September 2013 Health and Safety Legal Update:
The consultation which took place as a result of the Löfstedt report has led to an amendment in the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations. The new regulations come into force on the 1st October 2013.
The main change is that the First Aid training will no longer have to be provided by HSE approved trainers.
Employers will still have to assess the level of risk in their organisation and provide an appropriate provision of first aiders depending on this level of risk, in other words carry out a risk assessment based on the guidance which was already a requirement. Companies can provide a higher level of first aid provision but not a lower level than the guidance.
There still will be three types of first aiders:
Appointed Person (AP)- have a duty to maintain and restock first aid equipment/ kits and call for assistance from the emergency services, when necessary (mandatory qualifications are not required.)
Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)- A one day basic first aid course followed by competency assessment. This level of qualification is designed for low hazard environments or to support other first aiders in higher risk organisations who are better qualified and cover for absence or sickness. Refresher training recommended annually and mandatory every 3 years.
First Aid at Work (FAW)- A three day course followed by a competency assessment designed for higher hazard environments or for low hazard environments with more than 50 employees. Refresher training recommended annually and mandatory every 3 years.
Other people who can count as First Aiders-Qualified and registered Doctors, Nurses and Paramedics can be counted towards an organisations first aider count.
The Trainer:
To be a qualified First Aid Trainer under the amended regulations, an individual must be: at least a First Aid at Work (FAW) trained First Aider, a Qualified and Registered Doctor, Nurse or Paramedic and also have a recognised training/ assessment qualification.
Full guidance:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/geis3.pdf
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/l74.pdf
See Appendix 3 (issued by the HSE) for guidance on the number of persons.