Welcome to July, and how quick has the year progressed. 

This month's tasks are focused on an employer's responsibilities for first aid response and incident reporting in alignment with the First aid in the workplace (Jan 2020) Codie of Practice.

Workers will receive some prompts and reminders over the next few weeks. 

Remember that we do this to ensure you do everything reasonably practicable to meet your work health and safety requirements and prepare your staff. 

Workers will have a couple of policies and procedures to sign off. Some of the more complex clients will also have safe work method statements.

This Months Tasks

This month we also suggest you review the following:

• Number of trained first aiders
• Review of location, number and condition of first aid kits
• Review your first aid risk assessment 
• Incident reporting procedure
• Incident reports
• Employer's Responsibilities

Further information will be posted throughout the month on employer's responsibilities.

What is first aid?

In the workplace context, first aid is the immediate treatment or care given to someone suffering from an injury until further advanced care is accessed or the individual recovers.

The aim of first aid is to:

• preserve life
• prevent illness or injury from becoming worse
• relieve pain, if possible
• promote recovery
• protect the unconscious.

The application of first aid can reduce the seriousness of an injury and in some cases, prevent death.

All businesses have a legal responsibility to provide adequate first aid.

If you are a business and employee workers  at a workplace, you must ensure:

• first aid equipment is provided for the workplace
• each worker at the workplace has access to the first aid equipment
• access to facilities for the administration of first aid are provided
• an adequate number of workers are trained to provide first aid at the workplace or
• workers have access to other persons who have been trained to provide first aid treatment.

Where multiple businesses share a workplace first aiders and / or first aid facilities may be shared. For example you may be in a complex with two or more businesses that operate at similar times and willing to share costs and resources. 

It is critical that workers are consulted about what equipment and facilities are needed to administer first aid in the workplace. It is also important  inform workers about the first aid supplies and equipment available for use.

You have a primary duty of care to your workers as an employer or business.

Responsibilities

Employer's Responsibilities

There are things you have to do to comply with health and safety laws, such as having:

• a first-aid plan
• display the "If you get injured at work" poster
• provided training and instruction
• an injury register
• a workers compensation policy
• a return to work plan.

This also applies to contractors and any business engaging volunteers and paid staff.

Workers Responsibilities

Workers must take reasonable care of their own health and safety and other people’s health and safety at the workplace.

Workers must comply with reasonable health and safety policies and procedures they have been provided. For example, workers would be expected to comply with first aid procedures and report injuries and illnesses.

First aid procedures

First aid procedures should provide workers with a clear understanding of the first aid facilities at their workplace and consider a worker’s language skills and reading ability.  These procedures may include:

• instruction and training on first aid arrangements
• how to report injuries and illnesses at the workplace
• the communication equipment and systems to be used when first aid is required, especially for remote and isolated workers
• who is responsible for the first aid kits and facilities and how often they should be checked and maintained
• precautions to avoid exposure to blood and body substances and contaminated material
• access to debriefing or counselling services to support first aiders and workers after a serious workplace incident
• record-keeping of first aid treatment given
• Register of Injuries

Access to trained first aiders

Access to qualified first aiders and first aid treatment at the workplace should be easy for all workers to reach immediately, or as close to this as practical.  First aiders should be easy to identify and locate, particularly if they move around the workplace during their shift.

Appropriate qualifications of first aiders

To be a first aider, the person should hold a nationally recognised qualification issued by a Registered Training Organisation (RTO) for the nationally endorsed first aid unit/s of competency, which gives them the skills to administer first aid.  First aiders should be provided with appropriate training for the level of risk (likelihood of serious injury or illness) identified at the workplace.

First aiders should attend training regularly to refresh their first aid knowledge and skills.  Refresher training in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) should be carried out annually and first aid qualifications should be renewed every three years.

First Aid Kit Inspections

One of the best ways to check that your first aid kits are current and compliant is to conduct regular inspections. 

CIRT provides you with a first aid checklist incorporating the requirements of the first aid code of practice. Each kit should already have a list of what should be in the kit that you can check what is missing. You alo need to check dates of consumables such as ointments and saline solutions. 

We advise when you check the kit that you take a photo as evidence of checking and contents. CIRT allows you to do this as part of your inspection on your phone or ipad. 

Book a time to discuss the process or how we can assist.