Schools should include staff, pupils and visitors when carrying out the risk assessments for first aid requirements. County and controlled schools should check their LEAs procedures, however the following points should be considered:
- What Size is the school and is it split sites and levels?
- Location of the School
- Are there any specific hazards or risks on site?
- Specific needs
- Accident statistics
What Size is the school and is it split sites and levels?
The governing body/head teacher needs to consider additional first aid provision if there is more than one building. The number of first aid personnel needed to provide adequate cover on each floor on a split level site and outlying buildings should also be considered.
Location of the School
Is the school’s location within easy access of the emergency services or is it remote in terms of their locality? It is always a good idea to inform the local emergency services of the schools location giving ordinance survey grid references and any particular circumstances that may affect access to the school.
If there are multiple site entrances then it is also good practice to inform the emergency services where and to whom they should report to.
Are there any specific hazards or risks on site?
These could range from hazardous substances used in the laboratory through to dangerous tools and machinery in the workshops. In addition any temporary hazards such as building or maintenance work should also be considered and a suitable short term measure put in place to cover this additional risk.
Specific Needs
There are a whole range of specific needs that need to be taken into consideration and these include everything from:
- Staff and pupils with specific health needs or disabilities
- Age range of pupils – different first aid procedures may apply for primary school children as opposed to secondary school pupils
Accident Statistics
The statistics of previous accidents can provide a useful indicator when planning resource throughout the day and can assist in highlighting areas to concentrate on and tailor specific first aid provisions for,
So What Are the Magic Numbers?
There are no rules on exact numbers and employers have to make a judgement based on their own circumstances and the results of the risk assessment. Governing bodies/head teachers should consider the likely risks to pupils and visitors, as well as employees, when drawing up policies and deciding on the numbers of first aid personnel.
In general schools generally fall into the low risk category as outlined by the HSE, but some schools, or indeed certain areas within a school, may well fall into the medium risk category.
Schools should base their provision on the results of their risk assessment and if there are areas of the school where different levels of risks can be identified, the employer should consider the need to make different levels of provision in these different areas/departments.
When considering the number of first aid personnel required the governing body/head teacher should also consider:
- Adequate provision for lunch time and breaks – it is good practice to ensure lunchtime supervisors have first aid training
- Adequate provision for any staff sickness
- Adequate provision should a first aider be off site on a school trip
- Adequate provision for practical departments such as science, technology, home economics and sport
- Adequate provision for all out of hours activities including sports, clubs etc
- Agreement with any contractors, for example if the catering is sub contracted who has responsibility for administering first aid for the canteen staff?
So who makes a good first aider?
Unless first aid cover is part of a member of staff’s contract of employment, people who agree to become first aiders do so on a voluntary basis. Personnel skills that should be considered when selecting a first aider are as follows:
- Reliability
- Good communication skills
- Aptitude and the ability to absorb new knowledge and skills
- Ability to cope with stressful and physically demanding emergency procedures
- A first aider must be able to leave what they are doing immediately to attend to an emergency
Contacting First Aid Personnel
Procedures for contacting the first aid personnel should be in place and should be known and agreed by all staff. Staff should be informed of the location of first aid equipment, facilities and personnel and first aid notices should be displayed which are clear and easily understood.
