Prepare for first aid at work changes
St John Ambulance is calling upon local
businesses to prepare for changes to first aid in the workplace on
1 October 2009.
The changes proposed by the Health and
Safety Executive (HSE) will see the biggest overhaul of first aid
in the workplace for 25 years and employers who don’t prepare could
face fines or, worse, risk the welfare of
employees.
The worst possible scenario is that an employee is injured and a workplace has not got enough first aiders trained to deal with that situation.
Richard Evens
St John Ambulance Marketing Director
Taking health and safety seriously
St John Ambulance is on a mission to ensure
everyone is aware of how the new guidelines will
affect them and their business.
Richard Evens, Commercial Marketing
Director, said: ‘It’s a sad fact that 180 people die every year
from injuries caused at work. This number has gone down from 233
fatalities the previous year which shows how taking health and
safety seriously can make the difference between life and
death.
'We strongly recommend that businesses
embrace the changes to continue to make our workplaces as safe as
possible and ensure that if an accident does happen, they are well
prepared.'
He continued: ‘The worst possible scenario is that an employee
is injured and a workplace has not got enough first aiders trained
to deal with that situation. We don’t know how the HSE will respond
to breaches in regulations but businesses should be wary of
fines or even charges under the corporate manslaughter
act.'
Every year 6 million workdays are lost due
to workplace injury – businesses could save money by putting
precautions and first aiders in place, and the first aid charity
are encouraging people to prepare now.
Richard Evens continues: ‘At St John Ambulance we train around
half a million people in first aid every year and so we’re
well placed to offer our help and expertise to businesses,
schools and anyone who will be affected by these changes.
The changes will put the subject of health and safety in the
spotlight which provides an excellent opportunity to remind
businesses that the safety of their employees must been seen as a
priority.’
Use our online assessment tool to
find out what your workplace needs are.