On this years ‘International Self Care Day’ we are looking at First Aid in the workplace. We generally go about our workdays thinking nothing will happen and that we will all be fine, but sadly accidents do happen and its better to be prepared than not.

1.What do you need to know?

Every staff member on the workplace should be aware of first aid basics, even if they are not a designated first aid provider. At a minimum everyone should understand the basics:

• You must know the procedure if you come across an injured colleague on the workplace (you will need to discuss your company’s specific policy)
• All accidents, big or small need to be reported.
• Know who to contact in the event of an accident if you require first aid. There should be more than one person responsible for on-site first aid in case the other is away on holiday or sick.
• Know where first aid kits are located.
• You need to be able to accurately give your location in the event of an accident so that emergency services can find you, using ‘what3words’ can be helpful.

2. Be Prepared for Accidents

If an emergency happens at work, you need to know what to do. This way, we can all help keep each other safe and avoid small accidents turning into big ones. The best way to be prepared is to adopt a ‘safety first’ mindset when at work.

A few tips:

• Ensure you understand the hazards when carrying out your job- especially the ones most likely to lead to accidents. Once you are aware of the hazards, you can ensure you are doing everything you can to eliminate those risks.
• Pay close attention during safety training, briefings, and toolbox talks. Training helps you to be prepared, and this means you will be better prepared to help yourself or your colleagues if an unfortunate accident occurs.
• Make sure you read all safety materials supplied and the safety materials that are posted on the workplace- including safety materials for specific tools and machines. Safety materials are updated frequently and distributed to every staff member.
• If you are unsure of anything, make sure you ask a manager or supervisor.

3. First Aid Kits

The contents of your first aid kit should be based on the needs of your workplace. As a guide, where work activities are low-risk (office desk-base work) a minimum first aid kit might contain:

• A leaflet with general first aid guidance.
• Individually wrapped sterile plasters of assorted sizes
• Sterile eye patches
• Individually wrapped triangular bandages, preferably sterile
• Safety pins
• Large and medium sized sterile, individually wrapped, unmediated wound dressings
• Disposable gloves If you are buying a kit look for British Standard (BS) 8599. Make sure to maintain the kit, keep it in date and in stock. See link to HSE ‘First Aid at Work’ downloadable leaflet.