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Frequently Asked Questions
1
What are the main first Aid at Work
changes and why have they
been brought in?
2
Will I need to retrain existing staff?
3
Who can provide the training?
4
How do I decide what level of
First Aid cover we need?
5
What is an Appointed Person?
6
What is a a First Aider?
7
Do First Aid at Work
regulations affect schools?
8
Will the Paediatric training cover me to look after children over
the age of 5?
9
What if we have special requirements for our course?
10
What should I put in my first aid kits?
Answers
1
What are the main first Aid at Work
changes and why have
they been brought in?
There are 3 main changes that affect First Aid
at Work regulations.
-First is the cut in the longer First Aid at Work course from 4 days
to 3 days. This reflects the more straight forward nature of
some procedures and also a desire to cut down on unnecessary theory.
-Second is the creation of a new 1 day Emergency First Aid course
that may be more appropriate for smaller low risk workplaces.
-Third is the creation of a half day annual refresher as evidence
has shown that over the 3 year period skills will often deteriorate.
There are also some subtle changes in the guidance, particularly
with reference to applying the risk assessment to decide what First
Aid cover will be necessary. This can be found in HSE
publication First aid at work: your questions answered [INDG214]
published 01/10/2009
2
Will I need to retrain existing staff?
Existing staff will need retraining when their
current 3 year certificate expires. This can be carried out up
to 3 months early without affecting the certificate date, but must
be completed within 28 days after the expiry date. If your
risk assessment shows that you still need the longer course then you
will need the 2 day Re-qualification course. If however your
risk assessment shows that the new Emergency FAW course would be
more appropriate then the First Aider can attend that. The
re-qualification for the 1 day course is retaking the 1 day course
every 3 years.
With both courses remember that the advice from HSE is that First
Aiders should be strongly encouraged to attend an annual half day
refresher in order to maintain their skills.
3
Who can provide the training?
First Aid at Work
The training for the First Aid at Work courses
[new 3 day course, 2 day re-qualifier and new 1 day Emergency FAW] can
be carried out by any company registered with and approved by HSE. With the
shorter 1 day course some providers may opt to only deliver the
shorter course and they will be approved by Ofqual/[SQA in
Scotland]. Any training organisation approved to run FAW
and/or EFAW courses can provide annual refresher training.
Lists of approved training organisations are available from HSE.
These organisations are expected to work to specific standards,
including working to a ratio of 1 trainer to 12 students and with
one mannequin per 4 students. They monitor the standard of
their trainers and assessors regularly and are themselves regularly
monitored by HSE.
www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/index.htm
(HSE approved training
organisations)
Paediatric
As mentioned in
"Every Child Matters" (May 2008) on page 26 of the Statutory
Framework [Welfare Requirements] and Page 23 [Appendix 1] of the
Practice Guidance
"In
order to meet the requirements of the EYFS, paediatric first aid
courses must be approved by the local authority in whose area the
provision is located"
Hertfordshire County Council; approve
"Staying Alive"
as a provider of Paediatric First Aid Training Courses (12 hours),
as stated in EYFS Welfare Requirements and a requirement of Ofsted
registered early years provision.
4
How do I decide what level of
First Aid cover we need?
As before it is expected that the
employer will organise a risk assessment to decide their needs.
The HSE is updating their advice about the number of First Aiders
needed in the workplace and it is expected that HSE will reduce the
risk categories to two: high and low.
Remember that you
will need someone on site at all times so there needs to be cover
for absence etc. as well. This guidance can be found in HSE
publication First aid at work: your questions answered [INDG214]
published 01/10/2009
The key factors will be the level of risk and
the number of employees. This will
guide you towards either the FAW or EFAW course as being most
appropriate. It might be that you identify risks that are not
specifically covered in either course such as hydroflouric acid,
defibrillators or confined spaces and then additional training can
be arranged.
You have no legal responsibility for non-employees but HSE strongly
recommends you include them in the risk assessment and provision.
Primary schools might need additional training in child CPR, a
Paediatric course or even a school focussed course for most staff.
For those schools wanting an FAW course then a short session
covering children [1 > puberty] can be added at the end at no
extra charge.
NEW
guidance is
-A
risk assessment based on what has
occurred and what might occur.
Level of risk
no. of employees minimum needs [at least]
Low hazard
>25
1 appointed person
25-50 First Aider [EFAW]
50+ First Aider [FAW]
1 per 100 or part thereof
Higher hazard >5
1 appointed person
5-50
First Aider [FAW or EFAW]
dependent on type of possible injury
1 per 50 or part thereof
50+
First Aider [FAW]
1 per 50 or part thereof
www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/index.htm (booklet INDG214(rev1))
5
What is an Appointed Person?
