First Aid

[Arborworx]

Hi,

 

What first aid requirements does a freelance climber need to have for employment ? Can you get away with the HSE Emergency First Aid at Work (1 Day) or do you need the full 3 day course ?

 

Thanks

[treequip]

Hi,

 

What first aid requirements does a freelance climber need to have for employment ? Can you get away with the HSE Emergency First Aid at Work (1 Day) or do you need the full 3 day course ?

 

Thanks

 

In a word, none

[Arborworx]

Yeah I thought that might be the case. Thanks. I suppose if I'm being employed as the designated rescue climber then having a first aid ticket would be of use though.

[Arborworx]

Just found this on the HSE website.

 

First aid

You are responsible for making sure your employees receive immediate attention if taken ill or injured at work. Your arrangements will depend on the particular circumstances in your workplace and you need to assess what your first-aid needs are.

As a minimum, you must have:

■ a suitably stocked first-aid box;

■ an appointed person to take charge of first-aid arrangements;

■ information for all employees giving details of first-aid arrangements.

You might decide that you need a first-aider, ie someone trained by an approved organisation, and who holds a qualification in first aid at work or emergency first aid at work.

There is no legal requirement for operators to hold an emergency first-aid at work certificate but we recommend they do so. Anyone working with chainsaws needs to be trained in emergency first aid, and in particular how to control major bleeding and deal with crush injuries. In remote sites, people who have been injured may also be at risk of hypothermia. Make sure operators always carry a personal first- aid kit (incorporating a large wound dressing) with them and have reasonable access to a more comprehensive kit. See HSE’s web pages on first aid at work (http://www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid).

 

Surprising that a company or employer doesn't actually need a qualified first aider, it's only recommended.

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

HSE in contradiction shocker!

 

"there is no legal requirement" followed by " we recommend they do" followed by "anyone working with chainsaws needs to be trained in emergency first aid"

 

Personally I have level 2 and emergency trauma because it makes me feel better about my working environment.

[Arborworx]

I know, it's not worth the paper it's written on. I was a life guard many years ago and so held First Aid at Work and Life Savers Award. Then 9 years as A Royal Marine, can't tell you how much first aid/trauma work I did during those years. Now I find myself in the Arb industry and I have nothing to my name which says I'm First Aid qualified so I have to pay £130 for a 1 day course to teach me how to put a bandage on.

[Marc Lewis]

Employers often require you to have 'first aid at work' (1 day course).

[treequip]

Employers often require you to have 'first aid at work' (1 day course).

 

An employer cant require you to have a first aid qualification unless they make holding it a condition of employment, once you are an employee the employer becomes responsible for your first aid training.

 

The First Aid at Work (FAW) qualification is usually a three day course and an assessment. A single day course would be appointed person and has no formal assessment.

[Rupe]

If your freelance then your not getting employment as such, but work with other companies, so the requirements are whatever those prospective companies ask for.

 

You dont HAVE to have any first aid training, but if you are working on a site and their is an accident that a first aider could have helped with but their was no first aider present then the overal employer could be liable, not you the freelancer.

 

So, yo can "get away" with nothing, in the same way as you could "get away" with having no CS units, if you can get work and no one gets hurt then no worries.

 

If you cant get any work because all the companies around you are looking for someone with first aid tickets then that answers your question, but it is still your choice to get the training if you feel it would help you get work.

[AA Teccie (Paul)]

The requirement under the FA Regs. is for the employer to do a FA 'needs' assessment and it is from this that 'adequate arrangements' will be dictated.

 

FA is always a good thing to have and even better if it's with an industry specific provider (that's what denotes the '+F' required on FC sites...and, ideally, refreshed at least mid-term on 18 months.

 

The outcome of the needs assessment, typically, is to have a min. of 2 people on a worksite with the one-day ticket 'Emergency First Aid at Work' (EFAW...+F).

 

Hence if you hold this training certificate / qualification you are probably better positioned to gain work.

 

Just my thoughts..

Paul