First aiders have a range of responsibilities. In emergency situations, they need to be able to offer appropriate care to anyone who is ill or has suffered an injury. They also have other tasks, such as making sure their first aid training is up-to-date and understanding the risks and hazards applicable to their workplace.
Finally, they have certain legal responsibilities and protections when giving first aid. In this blog, we examine the different duties of a first aider and help you learn how to fulfil them.
A first aider is someone who has been trained to provide basic medical care to someone who is injured or ill. They are not doctors, but they have the knowledge and skills to help someone until medical help is available.
Qualified first aiders have normally undergone one of two types of training. These are:
1. Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)
This is Level 2 first aid training designed for people who are designated as first aiders in lower-risk workplaces. Courses typically cover a range of topics, including CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), dealing with bleeding and wounds, managing choking incidents, aiding with minor injuries and understanding the appropriate actions to take in an emergency situation. EFAW training usually lasts for one day and a certificate is issued when the course is successfully completed; the certification is valid for three years.
2. First Aid at Work (FAW)
This is a Level 3 course offering comprehensive and in-depth training for designated first aiders in higher-risk workplaces. FAW training covers a wider range of topics, including how to help a casualty who is having a seizure, heart attack, diabetic emergency or a severe allergic reaction. FAW training typically spans three days and is valid for three years.
First aiders can also undertake specialist training, such as paediatric first aid. In some cases, the Health and Safety (First-aid) Regulations 1981 do not require certain smaller employers to appoint a first aider. In these cases, there needs to be an ‘appointed person’ responsible for first aid. They do not need to have undertaken first aid training, although some choose to take a first aid for appointed persons course.
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The main duty of a first aider is to provide immediate medical assistance to someone who is injured, sick or experiencing a medical emergency.
The extent of your treatment you provide will depend on the seriousness of the person’s injury/medical complaint. For example, you may be required to provide support for something as simple as the safe removal of a splinter.
However, in more serious circumstances, you will need to:
Duties of a first aider extend beyond administering help to sick or injured people. These include:
NB: Regardless of the training in which you participate, it is essential for first aiders to only work within the limits of the training they have received.
It is highly unlikely that you will be sued for doing first aid. If you provide first aid in good faith, you also have a level of legal protection within the United Kingdom.
The Social Action, Responsibility, and Heroism (SARAH) Act 2015 was introduced In England and Wales to provide legal safeguards for individuals who give reasonable assistance to an ill or injured person.
This legislation gives guidance to courts that any allegations of negligence should take into account whether the person was acting for the benefit of society, took a responsible approach or acted heroically in an emergency situation.
That said, if your actions as a first aider are deemed negligent, reckless, or outside the scope of your training and competence, it is possible you could face legal consequences. To minimise any potential liability, we recommend that you:
While we cannot advise on legal issues, the bottom line is that if you act in good faith to help to save someone's life or prevent further injury, there is very little risk of being successfully sued.
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If an emergency occurs in the workplace, it is best if a trained first aider takes responsibility for it. If giving first aid is something that can be reasonably expected, your employer should arrange training for an adequate number of first aiders (see our blog post on how many first aiders are required for a workplace).
In situations where no first aider is available, you can still help within the limitations of your own skills, if you are comfortable doing so. If necessary, call 999 to summon the emergency services or dial the NHS 111 service to ask for help.
First aiders have a wide range of practical, ethical, and legal responsibilities. However, the core responsibility for them is being able to provide appropriate and effective first aid to ill or injured people.
The key to doing this as competently as possible is to make sure you've the right level of first aid training. It is also wise to take regular refresher courses, such as an annual skills update.
First aid skills are easy to acquire, rewarding to learn, and can save lives. Enrol suitable members of your team, or others, on a British Red Cross training course today, and improve their first aid abilities.