HSE PUBLISHES DISCUSSION DOCUMENT ON FIRST- AID AT WORK

HSE press release:E162:03 - 2 September 2003

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is seeking opinions on the regulation of first-aid at work.

There will be wide interest in this issue as every employer - and every self-employed person too - has a duty to make provision for first-aid in their workplace, duties currently contained in The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and Approved Code of Practice and Guidance, L74 1997.

In January 2003 HSE published the results of research that gave valuable insights into how employers currently meet their obligations and also workplace attitudes on the effectiveness of the current legislation.

The Discussion Document asks fundamental questions, for instance, is the current legislation the most appropriate and cost effective way of delivering first-aid provision to employees? And why are many employers experiencing challenges in understanding their duties under the Regulations?

It also specifically seeks views on:

1. extending the application of the Regulations to members of the public;
2. the content and structure of first-aid training and the issue of training standards;
3. the approval by HSE of first-aider training courses;
4. the provision of first-aid equipment, medications and related medical issues.

Colleen Bowen, Head of HSE's Occupational Health Support Unit, says: "Research has confirmed that first-aid is considered by most employers and employees to be a valuable welfare provision, but the last twenty years have seen many changes to the structure and types of employment in Great Britain and we need to explore how well the current arrangements work".

"Our Discussion Document develops the issues raised by the research and seeks views on whether we need to make any changes to existing duties or guidance to suit the changing workplace."

The Discussion Document can be found on the HSE website: http://www.hse.gov.uk/consult/live.htm
It includes an easy to use questionnaire for return electronically to HSE.

Copies of the discussion document A review and evaluation of the effectiveness of the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981, DDE21, and Evaluation of the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and the approved code of practice and guidance, Research Report 069, ISBN 0 7176 2608 3, price £25, are available from HSE Books. The research report can also be downloaded free of charge from HSE's website at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrhtm/index.htm

Notes for editors

1. This is the first full review of The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981. An Approved Code of Practice (ACoP) and Guidance support the Regulations. The ACoP was revised in 1990 and again in 1997 to simplify the structure, clarify the requirements and to give employers more flexibility to make their own assessment of first-aid needs and provision.

2. The Regulations describe the duties of employers to make first-aid provision for their employees. First-aid at work is about the preservation of life, minimising the consequences of injury or illness and the treatment of minor injuries. It is not about providing medical facilities, services or treatment, or the administration of medicines. The objective is to ensure employers have made the appropriate arrangements for workers who are injured or taken ill at work to receive immediate attention and an ambulance is called in serious cases.

3. There is no legal requirement for employers to make any provision for members of the public or others on their premises. However, with an increasing number of "public areas" such as shopping centres or transport interchanges, there is confusion among employers and the public about whether there is or should be any legal responsibility to provide first-aid to other than employees.

4. A comprehensive topic page including useful "frequently asked questions" can be found on the HSE first-aid Website at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/index.htm . The Website has recently been redesigned and expanded to make it easier to access a wide range of information on first-aid at work. There is advice on the number of first aiders needed, what to keep in a first-aid box, approval of training courses and first-aid offshore. Links to other helpful related sites, including the research report, are provided.

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