“First aid is there to make sure you’ve got the right things in place… if things go wrong”
In todays episode Colin is making sure you have adequate resources for first aid in your business and workplace(s). Make sure you have the best possible emergency plans and processes in place, should anybody ever need immediate help or further interventions (emergency arrangements and external help).
Colin has 6 points to consider!
Risk Assessment: You want to be doing a Risk Assessment about your workplace and environment. - Is it local to a city or populated area? - Does the remote location of the job affect how quickly you would receive help, should you ever need it?It is about making sure you get the right level of support and processes in place before an incident occurs
Adequate Training: Colin notes that this could be part of the issue; Sometimes getting someone to volunteer to be first-aid trained can be the initial hurdle. They need to be comfortable should a situation arises but also confident to take appropriate action. Once you have identified who it is who is first aid trained, make sure they have adequate training (and relevant to the types of injuries that could occur, highlighted in your risk assessment). This also includes refreshing the training and expanding upon it.
Provide a suitable Facilities for First Aid: you need a clean and tidy environment highlighted as the place to take an injured person(s). This space obviously needs to be suitably clean, tidy and well located within reasonable distances on-site. There also needs to be appropriate provisions of PPE and first aid equipment, if any of this be required should an incident occur.
Have Good Quality Provisions in place: Make sure your first aid(ers) are responsible for the aforementioned PPE and first aid equipment and supplies; Weekly or daily checklists to confirm it has all been checked, itemised and stocked appropriately. These systems make sure you are always prepared and you and your staff are aware of any used, missing or lacking in your provisions
Provide employees with the right information: Employees need the right information to act appropriately at the time of an incident. -Who are the first aiders? -Are they distinguishable by uniform (coloured vests or hard hats?)? what are their contact details? Where are the meeting points if a fire alarm is raised? What should they do in the instance of an accident and what is the chain of responsibility? All these need to be clear so everything seamlessly works and no further accidents occur and first aid is administered correctly, quickly and by the appropriate personnel
Make sure the arrangements are in place for all shifts and periods of annual leave: It is imperative there aren’t breaks in your ability to supply your systems, processes and first aid responses. - Should your first aider go on annual leave, what would you do in an emergency? - What are your plans if the first aider is the staff affected? Make sure you have redundancies, and make sure they’re solid.
BONUS: IMG Provide services and training for first aid (appointed courses, emergency first aid and mental health first aid). If you are interested or need some support please get in touch with Colin or the IMG Team!
ABOUT THE HOST
Colin Nottage
‘Making health and safety as important as everything else we do.’
This is the belief that Colin is passionate about and through his consultancy Influential Management Group (IMG) is able to spread into industry. Colin works at a strategic level with company owners and board members. He helps business leaders establish and achieve their health and safety ambitions.
He has developed a number of leading competency improvement programmes that are delivered across industry and his strengths are his ability to take a practical approach to problem-solving and being able to liaise at all levels within an organisation.
Colin also runs a company that vets contractors online and a network that develops and support H&S consultancies to become better businesses.
Colin chairs the Construction Dust Partnership, an industry collaboration directly involving many organisations, including the Health and Safety Executive.
He is a Post Graduate Tutor at Strathclyde University and a highly sought-after health and safety speaker and trainer. He has a Post Graduate Certificate in Safety and Risk management, an engineering degree and is a Chartered Member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).
