Many organisations know that they need first aiders within the business however often unsure of what level of first aid training course they will require and what equipment. A first aid needs assessment is a critical step in getting your needs and compliance right and providing the necessary cover that you may require.
The Health & Safety Executive gives guidance and asks employers to consider the following when assessing first aid needs:
- the nature of the work you do including the risks and hazards involved – remember that some hazards may require special arrangements to be put in place.
- your premises – are they spread out over a large area or over multiple floors?
- are your premises rural, what is the proximity to emergency services
- number of people employed, consider shift patterns, visitors and members of the public
- do any employees have existing conditions, e.g. Asthmatic, Epileptic, Diabetic?
- previous accidents and likelihood of accidents, it’s a good idea to check through the accident and incident logs to understand and identify what could/has happened.
- should your First Aider(s) go on annual leave or fall unwell then could you be left without the correct cover for your organisation? It’s best to have more trained than you need and this also helps fellow first aiders to support each other should an incident happen.
Having the correct first aid provision is extremely important.
Our easy to use is free to use and draws on the latest HSE guidance to provide you with a breakdown of how many first aiders you need and the type of training they require. This will be helpful when completing a full risk assessment in your workplace.
