The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has made some significant amendments to the way businesses maintain compliance with first aid legislation. Intended to ‘reduce the burden on businesses and put common sense back in to health and safety,’ the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 now state that HSE no longer needs to approve…
With the announcement from the Health and Safety Executive [HSE] that legislation surrounding first aid training for the workplace will change on 1st October 2013, employers will have more choices of training provider but also anincreased responsibility to ensure the standards and quality of training provider they choose, says the British Red Cross. Joe Mulligan, British Red…
St John Ambulance has released findings which show that over one third of employees are concerned their workplaces don’t have enough first aiders. The first aid charity has found that many businesses simply aren’t equipped to handle a first aid emergency, with 50% of employers lacking any formal process for assessing first aid needs. Further…
Last month was the inaugural St John Ambulance First Aid Awards, our first event to recognise businesses leading the way in protecting their staff and customers. The event, which was hosted by BBC newsreader Sophie Raworth, paid tribute to some of the extraordinary companies going the extra mile with first aid. The awards received the…
Unpredictable though the British weather may be, temperatures in the UK in the summer can still reach heat wave proportions so it’s important to be aware of the dangers and prepare accordingly. Many heat-related illnesses can be easy to prevent or treat if you notice the symptoms soon enough. Common conditions in the summer are…
teenage worker severed part of his hand while operating a vertical panel saw on which he had received little training, a court heard. Lewis Maker, 18-years-old at the time of the incident, was using the panel saw to cut a piece of board, which he was holding steady with his left hand. As he operated…
Is your workplace leading the way in first aid? First aid can be the difference between a life lost and a life saved but often those businesses that go the extra mile and train more than they are legally required don’t get the credit they deserve. Making sure your business has the correct first aid…
I came across a worrying new statistic the other day from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). According to the HSE, people are just as likely to have an accident within 6 months of starting at a new place of work as they are during the whole of the rest of their working lives. This…
Every year thousands of people die of cardiac arrest when first aid could give them the chance to live. Recent research by St John Ambulance has revealed that currently 72% of businesses don’t have access to an AED (Automated external defibrillator), which can shock the heart back into rhythm, and increase chances of survival up…
Last October, the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation published the most comprehensive review of CPR practice literature to date. Following a period of review by medical experts, the recommendations are now due for implementation and will result in the revision of first aid information, such as the official manual and training protocols. A combination of…
It won’t have escaped your notice that the Easter and Royal Wedding bank holidays are fast approaching, creating two four-day weekends and giving many workers the chance to enjoy a marathon 11 days off in a row. But during this busy time there’s an important aspect of your business that may be overlooked – whether…
It’s just over a year a year since the HSE made changes to workplace safety, yet many businesses are still adapting their processes to adopt these changes and carry out the necessary risk assessments. While many organisations have trained first aid practitioners, this training is far too often seen as a tick-box exercise rather than…
Management in Practice has highlighted the fact that the government will be introducing “tough new laws” this month to counteract those companies in breach of health and safety. The website also noted that custodial sentences will be introduced for “a much broader range of transgressions” than exists currently. According to the website, the updated Health…
Businesses in the UK are unprepared for the implementation of the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Bills which are due to come into force on April 6th, it has been suggested. Under the new laws, companies will face action when a serious breach in health and safety management procedures mean that the duty of care…