First Aid is an essential component of your company’s emergency response system and overall health and safety program. What would happen if someone at work suddenly stopped breathing and no one knew how to help that person? What if the necessary First Aid supplies and equipment were not available to help an employee who was bleeding heavily or who had been splashed with a corrosive chemical? Every company will, at some time or another, have to deal with First Aid emergencies. Even in workplaces that seem safe, such as stores and offices, many types of emergencies can happen. It is critical to be prepared at all times to quickly and effectively deal with these situations.
Why Do I Need To Have Our First Aid Kits Inspected?
First Aid facilities, training, records, and reporting are all required by law. Provision and maintenance of proper First Aid facilities and treatment can improve employee morale and productivity and reduce compensation costs and absenteeism. In addition, reviewing First Aid statistics can help identify hazards. This in turn can suggest the preventive measures needed to ensure that similar injuries do not happen in the future. A company must keep First Aid kit inspection records. This includes establishing an inspection schedule and assigning the responsibility of inspections. In many Canadian provinces and US states, these inspections must be performed at least every quarter.
What is First Aid?
First Aid is the immediate care given to a person who is injured or who suddenly becomes ill. It can range from cleaning a cut and applying a bandage to helping someone who is choking or having a heart attack. This care is designed to prevent further injury or illness, promote recovery, and reduce severity by providing an immediate and effective response. First Aid training is recognized as having a positive impact on a company’s health and safety performance and minimizes liabilities. It can reduce the number of accidents by promoting a greater awareness of hazards and their consequences. Studies have shown that people trained in First Aid are injured less frequently and less severely than those who are not trained in First Aid.
What The Law Says
It not only makes good sense to provide First Aid facilities and training in the workplace, it is the law. In Ontario, Canada for example, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act contains regulations relating directly to First Aid. Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Act: R.R.O. 1101/90 respecting First Aid Requirements requires that companies be aware of their responsibilities as it applies to First Aid requirements on jobs sites. As a minimum, legislative requirements must include:
That there is at least one person trained, at the designated level, on every shift.
That the designated First Aider be available to render assistance at all times during that shift.
A copy of Form 82 “Poster” be posted in the workplace, where all workers can see it.
Injuries must be recorded and reported.
There are many elements to successfully establish and implement a First Aid program on a job site. The following is a list to help identify items that need to be included in a plan:
Roles and Responsibilities must be defined. Workers, Supervisors and Safety staff must all know their roles.
The First Aid kit must be located within quick and easy access for all employees.
Each First Aid kit must be adequately stocked with supplies.
First Aid treatment records must be kept.
First Aid certificates must be posted.
A company must keep First Aid kit inspection records. This would include establishing an inspection schedule and assigning the responsibility of inspection.
by Shyamala Nathan Turner
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