First Aid - Keele University
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Department of Occupational Health and Safety

 

Department of Occupational Health and Safety

First Aid

(Revised February 2013)

IN AN EMERGENCY FOLLOW THE ADVICE IN THE NOTICE POSTED AT ENTRANCES AND CORRIDORS IN BUILDINGS. THE NOTICE WILL INFORM YOU OF THE NEAREST DESIGNATED FIRST AIDER. PLEASE ENSURE YOU KNOW WHO THIS IS.

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On this page:

  1. First Aid Provision
  2. Designated First Aiders
  3. First Aid Courses
  4. Payment for First Aiders
  5. Duties of Designated and Designated Occupational First Aiders
  6. First Aid Box Contents
  7. Transport of Students and Staff for Medical Treatment
  8. Out of Hours

1. First Aid Provision

The law here is the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 together with guidance and an Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) (L74). A copy of that document is available for scrutiny on the HSE website.

Amongst other things, Regulation 3 requires the University to provide or ensure that there is provided such equipment and facilities as are adequate and appropriate in the circumstances for enabling first aid to be rendered to its employees if they are injured or become ill at work.

2. Designated First Aiders

Allocation of Designated First Aider posts is established by Council on recommendation from the HSSC. Requests for additional posts should be made in writing by the Head of School/Department to the Secretary of the Health and Safety Standing Committee.

In order to be appointed as a Designated First Aider

  • there must be a vacancy in the School, Department or building where the person works
  • the person must hold the relevant First Aid qualification as determined by risk assessment. Current courses are the 3-day Health and Safety at Work Certificate (normally in high risk areas) and (as in the majority of cases) the 1-day Emergency First Aid at Work course.
  • the Head of School/Department must have signed a form appointing that person.

In practice, once someone becomes a Designated First Aider they normally remain so.  In some areas there may be more than one person qualified so they take it in turns. They are obliged to keep their certificate up to date by attending a Re-qualification Course before their original certificate expires (i.e. within three years or sooner). They will also attend a short refresher resuscitation course carried out by the DOHS annually.

3. First Aid Courses

  • 3-day First Aid at Work Statutory Certificate course.  Candidates attend one of the local courses run by St. John Ambulance.
  • 2-day Re-qualification course (these are open to holders of the 3-day certificate and must be completed within 3 years of the original course, before the certificate expires).  Wherever possible candidates attend a course at Keele run by our in-house trainer.  Anyone unable to attend on the specified dates would be asked to attend a course run by St. John Ambulance at one of their local centres.
  • 1-day Emergency First Aid at Work course.  Run at Keele by our in-house trainer wherever possible.

Course bookings and training records are organised by the DOHS, who will communicate with qualified first aiders with regard to re-training.

When staff have attended these courses they will receive a certificate and identity card which is valid for 3 years.

(Please note that holding a First Aid Certificate does not automatically entitle the member of staff to payment of the stipend as a Designated First Aider.)

4. Payment for First Aiders

The appointment of Designated First Aiders is renewed on an annual basis from 1st August until 31st July of the following year. Appointment forms are sent to Heads each year for approval and signature. Current sample forms are included at the end of this section. Payment of the stipend is made monthly or weekly with salary.

5. Duties of Designated and Designated Occupational First Aiders

The duties include:

  • Maintaining first aid boxes for which they have agreed responsibility, including checking that items are in date and that sufficient stocks are maintained.
  • Advising the Head of School/Department on matters relating to first aid requirements of staff in their area;
  • Providing first aid to injured persons in the area and ensuring that injuries are recorded in the Accident Book. A Treatment Record Form, a copy of which is appended to this document, must be completed and forwarded to the Occupational Health Manager for retention;
  • Ensuring that adequate first aid cover is maintained as far as possible;
  • Attending the Refresher Resuscitation Course held during the year, details of which will be notified;
  • Such other duties as assigned.

The distribution of Designated First Aiders and First Aid boxes will be for the Head of School/Department to decide, in consultation, where relevant, with the Workplace Safety Committee.

  • Note A:  A Qualified First Aider who renders assistance to an injured person within the University is recognised by the University as acting in an authorised capacity in the event of any claim for compensation by the injured person, provided that the Qualified First Aider acts in a reasonable manner.
  • Note B: Qualified First Aiders are advised when in doubt about the extent of injuries of an individual to call an ambulance. Where an individual refuses aid, that fact must be documented on the Treatment Record Form.

6. First Aid Box Contents

There is no standard list of items to put in a first-aid box as this will depend on the particular needs of the department. However, as a guide, and where there is no special risk in the workplace, a minimum stock of first-aid items would be:
This is a suggested minimum list only.   Requirements for first aid items should be decided upon following assessment of local first aid needs.

  • 20 individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings (assorted sizes), appropriate to type of work (detectable for food handlers)
  • 2 sterile eye pads
  • 4 individually wrapped triangular bandages
  • 6 safety pins
  • 6 medium individually wrapped sterile first aid dressings
  • 2 large individually wrapped sterile first aid dressings
  • 1 pair of disposable gloves
  • 5 individually wrapped wound cleaning wipes

You should not keep tablets or medicines in the first-aid box.

Further information is available in the 'First Aid at Work' Approved Code of Practice and Guidance, and booklet 'First Aid at Work'

Much of this information is included in the First Aid training course provided by St. John Ambulance.

7. Transport of Students and Staff for Medical Treatment

If the first aider has any doubt about the severity of the illness or injury an ambulance should be called.

Once any immediate first aid has been given, if the first aider decides that an ambulance is not necessary but that a visit seems advisable to either the Accident Unit or GP then the following actions are advised:

  • If the person appears to be able to drive his or her own vehicle, he or she should drive, perhaps accompanied by a friend.
  • Alternatively public transport could be used. If the first aider feels that the person should not drive, a taxi may be called. The person should be accompanied by the first aider preferably, or a friend. The taxi should be booked through Security on (73)3004, who will charge it to the University as long as the need is bone fide.

8. Out of hours

The same conditions as 1 and 2 above will apply, although the number of trained first aiders available are likely to be solely members of Security.

In Halls of Residence, illnesses and accidents particularly to students should be dealt with in the manner similar to domestic practice in the family home. Urgent cases will require an ambulance to be called. Apparently less urgent cases may need a telephone call to the student's GP or to the locum service in Basford.

If a first aider, Residence Support Assistant or other responsible person feels that a visit seems advisable to the Accident Unit, GP or locum, but does not require an ambulance, then a taxi should be called. The taxi should be booked through Security who will charge it to the University as long as the need is bone fide.

If someone is treated at hospital it may be notifiable to the Health and Safety Executive.  The Department of Occupational Health and Safety should be consulted if in doubt.

During working hours and out of hours a taxi can also be booked through Security to return both the casualty and the person accompanying the casualty back to work or home as appropriate.