Identifying the type of risks prevalent in your workplace plays a big part in knowing the right number of First Aiders you need, and type of training they need. Through these five steps, you can assess what is needed to achieve compliance:
- Step 1: What is the maximum number of workers present at any one time?
- Step 2: What kind of work is being carried out? Does it place your workers at high risk to require immediate first aid treatment?
- Step 3: Is the workplace remote, or access to emergency services difficult? High risk workplaces with difficult access need at least one First Aider per 10 workers.
- Step 4: How is work carried out: alone, in transit, or without supervision? If having a First Aider available at all times is impractical, workers must be able to access First Aid assistance, through an effective means of contacting emergency services, getting appropriate information, instruction and training.
- Step 5: Finally, what other factors affect the number of First Aiders needed? For example: multiple shifts or overtime; seasonal work; large numbers of people present (schools, shopping centres); unique hazards (fitness centres, amusement parks); holidays and annual leave. Continue reading
There was a time when First Aid Kits were little more than an afterthought for businesses, and comprised little more than a packet of Band Aid plasters and a bottle of iodine. But times have changed, and as a key part of ensuring health and safety in the workplace, these kits are not just expected but required by Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation.
Volunteers are highly prized figures in our communities, putting their own time and skills to use that benefits us all – and for no payment. But even without any salary, volunteers are effectively at work, facing the same occupational hazards we all do. The new WHS Act addresses volunteering, something generally seen as a grey area.
Occupational noise-induced hearing loss is a hearing impairment resulting from exposure to excessive noise at work. The degree of hearing loss is generally cumulative, increasing with both the length of time exposed and the level of noise. Once acquired, the damage to employees’ hearing is irreversible. Fortunately, however, workplace hearing loss is almost entirely preventable.
Owning and running a café is a secret desire of many people – and it isn’t hard to understand why. Serving coffee and cake, and watching customers chat and relax from a hectic day’s shopping, seems more fulfilling than any 9-5 office job.
Most of us tend to overlook slips and trips in the workplace as little more than moments of clumsiness. After all, everyone is victim to them from time to time, so what’s the big deal? Unfortunately, the result of these moments of clumsiness is often injury, from a painful sprained ankle to a fatal tumble down a stairwell.