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Accident and first aid

If you can provide immediate assistance to someone who is injured or falls ill on your premises you might be able to prevent loss of life or a serious incident. Read our accident and first aid risk management guide to help you make the appropriate arrangements for your organisation.

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Legal requirements

If you are an employer you need to comply with the general requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations. More specifically you must also comply with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations. Depending on your circumstances these require you to:

  • Provide adequate and appropriate first-aid equipment and facilities
  • Provide a suitable number of qualified first-aiders
  • Appoint a person to take charge if first-aiders are not available or necessary
  • Inform employees and volunteers of the first-aid provisions, the locations of equipment and who the first aiders are in your organisation

Some accidents may need to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR). You must do this if:

  • You are an employer
  • You are in control of premises

Further advice is available at https://www.hse.gov.uk/riddor/

If you have ten or more employees, you must keep details of any accidents to employees for industrial injury benefit purposes. This is under the Social Security Administration Act 1992.

Example hazards

  • Machinery or equipment that could cause injury
  • Chemicals or other dangerous substances
  • Higher-risk activities such as ladder use
  • Large numbers of employees, volunteers, or visitors
  • Employees who travel a lot, work remotely, alone or ‘out-of-hours’
  • Periods of absences which affects number of first aiders present
  • Fundraising and community activities

Example precautions

  • Appoint someone to be responsible for first aid
  • Provide a suitably stocked first aid box
  • Provide an adequate number of first aiders
  • Provide additional training for specific hazards
  • Check that everyone knows the location of first aid equipment and who first aiders are
  • Inform emergency services of specific hazards in advance
  • Issue personal first aid kits
  • Issue personal communications tool such as mobile phones to employees
  • Ensure adequate first aid cover for absences

An overview of managing the risks

  • Check your first aid arrangements and facilities are adequate for your premises and the activities that take place on your premises. Identify any additional precautions that might be required.
  • Implement any additional precautions that you have identified, as necessary.
  • Check the adequacy of your arrangements should an incident occur. Make a note of any further steps that are necessary and implement these.
  • Ensure employees and volunteers know what to do in the case of an accident. Make a note of any information or training that is communicated.
  • Record details of any accidents that do occur and any first aid assistance provided.
  • Document your arrangements and responsibilities for first aid.
Accident & first aid risk management

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