14 March, 2023
The presence of first aiders at the place of work is regulated through Subsidiary Legislation 424.13, Work Place (First Aid) Regulations, which states that “An employer shall ensure the presence at all times of such a number of first aiders as is adequate and appropriate in the circumstances for rendering first aid to his employees if they are injured or become ill at work.”
In a work place with relatively low hazards, including offices, shops, and banks, there should be at least one first aider for every 100 employees. In a workplace with a greater degree of hazard, such as factories, there should be at least one first aider for every 50 employees.
Despite this, many organisations are making first aid training a required component of their curriculum. This guarantees that in the event of an accident or illness, any employee can assist a colleague in need. These environments teach invaluable team building skills. They promote productive behaviour and pleasant encounters at work.
Employees who have received workplace first aid training can better safeguard themselves and their families. Such training has been shown to decrease accidents and shorten recovery times. Several instances are provided below.
Increase your workplace productivity
Employees who have received first aid training are more likely to react to workplace injuries or illnesses effectively and quickly, increasing productivity. If you do this, there will be fewer fatalities and less money spent on recovery. Having a trained staff also improves morale and reduces absenteeism. Furthermore, it raises your employees’ awareness, which reduces accidents and enhances safety measures.
Employees will become closer as a consequence of the training sessions they participate in which will further improve team relationships. Workers will have a better understanding of one another and will feel more confident in the case of an emergency. Employee morale will improve as a result of this training, resulting in greater workplace efficiency.
Norms for employee safety
A first aid expert can help to lessen the severity of a patient’s injuries or illness, and in some instances, even save their life. Workplaces of any size can benefit from first aid training, but those in more hazardous industries, such as manufacturing, should be particularly prepared to deal with accidents and injuries.
Accidents can happen at any time, and a victim’s prognosis can improve significantly if they receive medical treatment as soon as possible. It benefits the workplace because it encourages staff cooperation. First aid training can also increase awareness of common workplace hazards, resulting in more safety measures and fewer accidents.
Reduction in unfortunate occurrences
Workers can reduce their risk of injury and possibly save lives by learning how to respond to medical emergencies. They can use the items in their first aid kit or even perform CPR on others to buy more time before professional medical help comes.
Employees who have received first aid training are more likely to feel confident intervening in potentially hazardous situations.
Though workplace injuries and illnesses are uncommon, they do happen, and the sooner they are treated, the better the outlook. First aid training makes everyone more cautious and reduces the chance of accidents by increasing workers’ general awareness of potential workplace hazards.
Faster recovery
It is critical that workers have access to first aid training in the workplace. Faster healing times for injured employees are a direct result of first responders’ ability to give treatment in a timely manner. The sooner an injury is handled, the sooner an employee can recover and return to work, all of which can benefit the bottom line. It is up to the individual company to determine whether they would prefer to have their first aid training done off-site or in-house. 21 Academy has recently delivered a free webinar about how to choose the most suitable first aid training for your employees, depending on the workplace environment as well as the industry you operate in. A recording of the webinar is available from this link.