First Aid Assessment

The Regulations require all employers to make adequate and appropriate provision for first aid in response to an accident or someone falling ill in the workplace. 

Every employer should make an assessment of what the first aid requirements might or should be to meet this standard.  This includes assessing what equipment you might need and what personnel you might need to cover all of the sites and shifts that you work.

The minimum first-aid provision at any workplace is:

a suitably stocked first-aid box and what is suitable depends on your business and your assessment of the risks involved

an appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements, more than one if you work a shift pattern

a notice to tell employees who and where the first-aiders or appointed persons are and where the first-aid box is.

The appointed person is someone:

to take charge in a medical emergency, including calling an ambulance

to look after any first aid equipment, for example, keeping the first aid box replenished

to keep records of any first aid emergencies

The appointed person does not need to be trained in first aid but if not trained should not administer any. 

A first-aider is someone who has undertaken training and has a qualification that HSE approves. This means that they must hold a valid certificate of competence in either:

first aid at work (FAW), issued by a training organisation approved by HSE; or

emergency first aid at work (EFAW), issued by a training organisation approved by HSE

Most small businesses may find it sufficient simply to appoint someone to act as an appointed person.  Whether or not you need to provide training in first aid to any of your employees and how many employees to train will form an important part of your risk assessment. 

Conducting a First Aid Assessment

Consider the following:

does the work involve hazardous substances, dangerous tools or equipment, or dangerous processes

are there different levels of risk in different parts of the premises or on different sites

what is the accident and health record of the business and what does that record indicate

how many people are ever likely to be on site

are there young person or other high risk groups likely to be present

is the site remote from other first aid provision such as hospitals or clinics

are members of the public present and are they at greater risk

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Protecting Women Who May be Pregnant

Regulation 16 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require an employer to determine whether work place practises would place a new or pregnant mother or her baby at risk. As it can take several weeks for a woman to realise she is pregnant, this in effect means that an employer must take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that no female workers are exposed to risks that may be hazardous to pregnant mothers or mothers who have just given birth or to their babies. This includes physical and emotional risks and exposure to biological or chemical or other hazardous substances.

The phrase ‘new or expectant mother’ means an employee who is pregnant, who has given birth within the previous six months, or who is breastfeeding. ‘Given birth’ is defined in the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations as ‘delivered a living child or, after 24 weeks of pregnancy, a stillborn child’.

In most cases, controlling common workplace risks appropriately will reduce the need for special action for new and expectant mothers.

Exposure limits for hazardous substances and other agents are set at levels which should not put a pregnant or breastfeeding worker, or her child, at risk. In some cases, there are lower exposure levels for pregnant workers, or for women of childbearing capacity, than for other workers.

Women Known to be Pregnant or a New Mother

Once an employer is notified that a woman is pregnant or a new mother, then an additional risk assessment must be undertaken that is personal to that employee and the appropriate accommodations made, including, if necessary, a change in working practices, hours or other factors. If the risks cannot be eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level, the employee must be suspended from the work involved or reassigned.

These steps must be taken once an employee has given her employer notice in writing that she is pregnant, has given birth within the last six months or is breastfeeding. If the employee informs her employer that she is pregnant for the purpose of any other statutory requirements, such as statutory maternity pay, this will be sufficient for the purpose of these regulations.

Employers may request confirmation of the pregnancy by means of a certificate from a registered medical practitioner or a registered midwife in writing. If this certificate has not been produced within a reasonable period of time, the employer is not bound to maintain changes to working hours or conditions or to maintain paid leave. A reasonable period of time will allow for all necessary medical examinations and tests to be completed.

Under the Regulations you are required to provide suitable facilities for workers who are pregnant or breastfeeding to rest.

Nursing/Breastfeeding Mothers

Employers need to ensure that those workers who are breastfeeding are not exposed to risks that could damage their health and safety or that of the baby for as long as they continue to breastfeed. If the employee continues to breastfeed for more than six months after the birth she should ensure that the employer is informed of this, so that the appropriate measures can continue to be taken.

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Disability and Long Term Health Issues

A disability is a physical or mental impairment which has substantial and long term adverse effects on an employee’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. Employers have an express obligation to consider the risks posed to any disabled workers or workers with long term health issues and to make reasonable adjustments.

The responsibility is shared by the worker, in that all employees are required to take care of their own health and safety and that of their fellow workers so employees must be encouraged to inform their employers of any disabilities or health issues that might create an additional risk to themselves or their co-workers and then must co-operate with the employer in assessing that risk and making any necessary accommodations to minimise that risk.

Conducting Risk Assessments

The health and safety of any disabled workers must be considered when conducting any risk assessments.  If you have no such employees then it will be sufficient to revisit any risk assessments when you do.   It is likely that you will need to conduct a specific risk assessment for each disabled worker for it to be truly effective and when considering Emergency Procedures it is important that each disabled worker have a personal escape plan that has been discussed and agreed with them.  When conducting or reviewing risk assessments:

complete your risk assessment for all employees and then consider how to make your disabled employees just as safe;

include disabled workers in any health and safety information and training;

involve disabled workers in the risk assessment process.  The best outcome to both will be achieved by working together to determine if any adjustments are necessary.  Do not make assumptions.

involve others, such as specialists or medical practitioners, if you need to in order to understand the effects on workplace health and safety of your employee’s disability or long-term health condition but seek your employee's consent before approaching them;

be sensitive and timely about making risk assessments if these are needed;

make other, short-term arrangements to support the employee when delay cannot be helped (for instance, if you are waiting for an Access to Work grant);

create a working environment that allows your disabled employees to feel comfortable talking about disability or long-term health conditions;

You must apply the same standards of safety to your disabled employees as to your other employees. If reasonable adjustments do not enable the disabled worker to work safely then the work cannot be carried out by that worker and you should seek professional advise.