In smaller and lower risk workplaces the risk
assessment may indicate that you have the option just to have an
appointed person rather than a full first aider. This is the
minimum requirement in any workplace, and they should be available
at all times when people are at work, so you may need more than one.
HSE advise that as accidents and illness can and will occur
employers should still consider providing first aiders
The duties of this person are
-to taking charge when someone is injured or fall ill, including
calling the ambulance if required
-looking after the first-aid equipment including restocking the
first-aid box.
An appointed person should not attempt to give
first aid for which they have not been trained. There is no
formal requirement for training though you might choose to consider
a short course [perhaps 4 hours, perhaps the EFAW] would be
advisable.
6
What is a a First Aider?
Where the level of risk, or the
number of employees, assessed alongside the guidance dictates a
first aider is required you will be able to decide whether the FAW
or EFAW is most appropriate for their training. That training
must be carried out by an approved training organisation [Q3].
you will probably need more than one first aider to cover absences
etc. A first aider can also carry out the role of the
appointed person.
7
Do First Aid at Work
regulations affect schools?
As schools are workplaces they come within the
regulations. However their size and possibly lower risk may
dictate that they do not require a full first aider. As with
all workplaces, though there is no legal responsibility for
non-employees, HSE strongly recommends they are taken into account [e.g.
parents].
Department for Children, Schools and Families [DCSF] in Guidance on
First Aid for Schools 1998 note that FAW training does not include
resuscitation procedures for children
and that the employer should
arrange appropriate training. This would apply to primary
schools in particular. For those wanting an FAW course then a
short session covering children [1 > puberty] can be added at the
end at
no extra charge.
For the primary school the Paediatric course for Early Years
Foundation Stage [EYFS] addresses this as do many of our shorter courses.
www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/index.htm (FAQs)
8
Will the Paediatric training cover me to look after children over
the age of 5?
The paediatric course for EYFS is designed for
anyone working with young children and applies to all schools with
children up to and including the year in which they are 5; it is
also for Childminders, Nannies and those working on an NVQ in
Childcare.
It was originally designed for children up to the age of 8 which was
the cut off point for child/adult CPR. As the cut off age
since 2005 has been raised to "puberty" this now covers most
children in Primary School.
With the "duty of care", if no Paediatric
trained person was immediately available another trained first aider
would be seen as better than no first aider in an emergency
situation. Indeed they would
be doing their job for which they would be insured.
Current Paediatric Courses
9
What if we have special requirements for our course?
If you identify a special requirement
Staying Alive
will try to agree a way to satisfy that requirement. On
shorter [not HSE/Paediatric courses] the syllabus is agreed with you and is flexible.
However on longer courses [FAW, EFAW and Paediatric] the syllabus is
set externally and does not have that flexibility. In those
cases it would be necessary to set up a separate course outside the
formal hours of the course, for which there would have to be an
extra charge, and for which a separate certificate would be issued.
Department for Children, Schools and Families [DCSF] in Guidance on
First Aid for Schools 1998 note that FAW training does not include
resuscitation procedures for children
and that the employer should
arrange appropriate training. This would apply to primary
schools in particular. For those wanting an FAW course then a
short session covering children [1 > puberty] can be added at the
end at
no extra charge.
For the primary school the Paediatric course for Early Years
Foundation Stage [EYFS] addresses this as do many of our shorter courses.
10
What should I put in my first aid kits?
This can often
be a bone of contention as there is no mandatory list of contents
set down by HSE or DCSF. Minimum
provision is suggested for a low risk workplace by HSE and DCSF.
- a first
aid guidance leaflet
- 20
individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings [assorted sizes]
- two
sterile eye pads
- four
individually wrapped triangular bandages
- six
safety pins
- six
medium [12cm x 12cm] individually wrapped sterile unmedicated
wound dressings
- two large
[18cm x 18cm] individually wrapped sterile unmedicated wound
dressings
- three pairs
of disposable gloves
It is
acceptable to have equivalent or additional items, but we would
suggest that these should be in line with the training of first
aiders.
The Paediatric
First Aid Association [PFAA] would endorse the above
list for use with children. The PFAA would recommend the plasters
included are hypoallergenic and would add items such as "melolin"
and "micropore", round ended scissors, gauze swabs,
round ended scissors and a face shield for CPR.
Consider also
the accessibility of kits on large/split sites and when travelling
off-site. There may be a need for several smaller kits for
speed of access.
HSE suggest a
travelling first-aid kit could include
- a first
aid guidance leaflet
- 6
individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings [assorted sizes]
- two
individually wrapped triangular bandages
- two
safety pins
- one large
[18cm x 18cm] individually wrapped sterile unmedicated wound
dressings
-
individually wrapped moist cleansing wipes
- one pair
of disposable gloves
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