First Aid Policy & Procedure

SWAGS+ First Aid Policy and Procedure

 

Purpose 

 

This First Aid Policy outlines the organisation's commitment to ensuring the health, safety, and welfare of volunteers including trustees, members, and visitors. It sets out the policy, procedures and responsibilities for providing effective first aid in the event of illness or injury, in compliance with the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.

 

2. Scope

 

This policy and procedure applies to all trustees, volunteers, members and visitors.

3. Definitions

First Aid: ‘The immediate medical assistance given to someone suffering from an accident, injury or illness. First aid is given by ordinary trained people before professional medical help arrives’.

 

First Aider: 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.

 

4. Policy

 

Our policy is to ensure prompt and appropriate first aid help is available if someone is injured or ill to keep them safe, minimise the impact of injuries and illnesses and to cause no further harm.

 

First aid provision will be 'adequate and appropriate in the circumstances'.

 

Cover will be available at all times to give or arrange for first aid when people are volunteering with us or accessing our services.

 

The organisation is committed to:

Complying with all relevant health and safety legislation covered under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981.

Conducting regular first aid needs assessments to ensure adequate provision.

Ensuring there is adequate and appropriate equipment and facilities to provide first aid to those who become injured or ill.

Ensuring there are sufficient numbers of First Aiders to take charge of first aid arrangements

Providing appropriate training and resources to designated first aiders.

Ensuring that all trustees and volunteers are aware of first aid procedures and know how to access help in an emergency.

 

5. Procedures

 

First Aid Needs Assessment

SWAGS+ will conduct a regular First Aid Needs Assessment to determine the appropriate level of first aid provision based on the nature of its operations, workforce, and environment. This assessment ensures compliance with the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and supports the safety and wellbeing of all individuals involved in the organisation’s activities.

 

First aid box(es) /kits

 

All first aid boxes will be suitably stocked with adequate first aid equipment that is in date. Tablets and medicines will not be kept in the first aid box.

 

We will provide at least one first-aid kit for each event, more dependent on our first aid risk assessment.

 

First-aid boxes/kits will be made easily accessible. The contents of first-aid kit will be checked frequently and restocked as soon as possible after any use.

 

Accidents and ill health

 

We will report and keep a record of certain injuries, incidents and cases of work-related disease, in line with health and safety law. This includes RIDDOR (the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013)

 

Accident book/log

We will report all accidents and injuries in the accident book/log. This will help us to identify patterns in the incidence of accidents and injuries, and will help when completing our risk assessment. It is important that this is up to date as our insurance company may also want to see our records if there is a claim. 

6. Monitoring and Review

 

This policy and procedure will be reviewed by the Chairman and Board of Trustees annually alongside the full Health and Safety policy and procedures.

 

Date approved or amended

Signed

Role