Use first aid to protect your workplace summer socials and ensure an enjoyable, worry-free event.
Summer parties are truly a highlight of the workplace calendar – and the wait is finally over! With a number of work summer socials in the UK right around the corner, it’s time for social committees to get booking that classic organised fun for their workplace and teams. Whether your workplace organises an opportunity to unwind, celebrate achievements, or strengthen team bonds, it is important that these events are organised properly to ensure the safety and enjoyment of your team.
With the team sports days, rooftop terrace dinners or volleyball tournaments lined up, it is essential to be prepared for potential health and safety issues. So, you’ve got your venue, your food and your activity ready to go… but do you have your first aid considerations equally thought out? From food allergies to burns, don’t get caught up in the heat of the moment and ensure your summer safety net is in place and ready to catch any potential fallout from a workplace knees-up in the sun.
Avoiding Alcohol Poisoning and Dehydration
Let’s talk drinks – whether that’s provided by our workplace or available at a nearby venue, no summer social is complete without a chilled beverage or two. But when alcohol enters the mix, it's crucial to balance the fun with a little forethought. Excessive drinking can lead to issues with alcohol poisoning, or dehydration, and paired with the summer sun can be a risky combination. Ensure your team stays hydrated with water and spaces out alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic alternatives, placing importance on appropriate behaviour and self-care. Your fully trained workplace first aiders that should be on-site will have been trained to be confident in recognising the signs of alcohol poisoning and dehydration, both of which can escalate quickly in warm weather. If your team needs more certified first aiders, or are due to refresh their training, ensure you book in their training courses before your social event calendar begins.
In terms of supplies, it is also worth stocking up on essentials like your basic workplace first aid kits and hydration sachets as well as ensuring clearly marked water stations are available to encourage everyone to alternate between cocktails and that vital H2O. By planning ahead and ensuring your staff know how to act in an alcohol-related emergency, you’re not only protecting your colleagues – you’re also ensuring the party stays memorable for all the right reasons.
Food and Catering
Caring for Allergies
Food remains the core ingredient to any successful workplace social event. Whether that is to line the stomach for a full day of activities or to star as the main event of your day, food safety – and more specifically, food allergies need to be considered. With summer socials often featuring a buffet of catering options, from sizzling BBQs to grazing tables, it’s vital to remember that what’s a treat for some could be a serious risk for others.
Food allergies can trigger rapid and severe reactions, so it’s essential that event organisers take proper precautions. Firstly, encourage all guests to complete a food allergy or preferences sheet and plan your menu accordingly. Secondly, understand and communicate the importance of being able to recognise and respond to anaphylaxis – a life-threatening allergic reaction. Ensure that you have fully trained first aiders who are familiar with anaphylaxis signs, symptoms and treatments.
Ensure that all catering providers clearly label ingredients and potential allergens and gather dietary requirements from your team well in advance. Encourage any team members with allergies to remember to bring their appropriate allergen treatments (such as an Auto-injector) and ensure someone on-site knows how to use it. Alternatively, if your workplace regularly holds catered events, or have staff with allergies in attendance, consider stocking your offices with supplies such as the Anaphylaxis Kitt from Kitt Medical, which acts as a defibrillator – but for allergies*. Quick action saves lives, and with proper planning, you can make sure everyone enjoys the food without any hidden risks on their plate.
Minimise The Risk of Food Poisoning
One of the infamous, however far from glamorous, gate crashers of many summer socials is: food poisoning. Warm weather creates the perfect conditions for bacteria to thrive, especially when food is left out too long or not stored at the right temperature – a common risk during outdoor events. At workplace summer parties, where catering might include BBQs, picnic-style spreads or buffet tables, it's essential to ensure proper food hygiene from prep to plate. One way to manage this could be to allocate a representative who has undergone training in food safety specifically, who can ensure that risks are kept to a minimum.
Food poisoning can lead to symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to serious illness, and in some cases, may require immediate first aid intervention. Our Workplace First Aid training covers how to spot signs of foodborne illness and respond effectively, so ensure your representatives feel confident that they are up to date with first aid protocol. To help avoid any unwanted sick days after your sunny celebration, work closely with reputable caterers who follow food safety regulations, keep cold foods chilled, and make sure hot foods are cooked properly and stay hot. A little vigilance goes a long way in keeping your team happy, healthy, and ready for the next round of summer fun. For more tips, refer to St John Ambulance's guidance on food hygiene, or see our Food Safety; Hygiene E-Learning courses for a convenient way to up-skill employees.
Managing Outdoor Team Activities
If your summer socials are held outside, extended periods in the sun paired with potentially high temperatures can quickly lead to heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion or even heatstroke, especially during more active events. Ensure you put protective measures in place as well as feeling confident about recognising early warning signs of heat-related effects such as dizziness, confusion, and flushed skin. Equipping your team with knowledge from their Heatstroke First Aid guidance, along with having shaded rest areas and plenty of drinking water on hand, can help prevent serious incidents.
And don’t forget the potential for burns — whether it’s spending too long in the sun without the proper SPF coverage, spending time around open flames or hot grills, or even walking or touching heated surfaces that have been exposed to prolonged periods in the sun. It is recommended to have burn dressings, cooling gel packs, and sterile non-adhesive dressings in your first aid kits in case of injuries caused by burns. A prompt, well-prepared response paired with the correct first aid supplies that are maintained well and kept within expiry dates can make all the difference in minimising injury and keeping spirits high at your summer social events.
Approach your summer staff events with excitement and enjoy your time in the sun. Take precautions and necessary steps to minimise the chance of illness and injury as well as remaining familiar with first aid procedures, to create a safe and enjoyable summer party experience for everyone.
For more resources and training opportunities, visit our website to browse our range of E-learning courses, take free online modules, purchase first aid supplies and read through other available resources.
*See more about which workplaces are eligible for the Kitt Medical Kitt here.
