Refreshment needed
April 1st 2007

According to the British Red Cross, many UK employers could reduce the number of reportable injuries and lost time at work by increasing first aid training and 'knowledge refreshment' amongst their staff. The organisation believes that they are also likely to find that first aid training helps to improve the overall performance of staff who attend such courses

Despite increased awareness, training and diligence by employers, around six million working days are lost each year through work-related, reportable injuries with the average number of working days lost per injury increasing by 3% since 1997/8 to 14.5 days. These cost UK organisations £5 - 8 billion a year in lost work time. Yet these figures are considerably understated, as they do not include the hundreds of thousands of people who are taken seriously ill at work each year through cardiac arrests, epileptic fits, asthma attacks, blackouts and other non-work related illnesses.

Trained first aiders can play a vital role in preventing an injury or illness from becoming fatal in and out of the workplace. However, for first aiders to be capable of responding effectively, they must maintain and refresh their knowledge and skills on a regular basis. The flexibility to do this has been more readily available since 2005 when British Red Cross introduced Safehands, its free programme for first aiders, providing support and ongoing learning opportunities between first aid courses.

From large multinational corporations to small local retailers, all employers have to meet the legal requirements set out in the 1981 Health and Safety (first aid) Regulations. In short, this means there must be appropriate equipment and appointed first aid staff on hand to deal with any injury or illness that befalls someone on the premises.

Even if there are less than five employees, a company must nominate someone to take charge of the first aid arrangements (who, as a bare minimum, will be responsible for the first aid kit and sending for an ambulance, should the need arise). The nature of the business and size of the organisation will determine exactly how many trained first aiders there should be. The Health and Safety Executive has put together some guidelines, shown in the table below.

An appointed person does not, by law, have to attend a first aid course but more and more employers are finding it prudent to ensure they do. First aiders, on the other hand, are only recognised as such if they have attended a fourday HSE-approved first aid in the workplace course and subsequent refresher training.

To assess how many first aiders are required and ensure effective first aid cover, an assessment of first aid needs must be carried out. This should cover any hazardous areas in the workplace, the number of employees in the organisation, where those employees are located and past accident rates.

In accordance with the HSE requirements, there are two main types of first aid course available: the basic one-day course for the 'Appointed person' and the four-day First Aid at Work course (for people who want to be recognised as a qualified first aider in the workplace). In both cases certificates are awarded which are valid for three years, after which employees are required to attend further training to refresh their skills and renew their certification.

The Safehands programme, through monthly newsletters and a website, provides valuable updates on knowledge during the three year interval, together with support.

Amanda Jenkins of the British Red Cross, which trains more than 120,000 people per year on its courses, has observed an increasingly positive attitude to first aid training among employees. She says "Over 15,000 people voluntarily joined Safehands in its first year after attending one of our courses. They seem to value the skills they have acquired and want to continue to maintain them."

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