First Aid Treatment for Injuries Suffered in the Workplace. 

People at work can suffer injuries or be taken ill. It does not matter whether whether the injury or illness is caused by the work they do or not. It is important to give them immediate attention and call an ambulance in serious cases.  First aid at work covers the arrangements you should make to ensure this happens.  It can save lives and prevent minor injuries becoming major ones.

 

According to the Labour Force Survey there were 260,000 reportable injuries in the UK workplace in 2008/9. Employers are required to carry out an assessment of first-aid needs, as is stated in the Health and Safety First Aid Regulations Act (1981). This assessment involves consideration of workplace hazards and risks, the size of the organisation and other relevant factors, to determine what first-aid equipment, facilities and personnel should be provided. It should be noted that the Act details four important regulations with which all UK employers must comply.

 

Regulation 3 (1) requires provision of 'such equipment and facilities as are adequate and appropriate in the circumstances for enabling first-aid to be rendered to his employees if they are injured or become ill at work.'

Regulation 3 (2) requires provision of an adequate number of trained personnel to render this first-aid.

Regulation 3 (3) allows for competent persons to cover for temporary and exceptional absences of trained first-aiders. These are known as 'Appointed Persons'.

Regulation 4 requires employers to inform their employees of the arrangements made for first-aid, 'including the location of equipment, facilities and personnel.'

 

The most common types of accidents and injuries in the workplace are: 

Some of the most common workplace injuries are:

Proper treatment of a sprain or strain is of utmost importance. Without the best treatment, a sprain of a ligament or a strain of a muscle can become a long recovery.   Back injuries are often much more serious and result in paralysing if the patient is moved wrongly.  If there is any pain in the top or bottom of the persons vertebrae there could also be a spinal cord injury. If it is thought a spinal cord injury exists an ambulance should be called immediately. 

 

When a person sustains a head injury, he/she should be kept as still as possible. If they are unconscious they should be treated in the same way as someone with a severe back injury: stabilizing the head in line with the back. If a person is bleeding, a cloth should be held against the wound. In the event of a fracture no pressure should be applied. If the situation does appear serious or the person is feeling particularly dizzy/slurring their speech, an ambulance should be called.

 

Work related accidents are a serious consideration for employers and they must implement all the requisite first aid treatment in order to stay within the law. It is therefore essential that employers maintain safety in the workplace to prevent accidents as much as possible and ensure a qualified first aider is always on duty.

 

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