First aid

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    Definition

    These are all the necessary procedures which are intended to limit the consequences of an accident or a traumatic or non-traumatic condition, and to ensure that the injuries do not worsen while waiting, if necessary, for specialised help.

    Employer's general obligations

    The employer must take the necessary steps to:

    • be able to provide first aid to workers who have suffered an accident or become ill and, if necessary, inform the specialised services,
    • be able to provide transport for victims either to their homes or to a care facility, provided that the victim can be transported,
    • organise the necessary contacts with the services specialising in emergency medical assistance and rescue operations and health care institutions, with the aim of ensuring that victims obtain the appropriate medical assistance as quickly as possible.

    In order to be able to provide external transport for victims (taxi, ambulance, etc.), and to be able to inform the specialised services, the main telephone numbers and addresses of these services must be directly accessible.

    The employer shall establish the necessary procedures regarding first aid, as well as the necessary equipment and organisation and shall ensure the training of the first aiders.

    Procedures

    The employer must establish the first aid procedures set out in the internal emergency plan. They must be established to ensure that workers who have suffered an illness or accident can receive appropriate assistance as quickly as possible. These procedures cover, in particular, the way in which workers are informed about the organisation of first aid, the internal communication system for contacting the persons responsible for first aid as quickly as possible, external communication with the specialised services, etc.

    Equipment

    The employer determines the resources necessary for the organisation of first aid. These resources are the necessary equipment, the first aid kit and the treatment room. This room is located in the workplace or in his immediate environment.

    An indicative list of the contents of the first aid kit is given in the brochure focusing on the practical aspects of first aid. It is not recommended that medicines, even those not subject to medical prescription, are included in the first aid kit.

    Organisation

    The employer determines the number of workers to be assigned to provide first aid. He determines what qualifications they must possess in accordance with the size of the company and the risks to which the workers are exposed: either first aiders, nursing staff or other designated persons.

    A first aider is a worker responsible for providing first aid after having successfully completed basic and refresher training related to specific objectives.

    The employer must also keep a register:

    • to prevent similar accidents from happening again;
    • to enable the organisation of first aid to be evaluated and adapted;
    • to allow a different schedule in the organisation of refresher courses;
    • as evidence in case of minor occupational accidents that the employer does not have to report to the occupational accidents’ insurer;
    • and to ensure, where appropriate, legal certainty if first aid is not given in good time or is given incorrectly.

    Training

    The employer must list the specific risks related to the company's activities, for which first aiders must have acquired either basic training or basic training supplemented with specific training. Retraining normally happens annually unless the employer can demonstrate that annual retraining is not necessary based on a prior risk analysis and the opinion of the Occupational Physician and the committee: in this case, retraining may be carried out every two years.

    Training content is determined in terms of final objectives, which also allows workers who may have undergone first aid training abroad to meet the objectives which are:

    1. the basic principles (role of the first aider, basic hygiene, correct analysis of the situation, comfort care prior to evacuation and his procedure);
    2. support of vital functions (actions in case of unconsciousness, respiratory and cardiovascular problems);
    3. first aid in case of other issues (e.g. poisoning, bleeding, injuries, burns).

    Institutions that appear on the list of institutions that provide first aid training (detailed list below) may have to assess whether the content of a training course followed abroad corresponds to the basic knowledge and skills referred to in the Code.

    Competence of the Directorate General of Supervision of Well-being at Work

    Officials responsible for the supervision of well-being at work may consider it useful to impose on the employer a different classification of the personnel responsible for providing first aid, or a different or additional contents for the first aid kit, or the furnishing of a treatment room, in case there is no such room and the officials consider that such a room is necessary.

    More information

    More information on this website about First aid under the theme The well-being of workers.