Emergency planning goes beyond enabling the safe evacuation of employees during a calamity. Ideally, it must also outline how to extend assistance to those who may require workplace first aid treatment. Although employees are not expected to become experts at conducting a rescue, they should at least be able to administer basic first aid when the need arises.
Here’s a workplace first aid checklist everyone must consider.
Appointing a Designated Emergency Warden
Building owners hold the responsibility of taking care of tenants. However, company owners also have a pivotal role in protecting the safety of their staff. As part of emergency planning, they must appoint a designated emergency warden, who is tasked to facilitate the emergency procedures when the situation requires.
Workplace first aid training is not an option nor a privilege a company gives to employees. It is a compliance obligation outlined in the Work Health and Safety legislation with which every business owner must align. Failing to comply has grave consequences, such as hefty fines of up to $3 million.
Providing basic Workplace First Aid Training to all staff
Apart from it being a compliance obligation, the core of workplace first aid training is the intention of providing initial assistance to victims of illness or injury until professional medical assistance arrives. First aid training turns employees from mere bystanders to people with skills necessary to support victims and professional responders in times of medical emergency or any other crises.
The human brain can only stand six minutes without oxygen. Therefore, first aid treatment when not done right could cause grave and irreparable damages to the patient. Worst, it could lead to death. Therefore, it is crucial to provide first aid training to all staff regardless of function or position.
Ensuring the emergency preparedness of a workplace is in the hands of everyone, from the building owner, company owner, emergency warden, and down to the employees. There are first aid resources online that offer much information about First Aid Workplace Compliance. These materials are useful to everyone in the workplace.
Providing First Aid supplies
A first aid kit is an important item in the first aid checklist workplace every must have. Most basic first aid techniques used for common injuries can be performed with basic equipment. Here are some of the items that MUST be included in your first aid kit:
- Triangular bandages
- Crepe bandages
- Alcohol swabs
- Sterile eye pad
- Skin tape
- Disposable gloves
- Thermal blankets
- Dressing pads
- Tweezers
- Safety pins
- First aid booklet
- Anti-itch cream
- Disposable resuscitation face shield
- Antiseptic skin swabs
Do you need more information about emergency planning as a compliance obligation? Complete the form below, and we’ll back to you shortly. We’re looking forward to sharing more tips and information with you on how to promote workplace safety.
[wpforms id=”1334″ title=”true”]
