Medical First Aid
First aid is administered to minimise the consequences of injury and illness until qualified medical assistance is available.
It also includes the treatment of minor injuries which would otherwise receive no care.
The Health and Safety (First-aid) Regulations impose duties on the employer and the self-employed to provide facilities that enable first aid to be given to employees if they are injured or become ill at work. In the majority of cases, trained and qualified first aiders must administer first aid.
The regulations also require employers to inform employees of first-aid arrangements.
Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) saves lives
There is good evidence that the early use of CPR and an AED significantly increases survival rates in patients suffering a cardiac arrest.
AED’s are very simple to use, talking you through the procedure one step at a time. They are intelligent enough to ensure that they cannot give a shock when not needed.
The HSE has amended its guidance on the use of AEDs. This states that, where an employer has identified a needs to provide an AED in the workplace, then the Provision and Use of Workplace Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) apply. This means that the employer should provide adequate training on the use of the AED.
