If you work or volunteer for a large organisation it can seem like there’s a policy for everything. From recruitment to lunch breaks to uniforms. Meanwhile smaller setups often choose not to write down until it becomes a necessity.
A health and safety policy is something every business must have according to the law. So, do you need one for first aid too? How will it be used? And what should go in it?
What is a First Aid Policy?
Don’t get your policies confused. There is a legal requirement for a health and safety policy within a workplace. However, these documents are quite general in nature and are about your approach rather than specifics. By contrast, a first aid policy is something that is a bit more specific but isn’t something you have to have. So, what will this document do for you?
For starters, it will help with demonstrating that the legal obligations to carry out a first aid needs assessment and to provide employees with information about first aid arrangements have been met.
Additionally, this is a practical policy. People need to know what to do in case of accidents. As HSE puts it so well, it should say ‘who does what, when and how.’ This means it can specify what actions are to be taken in certain circumstances and name the individuals who may be involved.
In fact, this policy can be a great place to really get specific about the first aid support your organisation needs. Putting one together will lead to useful and thought-provoking conversations about what needs to go in and the kind of hazards that staff may be dealing with. This first aid needs assessment helps to keep health and safety awareness at the forefront of people’s minds.
The First Aid Assessment
Your starting point is the kind of hazards that already exist in the workplace. Look at risk assessments to see what is identified. Then take into account the number of accidents and near misses that have previously occurred.
From here consider not just how many first aiders it would be good to have given the size of the workforce but also if they would need specialist training and where they would ideally be located. Bear in mind you don’t have to have a qualified first aider but there must be someone who is in charge of first aid.
Writing a First Aid Policy
With this background work in place then move on to constructing your policy. You’re aiming to create a document that staff old and new will be able to use for reference and guidance. Remember your policy is there to make sure that staff members know the arrangements that have been made for first aid.
Consider including answers to the following questions in your policy:
- Who is a first aider?
- Where is their workstation?
- Where are the first aid kits located?
- What is in each kit?
- Where are accidents and incidents recorded?
It is a sensible idea to set up a regular review of the policy and the first aiders named in it. You don’t want to be caught out if someone is off sick for a prolonged period.
