Workplace First Aid

Recent research shows only 5% of adults have the confidence and skill to provide first aid in emergency situations.

But a basic knowledge of First Aid can enable potentially lifesaving intervention.

In the UK over the 12 months 2023/2024 there were 138 fatalities at work and 61,663 injuries reported through RIDDOR.

These statistics, published annually by the Health & Safety Executive, do not include first aid emergencies at work due to ‘natural causes’ for example, heart attacks or strokes because employers only need to report these illnesses if they result from trauma due to a workplace accident.

Injuries from road traffic accidents that occur at work are also not reportable in the UK through RIDDOR and therefore not included in the statistics.

So, the chance of you encountering an emergency situation at work is not small. This likelihood will also vary depending on your specific role.  Preparations should reflect the risk.

Prevention is the best cure. So, if you notice anything at work which has the potential to be dangerous, or you have a suggestion to make your workplace safer, please report it to your supervisor or Health and Safety Officer.

The objective of this workplace first aid course is to improve first aid arrangement by;

• Give learners an understanding of UK first aid regulations
• Know what employers must do to comply with UK First Aid regulations
• Provide the knowledge needed to appropriately attend to common workplace first aid emergencies
• Gain awareness of post incident actions to help prevent future occurrences.

Employers must have appropriate first aid provisions.  This includes suitably training staff. What is ‘appropriate’ will vary from workplace to workplace so employers should think about what’s right for them.  This process is a First Aid needs assess.

There is no generally correct approach, HSE ‘guidance’ is for;

Low-risk workplaces like offices with fewer than 25 employees need an appointed person.

Workplaces with 25-50 employees require at least one first aider trained in Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW).

From the 65,427 RIDDOR report injuries (Injuries leading to 7 days or more off work) we know the type of work done is the biggest risk factor.  Shift and part-time workers are most likely to be injuries;

The cause of accidents are;

• 29% slips and trips on the same level
• 19% handling, lifting or carrying
• 11% struck by a moving object
• 9% acts of violence
• 8% falls from height

Common illnesses will depend on the age profile of your workplace. From NHS statistics we know;

• Over than 100,000 heart attacks occur each year in the UK.
• More than 100,00 stokes occur each year in the UK. Survival rates are improved with quicker hospitalisation, which requires the knowledge to recognise the signs of a stroke
• Around 30,000 cardiac arrests occur each year in the UK out of hospitals. Around 15% occur in the workplace. Survival rates are increased when staff know and implement the “chain of survival”.

First aid regulations require appropriate first aid to be provided to staff if they are injured at work and if they become ill due to a person health issue.

Common illnesses at work will depend on your workplace.  Your first aid needs assessment, which all business must undertake, will consider which injuries are most likely.  From 2021 RIDDOR statistics we know generally;

• 1.6 million working people suffering from a work-related illness
• 2,369 mesothelioma deaths due to past asbestos exposures (2019)
• 142 workers killed at work (2020/21)
• 693,000 working people sustain an injury at work according to the Labour Force Survey
• 65,427 injuries to employees
• 38.8 million working days lost due to work-related illness and workplace injury
• £16.2 billion estimated cost of injuries and ill health from current working conditions (2018/19)

This online Workplace First Aid course provides staff with the knowledge needed to deal with all the injuries and illnesses mentioned above.