more likely to need a trained and qualified first-aider. In high risk workplaces, such as for example building sites for instance, failure to provide medical in case of an emergency may result in a tragic outcome. Workers in these situations that are injured or taken ill need immediate and adequate medical attention 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 small offices with fewer employees should consider sending their employees on first aid classes. Employers have both a moral and legal obligation to implement medical in the workplace, regardless of the size of the company.
Legal duties
If employers neglect to implement medical procedures, they could find themselves running into trouble with the law. The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 requires employers to carry out an assessment, considering workplace hazards, risks and other relevant factors. As a result of this assessment, the Regulations require employers to provide 'adequate and appropriate' equipment, facilities and personnel, including sending employees to first aid 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 staff members that employers send on medical training, the higher their chances will be of handling an initial aid emergency if the problem presents itself. Fortunately that if an employer believes they may not have sufficient trained first-aiders, it's easy enough just to send more of these employees on an exercise 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 often not the case; first aid training courses could be completed in as little as half a day or up to three days, based on the course. This means that employers won't need to part with large sums of money or lose key members of staff for long periods of time.
Moreover, it means that those employers will have the satisfaction of knowing that their employees are taken care of and that the company's legal obligations are being fulfilled.