Over 600,000 injuries occurred in the workplace between 2016 and 2017.
The UK has one of the best health and safety records in the world. However, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the current cost of injuries and ill health to businesses is estimated at £14.9 billion.
As an organisation, you need to comply with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, which govern the provision of first aid by a business to their staff. The regulations apply to all workplaces, regardless of size or number of staff.
You must ensure that where your needs assessment indicates you require first aiders, they receive training that will help them to learn the first aid skills they need, leaving them feeling confident that they could respond to an emergency.
 What is a needs assessment?
All employers should make an assessment of their first aid needs based on the hazards and risks presented in their work. First aid can and does save lives, and your level of provision should be proportionate to your circumstances.
What should a needs assessment consider?
- The size of your organisation – how many first aiders do you need?
- The nature of your work – are your staff at risk of specific accidents or injuries?
- If you have multiple sites – do they have different hazards? How quickly can a first aider move between them?
- If you have staff who:
- have medical conditions – do you need specific training for these?
- travel, work alone or remotely – do they need a mobile phone and first aid kit in case of emergency?
- work in shifts or out-of-hours – what arrangements do you need to make for each shift?
For more advice on completing a needs assessment, you can visit the HSE website.
First aid skills can help save lives
First aid skills can help save lives and prevent minor accidents and illnesses becoming more serious. They can also save you time and money in the cost of injuries and working days lost.
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The confidence to act
At the British Red Cross, our first aid training courses provide the practical skills and confidence needed to help save lives in a first aid emergency.
When he found someone collapsed at the wheel of a car, Matthew remembered what to do from his first aid at work course and has since received an employee recognition award for his actions.
Matthew said, “I wouldn’t have had a clue what to do in this situation if I hadn’t learned first aid. The knowledge I gained on the course kicked in and gave me the confidence to help save someone’s life.”
Quality first aid training
As leaders in first aid training, we are acknowledged by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as a standard setter for first aid at work training and practice. We are the chosen provider for over 100,000 UK customers from small businesses to multinational organisations.
Benefits of training with us include:
- 99% customer satisfaction score (according to our 2017 delegate feedback)
- conveniently located UK training venues
- flexible training solutions tailored to your needs
- automated external defibrillator (AED) training included on all first aid at work courses
- free online, post-course learning support through our Safe Hands community
- fully qualified and externally accredited trainers.
Visit the Red Cross website, to find out more about our range of workplace first aid training courses.
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