Disability Discrimination Act

The provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act are beyond this guidance but in short require businesses to make “reasonable adjustments” to accommodate disabled workers and visitors.  What is reasonable for your business depends on the nature and size of your business

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Working Alone

It is not illegal to allow workers to work alone but the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations requires you to consider any additional risks that working alone may pose to your employees or any one else affected by your work.

Lone workers face particular problems and are particularly at risk in the event of an emergency.

Additional Considerations

Consider, in particular:

Does the workplace present a special risk to the lone worker?

Is there a safe way in and out for one person?

Can any necessary temporary access equipment, such as portable ladders or trestles, be safely handled by one person?

Can all the equipment, machinery and goods involved in the workplace be safely handled by one person?

Are there any chemicals or hazardous substances being used that may pose a risk to the worker?

Does the work involve lifting objects too large for one person?

Is more than one person needed to operate essential controls for the safe running of equipment or workplace transport?

Is there a risk of violence?

Are young, pregnant or disabled workers particularly at risk if they work alone?

Are there any other reasons why the individual (for example a trainee) may be more vulnerable than others?

If the lone worker’s first language is not English, are suitable arrangements in place to ensure clear communication, especially in an emergency?

If a person has a medical condition, are they able to work alone? Is the worker properly trained and able to work with no or limited supervision?  Are they sufficiently experienced?

Is the person adequately supervised to ensure that any control measures are acted upon?

 Accidents and Emergencies

Lone workers should be capable of responding correctly to emergencies. It is the employer’s responsibility when conducting the risk assessment to identify foreseeable events and to inform workers of any danger areas or risks.

Emergency procedures should be established and employees trained in them, including lone workers who must understand what they are to do in the event of an emergency. They should have access to adequate first-aid facilities and mobile workers should carry a first-aid kit suitable for treating minor injuries.

Occasionally, risk assessment may indicate that lone workers need first aid-training.

Reviewing Control Measures

Additional Control measures for lone workers may be necessary – for example, a particular task may be designated a two-man job or limited to experienced workers.  Such control measures may include additional instruction, training, supervision, protective equipment etc.

It is not enough to specify what control measures are to be in place, it is still the employers responsibility to ensure that the control measures are being followed and this also applies to lone workers.  Employers should take steps to check that control measures are used and review the risk assessment from time to time to ensure it is still adequate.

When risk assessment shows that it is not possible for the work to be done safely by a lone worker, arrangements for providing help or back-up should be put in place.

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Shift Work and Night Work

Sleep loss and fatigue are some of the most significant problems for shift workers and it is important to try and maintain a normal level of sleep and rest when not on duty.

People vary in how they cope with shift work depending on their health, fitness, age, lifestyle, and domestic responsibilities– some adapt well, others do not. It is an employers responsibility to ensure that all workers – including shift workers – are able to work safely and healthily and accommodations may be necessary to take account of the change in lifestyle patterns necessitated by shift or night work.

Shift patterns and night work are additional considerations when conducting a risk assessment and additional control measures may be necessary, particularly when alertness is key to safe performance.  When shift or night work is combined with lone working, supervision is particularly important. 

New and Expectant Mothers

Where an employee who is pregnant or is nursing works nights and produces a certificate from a registered medical practitioner or a registered midwife showing that it is necessary for her health and safety not to work nights, you should suspend her from that work for the period identified in the certificate. The Employment Rights Act 1996 requires that suitable alternative daytime work on the same terms and conditions should be offered before suspending the woman from work.

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Health and Safety Considerations When Using Computer Equipment

Computer workstations or equipment can be associated with neck, shoulder, back or arm pains, fatigue and eyestrain and the regulations were introduced because of the high incidence of problems.  These aches and pains are sometimes called upper limb disorders (ULDs) or repetitive strain injuries (RSI). These problems can be avoided by following good practice. 

Display screen equipment (DSE) is any equipment having a screen that displays information, for example, computer screens, often called monitors or VDUs.

Anyone who uses display screen equipment regularly for more than one hour continuously, i.e. without any breaks away from the screen, or anyone who uses the display screen for more than three hours in total in a normal day, is classed as a significant “User”.  If an employee has not previously been and then become a significant “User” they will be eligible for a free eye test.  This includes newly hired employees.

The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 as amended by the Health and Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2002 impose specifications for the type of equipment to be used and each employee should complete a Display Screen Risk Assessment, covering the display screen equipment, its set-up, its usage etc

Employers must:

Identify what display screen equipment and which users in your workplace are covered.

Assess each workstation then ensure that it meets the minimum requirements, remembering that “workstation” covers the screen, the furniture, the chair and the environment as well as the special needs of the user

Plan the work of your DSE users so there are breaks or changes of activity

On request provide eye and eyesight tests, and spectacles if special ones are necessary.

Provide training and information. Providing users with a copy of the HSE guidance is a good start.

Check the equipment associated with the use of DSE such as chairs, desks, keyboards etc to ensure that they are suitable and help reduce any risks

Workstations should be suitable for the people using them and for the work they do. If work can or must be done sitting, seats which are suitable for the people using them and for the work they do should be provided. Seating should give adequate support for the lower back, and footrests should be provided for workers who cannot place their feet flat on the floor.  People should be able to leave workstations swiftly in an emergency.

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