First aid: you can’t afford not to be trained

While some might criticise the amount of health and safety regulation across the country, one should remember that a certain amount is essential to ensure workplace safety. Manufacturing in particular continues to be a high-risk industry, accounting for 16% of workplace injuries and 29 deaths so the need for improvement is clear. First aid is too often seen as an unnecessary legislative burden, but it does save lives. The number of first aiders recommended for an organisation varies according to several factors, but it's worth noting that all employers are legally obliged under The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 to protect employees and anyone on their premises. If an employee was fatally harmed due to a lack of health and safety procedures, you'd risk imprisonment under the Corporate Manslaughter Act. If the HSE considers premises unsafe, it can issue an improvement notice or a prohibition notice, which would close the site for an indefinite period. Financially, you face fines, compensation, cost of sick leave and cover staff, as well as increased insurance rates. Along with negative press, these can all damage your reputation. Over three quarters of businesses have times when no first aider is present. This isn't just a possible breach of regulation (employers should allow for planned absences in first aid provision), but it is dangerous. Last year a Rochdale plastics manufacturer was fined £140,000 after a cleaner was crushed to death. The HSE prosecuted the company for failing to ensure the safety of its employees and not having a trained first aider present. The easiest way to avoid these 'gaps' is to provide first aid training to more than the legal minimum recommended for your organisation. While the cost of first aid training depends on the type of course required, it can start from as little as £60 per person, and the benefits of training far outweigh the consequences of lacking sufficient cover. Ignoring first aid means ignoring your business and employees: don't wait until it's too late to give first aid the recognition it deserves.