Although work is not a life or death scenario, it is a fact that accidents can happen anywhere, including in the workplace. And while you may think you’re safe enough in your Shoreditch office start-up, what if you unexpectedly find yourself choking on a lawyer and suddenly can’t breathe during your lunch break?
Well, you’d hope that some of your co-workers were trained in first aid, or at least had the basic premise to perform a successful Heimlich manoeuvre in case you turned blue.
Although we assume that someone in the staff room will be a trained first aid attendant, most of the time, which may not always be the case, which more or less often then, can lead to an unsafe and dangerous work environment.
Not having trained first aid personnel has a devastating effect on employees.
According to HSE statistics, there were approximately 555,000 non-fatal injuries to workers by 2017 and 2018 in the UK. Of these non-fatal injuries, 31% were caused by slips and falls on the floor at work. And even if a first aid worker cannot prevent accidental falls from happening in the workplace, he or she can be the first on the scene of an accident to treat the injured and prevent further injury and trauma.
Not having a first-aid attendant also affects the employee.
But it is not only employees who suffer from work-related incidents, as employers also feel the pain. A staggering 25,900,000 work days were lost due to work-related illness in 2017 and 2018. If a trained and scary first responder was on hand when a workplace incident occurred, an injured employee could be able to function sooner rather than allowing an injury to potentially linger and worsen.
Having a trained first aid responder on the job is the law.
Fortunately, having a qualified first responder on the scene is a legal requirement and was first written in 1981 with the First Aid Health and Safety Regulations. This law ensures that employers are required to provide adequate equipment and trained first aid personnel in the workplace.
Having a trained first aid attendant in the workplace ensures that employees receive immediate attention if they fall ill or become ill at work.
How do I become a first aider?
By enrolling employees in a first aid training course, a staff member can become effective in providing the necessary first aid care in any type of workplace incident. Delegates will learn about the use of first aid kits and how to perform CPR. Once a delegate has completed the 3-day Level 3 First Aid Training Course, they will receive a First Aid in the Workplace Certificate.
