17.09.12
More first aid needed at work – St John Ambulance
A quarter of public sector employees say their workplace does not have enough first aiders.
St John Ambulance, which conducted the survey, has launched a new campaign highlighting misconceptions about the impact of first aid at work and at home.
A survey of public sector employees found that 50% of employers lack any formal process for assessing first aid needs, and 63.1% of staff did not know how many first aiders there were in their workplace.
Additionally, 24.6% were concerned there were not enough first aiders at work, with 80% of people having found themselves at work with no first aid cover at all.
Richard Evens, director of training and marketing at St John Ambulance, said: “Every employee deserves to feel safe in their working environment and ensuring there are enough first aiders in the event of an emergency is paramount. The fact that over one third of employees fear they don’t have enough first aiders at work is quite concerning.
“Employers need to remember that one first aider is rarely enough. If that first aider goes on holiday or is taken ill, the workplace is left vulnerable. They should also remember that learning first aid at work doesn’t just make workplaces safer but also benefits family, friends and strangers too with so many first aiders using their skills outside of work.”
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