Whether first aid training is required at work sounds like an easy question; however, the legal requirements and those you will find in your risk assessment can be vastly different. Read on to see what the requirements are and how to follow best practice regarding first aid at work.
What is first aid?
First aid is the act of providing immediate medical assistance to somebody who is unwell, has injured themselves, or has had an accident. For this to be performed safely, there is a requirement that workplaces have a trained first aider.
Employers’ obligations
Employers must follow legal requirements for first aid at work. The HSE states that as a minimum, employers should have a first aid box, somebody responsible for first aid, and information available to employees regarding who is responsible for first aid. Although the regulations don’t require that an employer has trained first aiders, it is good practice to do so in a large number of workplaces. Your first aid risk assessment should look at whether a trained first aider would be of benefit; in most cases, it will be.
There is an increased focus on first aid at work in Gloucester, with bleed control kits being backed in calls to have them installed to assist stabbing victims. As a result, it is extremely likely that a trained first aider would be seen as a necessity rather than a luxury.
Training requirements
With first aid training not being legally required in the workplace, there are no explicit content requirements. That said, the quality of your training directly impacts the quality of your first aider, so it makes sense that you would want the best course possible. The best way to ensure this is to look for accredited courses from providers such as https://www.tidaltrainingdirect.co.uk/training-courses/first-aid-at-work/first-aid-at-work-gloucester.
Training may not be a legal requirement, but the responsibility for ensuring safety is. It simply makes sense to ensure your workplace is equipped with a well-trained first aider – or two – to ensure your workplace’s emergency needs are reliably met.