What if your designated First Aider is off sick?
From annual leave and sick days to hybrid working and staff turnover, there are many reasons a workplace first aider may be unavailable. Learn how to create a safer, more prepared workplace.
You’ve made the first step in appointing a workplace first aider; they’ve successfully completed their first aid training course, know where the first aid kit is stored, and you can rely on them to respond in an emergency.
But what happens if your designated first aider is on annual leave, working from home, or off on sick leave? What happens if they leave the company? These are the situations you, as the employer or manager, will have to think of.
Some organisations may organise their workplace first aid arrangements around a single individual. But one thing to always be mindful of is that emergencies don’t revolve around the first aider. A colleague may choke on their lunch, someone may faint during a meeting or suffer a serious injury when the workplace first aider isn’t on-site.
This can be a scary situation, because who would you turn to when an incident happens?
Effective workplace first aid is more than just having a trained first aider, it’s about ensuring your workplace is prepared at all times.
The risk of relying on one first aider
Some businesses and organisations may think they’ve met their workplace first aid requirements by appointing and training a first aider. But first aid provision can become vulnerable when this responsibility lies with only one person.
Below are a few reasons why a workplace first aider may be unavailable at work:
- Annual leave
- Sick leave
- Business travel
- Flexible working arrangements
- Hybrid working patterns
- Training days
- Staff turnover
There are various scenarios which could need first aid intervention. One important and current example is the rising summer temperatures that the UK is facing. Office environments can get very hot; lots of office windows don’t actually open, sometimes the AC is overworked, and the buildings retain a lot of heat. One day, a colleague who hasn’t had much time to take a break, get some fresh air, or even have food or drink faints, and the designated first aider is on annual leave. What would you do?
Some colleagues could feel overwhelmed and flustered because they don’t know what to do. Someone may suggest the wrong solution, thinking it’s something else; meanwhile, the person who fainted isn’t receiving the right first aid attention and isn’t feeling better.
This is an example of a less serious situation, but if a major incident happened when the first aider was off, the response would be more dire. If you only have one first aider at your workplace when an emergency occurs, think about what would happen if they weren’t on-site. Who would you turn to? Would someone else know what to do?
Being prepared isn’t about planning for the most likely day; it’s about planning for the unexpected – accidents don’t only happen when a first aider is available. This is why having multiple people trained in First Aid at Work and Emergency First Aid at Work can help grow confidence across the workplace, making sure there is always somebody available to respond when help is needed.
The challenges of hybrid working
In recent years, workplace dynamics have changed significantly. Many organisations and workplaces now offer:
- Hybrid working
- Remote working
- Flexible schedules
- Multiple office sites
Modern working patterns can create new challenges for first aid provisions and workplace emergency planning. A designated workplace first aider may only work 3 days on-site and the rest of the week at home, or maybe they split their working week between various workplace sites. Another example is hybrid working, which may lead to multiple people coming into the office on select days only - all these situations can lead to first aid obstacles if there is an emergency and the designated first aider is not available.
As an employer or manager, you need to take into consideration modern working environments, as well as how many first aiders are needed. At a minimum, there should always be more than one in case they are not around, because, as mentioned before, emergencies can happen at any time.
So, it’s important to review your first aid at work requirements, such as:
- How many staff members are on-site at one time
- Are there any shift patterns
- Are there multiple levels in your workplace
- Do you have days where different numbers of staff come in
If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these and only have one first aider, it’s time to review your first aid provisions and have more staff become first aid trained.
What happens when employees leave?
Staff turnover is a normal part of running a business or workplace, but when it’s a first aider who leaves, their valuable knowledge and first aid skills leave with them. When it comes to replacing an employee, the employer focuses more on finding someone new to fill the position, but they forget to replace the first aid capability they’ve taken with them. Leading to gaps in emergency preparedness that may go unnoticed until an emergency arises and there’s no one available to help.
Questions that are important to ask:
- How many trained first aiders do you currently have?
- Do you have enough trained first aiders across departments?
- When do their certifications expire?
- Do you have someone to cover first aid needs if one person leaves?
First aid planning and emergency preparedness are ongoing processes, instead of a one-time task.
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Shop our training coursesWhy multiple trained employees make a difference
When employers think about workplace first aid requirements, they may focus on meeting the minimum standard, but preparedness rarely stops at the baseline. Workplaces should be able to respond effectively when the unexpected happens, which is why having several trained first aiders will improve emergency response capabilities, reduce reliance on one individual and provide greater flexibility. It can also create a culture where safety and wellbeing are shared responsibilities, instead of building the pressure on a single individual.
A workplace with multiple first aiders is better equipped to deal with absence, shift patterns, hybrid working conditions and more:
- Greater support across a large site or multi-level workplace protects the employees
- Increased confidence among employees that help is always available
- More trained individuals can work together if there is a serious incident
- Reduced reliance on a single person
Preparedness is about building confidence and capability across the entire workplace, so that help is always available whenever it’s needed.
Workplace first aid checklist
If you need some guidance on what you need to consider when appointing first aiders, have a look at the workplace first aid questions below that you should ask yourself as an employer:
Availability
- Is a trained first aider available during all working hours?
- Do you have cover for sickness and annual leave?
Hybrid working
- Do you know how many employees are in the office each day?
- Have you considered where employees are physically based each day?
- Is a first aider available when teams are working flexibly?
Staff turnover
- Is there a process for replacing trained first aiders when they leave
- Are first aid certificates regularly reviewed?
Emergency preparedness
- Do employees know who their first aiders are?
- Do employees and first aiders know where first aid equipment is kept?
- Is there a clear emergency response plan put in place?
If any of these questions are difficult for you, or you don’t know how to answer – then it may be time to strengthen your first aid arrangements.
First aid preparedness is a team effort
Effective first aid responses shouldn’t be built around one person; it invites vulnerabilities and creates a working environment that may not be as prepared for an emergency as they believe.
Key preparedness is built around creating a safer culture and working environment where people know how to respond, where support is available and knowing where emergency cover is. This is why you should consider having more than one first aider at your workplace, to ensure that you’re always covered if a first aider is not available.
At St John Ambulance, our First Aid at Work and Emergency First Aid at Work training courses can help organisations and workplaces build that confidence and preparedness. Whether you’re looking to train a single employee to further expand your existing first aider numbers, or you want to develop a team of first aiders, you can arrange first aid training on your own premises or find somewhere nearby. We’re here to help you create a safer, more prepared working environment.
Emergencies don’t wait, but being first aid trained helps save lives.
