First Aid Program
Purpose and Objective
The company is dedicated to the protection of employees from on-the-job injuries and has adopted this first aid program to ensure that accidents and injuries in the workplace are responded to quickly and appropriately. The purpose of this program is to outline responsibilities, training, and supplies for employees. It also provides guidance in assessing and mitigating situations that may have an increased need for first aid requirements.
This program applies to all company locations.
Definitions
AED: Automatic External Defibrillators are treatment devices which provide treatment for sudden cardiac arrest.
Bloodborne Pathogens: Microorganisms that are present in blood and can cause diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B (HBV) which are spread through contact with infected blood or blood products.
First Aid: Medical attention that is usually administered immediately after an injury occurs and at the location where it occurred. This often consists of a one-time, short-term treatment and requires little technology or training to administer.
Medical Treatment: The management and care of a patient to combat disease or disorder.
Universal Precautions: Preventing exposure to bloodborne pathogens by assuming all blood and bodily fluids to be potentially infectious and taking appropriate protective measures.
Responsibilities
Management
Management is responsible for implementing, supporting, and enforcing this program.
Supervisors are responsible for leading the program implementation and ensuring that the first aid practices in this program are utilized. In addition, supervisors must ensure that adequate first aid resources are supplied and maintained.
First aid responders are employees who have been trained in proper first aid and have successfully completed a course given by a certified instructor These employees are responsible for using their skills according to the training received when needed.
Requirements
First Aid Risk Assessment
To understand the level of risk, it is helpful to review past accidents and injuries that have occurred within the company. These can be reviewed using the OSHA 300 Log, incident reports, and reviewing Workers’ Compensation Claims to better understand the types of first aid that may be needed.
The next step will be to review the response times for local emergency responders for all temporary and permanent locations. Based on the distance to hospitals and the potential response time of emergency aid, it may be necessary to consider increased employee involvement and training in first aid response.
Sites that may include hazardous materials to the eyes or other parts of the body, such as the use of corrosive materials, should provide a safety shower/eye wash facility suitable to the site. Expiration dates must be checked periodically and updates to the program or to tasks conducted shall indicate an assessment of the materials and the appropriateness of the types of flushing/drenching equipment required. Temporary stations must be established at client sites prior to the use of corrosive materials.
In addition, workplace activities should be reviewed. The level of residual risk in the work conducted should also be considered when planning for first aid needs. Work that may cause increased risk, sites with a large number of employees, and environmental conditions should all be considered when determining the type of first aid resources that may be needed.
Determine Appropriate First Aid for the Site
Taking all the gathered information into account, the company will then determine the number of employees who will be required to be trained in first aid. In order to comply with OSHA 1910.151, any worksite which does not have access to a medical facility in near proximity to the workplace will have first-aid trained employees onsite. In addition to first aid training, the program manager should also evaluate the need for CPR training based on these criteria.
Supplies
The company will choose the types and amounts of supplies that should be maintained onsite. This should be determined based on the types of injuries that may be reasonably anticipated based on risk assessment.
Once obtained, the supplies must be stored in areas where they are readily available for use and easily accessible when needed. First aid supplies shall be kept in weatherproof containers with individual sealed packages for each type of item. First aid kits must also be checked prior to being sent out to remote job sites and inspected to ensure that expended items are replaced in a timely manner.
First aid kits must contain the contents listed in Table 1 below.
Along with first aid kits, in any area where the eyes or body of employees can potentially be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable facilities for eye washing or flushing should be provided in addition to first aid kits for immediate use in the event of an emergency.
A bloodborne pathogen kit which provides employees with supplies necessary for universal precautions will also be made available if necessary.
Transportation
For injury response to be efficient and expedient, transportation needs must be pre-planned and coordinated with the transportation provider, management, and first aid certified individuals onsite.
Proper equipment to facilitate medical transportation of injured employees shall be provided and kept in optimal functional condition.
The vehicle used to transport injured employees will vary by location but will be selected based on the most appropriate and efficient option. This may include private automobile, company vehicles, EMS vehicles, as examples. The transportation method must be equipped to provide safe transport to a medical facility in the fastest manner without adding complications to the injured employee.
In the event of an injury, the first responder or employee of an appropriate training level will assess the injury and direct the appropriate transport based on the injury severity. This directive may include options such as direct transport to an emergency room, occupational medicine provider, or on-site first aid administration.
Injuries that will automatically be evaluated for transport to an emergency room are those that are considered serious. Some examples of serious injuries include: head trauma, spinal injuries, internal injuries, loss of consciousness, severe blood loss, possible permanent disfigurement, and any other injury deemed to be serious by the first responder or other responsible and trained practitioner on site.
The needs and well-being of the employee involved are to always be the first priority when assessing transport.
Training Requirements
Employees who have been determined to require first aid training, or who have volunteered and been approved by the employer, must complete a Red Cross or equivalent training program for CPR and first aid prior to administering any sort of treatment. Training will be provided free of charge for those employees who have been required to complete training.
Once employees have received first aid training from a certified provider, the trainer is responsible for determining if the employees can safely perform the duties required for first aid. This determination should include instructor observation of employee trainees demonstrating gained skills and a written assessment. Those trained and certified employees will be provided with protective equipment in accordance with universal precautions.
Retraining
Employees who have been trained in first aid must maintain their certifications for the period of time in which they are expected to administer first aid treatment. The company will continue to supply training during the time the employee is expected to respond at no additional cost to the employee.
Recordkeeping
Records of first aid cases will be maintained by the company.
The annual program review and document updates must be maintained indefinitely.
