Picture this. You are in your office, shop, workshop (place of employment). One of your customers comes in looking rather pale and a bit sweaty and out of breath. You ask if they are ok and if they need a seat. They say that they are fine. You keep a close eye on them.
You are confident that if anything should happen you have the correct procedures in place. The staff on duty are all first aid trained and as such are ready for this sort of situation. They are confident in the training that they have received. You have the accident book in a place where everybody can get access to it. The first aid kit is fully stocked and ready for deployment. You are ready.
Is this your organisation? Can you be this confident? Could you help a person at your place of work until the ambulance arrives?
When we talk about First Aid most people believe that it is a tick box exercise, especially at work.
The law states that every workplace should have some kind of first aid provision in place and there are a number of layers for this compliance.
They range from having somebody who knows how to call an ambulance and where the first aid kit is kept (An Appointed Person for low-risk environments) to somebody who has attended a 3-day course on how to be a fully-fledged First Aider in the workplace (for large organisations or high-risk environments). In both instances, a risk assessment should have been conducted and provisions put in place from the results of this.
There are a number of organisations that can help you decide what you need with the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) being the first point of call.
How do you decide who your training should be with?
Since 2013 there have been a number of changes within the industry which has resulted in the deregulation of training providers and the removal of Council approvals. Never fear however because Training providers should be members of reputable industry bodies and/or Awarding bodies.
Take a look at FAIB – The First Aid Industry Body or FOFATO (Federation Of First Aid Training Organisations) for a list of reputable companies that can provide your training (of course you will find us under Herts, Bucks, and Cambs!) or give us a call. We will be more than happy to quote for you.
Remember First Aid shouldn’t be a tick box exercise. It involves real people and real lives. With just one day First Aid Training with ABC Life Support – You could just save one.
Check out our list of First Aid Courses.