First Aid Policy

Policy Statement

1.1        The purpose of this policy is to ensure that appropriate First Aid arrangements are in place for pupils, staff and any visitors to Tewkesbury Academy.  This includes providing sufficiently trained employees for our business needs both on and off site and maintaining an adequate supply of First Aid equipment. This includes having a paediatric first aid trained member of staff available whenever early years pupils are on site, also covering before and after school activities

1.2        The Academy will provide sufficient information to staff to enable First Aid assistance to be sought during normal working hours.  Where work is regularly undertaken outside these hours, then adequate First Aid cover will be provided.

1.3        It should be considered in line with our Safeguarding Policy, Health and Safety Policies, Administering of Medicines policy, and Infection Control procedures and risk assessment

The Legal Position

2.1        The Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) is required to report any serious injuries, accidents, dangerous occurrences or diseases to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR). Riddor accidents must be reported to the HSE within 10 days of the accident,   or within 15 days for over 7 day absence injuries (Staff). Under these regulations the federation must report the following:

• Deaths;
• Major injuries; (As defined by HSE)
• Over 7 day injuries;
• An accident causing injury to pupils, members of the public or other people not at work and taken from the scene to Hospital;
• A specified dangerous occurrence, where something happened which did not result in an injury, but could have.
• Specified Occupational diseases

2.2        Definition of a RIDDOR reportable major Injury are:

• Fractures, other than to fingers, thumbs and toes
• Amputations
• Any injury likely to lead to permanent loss of sight or reduction in sight
• Any crush injury to the head or torso causing damage to the brain or internal organs
• Serious burns (including scalding) which:
  • covers more than 10% of the body
  • causes significant damage to the eyes, respiratory system or other vital organs
• Any scalping requiring hospital treatment
• Any loss of consciousness caused by head injury or asphyxia
• Any other injury arising from working in an enclosed space which:
  • leads to hypothermia or heat-induced illness
  • requires resuscitation or admittance to hospital for more than 24 hours

RIDDOR reporting is undertaken by Health and Safety Manager on behalf of CLF

2.3        The federation’s duty to provide First Aid at work is governed by the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 (amended 2013). These require each academy to carry out a risk assessment in order to determine what First Aid facilities and personnel are necessary to meet the needs of the business.  The academy is also required to review this assessment periodically to ensure that current provision is adequate.  In order to comply with these regulations, the academy’s assessment has considered a number of factors, including the following:

• Type of department;
• Type of activities run by or within any given department;
• Building/s layout;
• Proximity of academy buildings to emergency medical services;
• Needs of travelling and/or lone workers;
• Provision during term time and holiday time;
• Provision for non-employees;
• Type of skills likely to be required by both teaching and non-teaching staff;
• Students/Staff with medical conditions.
• Number of staff and students;
• Age of Pupils
• History of accident and  illness;
• Distribution of the workforce;
• Absenteeism of first aiders.

Risk Assessment

3.1        The Academy has assessed the risk in each department or for each activity as follows:

Assessing the Required Number of First Aiders

4.1        The HSE has not set out how many First Aiders are needed in an academy; but it does provide guidance about how to assess what is needed.  First Aid provision must be ‘adequate and appropriate in the circumstances. Each academy must provide sufficient First Aid equipment, facilities and personnel at all times.

4.2        Each academy must carry out a First Aid needs assessment which considers the environment, numbers of people that may be present and any hazards and risks that may occur.  The findings should be used to determine what First Aid arrangements are put in place. (A model is available on CLiF)

4.3        Particular thought should be given to what will happen outside of normal operating hours, consideration of lone workers, contractors on site and to any events being run, such as open evenings.

4.4        Academies should contact a member of the Health and Safety team for further advice about appointing and training First Aiders.

Responsibilities of First Aid Personnel

5.1        The duties and responsibilities of First Aid Personnel are outlined below.

5.2        First Aiders (trained in either Emergency Aid or First Aid at Work) are responsible for:

• Responding promptly to all requests for assistance if able;
• Summoning further help if necessary;
• Looking after the casualty until recovery has taken place or further medical assistance has arrived from the Paramedic/Ambulance staff, reporting details of any treatment provided.  When an ambulance is called this will be reported to the Operations Manager and/or Principal in order that the necessary notification should be made to the Health and Safety Team regarding any RIDDOR incident as soon as possible;
• Clearing up process and infection control
• Accident Records completed, and Operations Manager informed where applicable.

When a pupil has been injured or been involved in an accident, Tewkesbury Academy will be responsible for informing parents, carer by telephone or e-mail.

5.3        Appointed Persons are responsible for:

• Taking charge when a person has been injured or falls ill, but not treating the person unless they have been trained to do so.  Taking charge of an injured or ill person could involve calling for a first aider or for an ambulance if necessary;
• Looking after the first aid equipment and ensuring that containers are restocked when necessary.

Procedures

6.1        The following are general first aid related procedures to be followed by all staff:

• If an employee or pupil has been taken ill, or has had an accident, staff will call one of the Academy First Aiders as listed on the First Aid Notice for assistance. They will then inform Operations Manager etc. as appropriate.
• Important – Staff should not attempt to give first aid treatment unless they have been trained to do so;
• If an employee or pupil has a suspected head injury, first aiders should refer to and follow the Head Injury Concussion Guidance .docx
• All employees are insured to carry pupils and CLF employees to hospital in their cars under the federation’s insurance.  Car journeys to hospital will only be undertaken however if non-emergency and the patient is medically fit enough to be transported in this manner, another employee must accompany and assist.  If in doubt, please seek advice from the Principal or Operations Manager or phone an ambulance;
• If access is needed to a first aid kit for personal use, staff will not remove it from its designated place;
• Any loss or damage to First Aid equipment must be reported to the appropriate appointed person (see list at the end of the policy);
• If a First Aid kit is poorly stocked, this should also be reported to the appropriate appointed person;
• The Operations Manager must appoint a member of first aid to check and re-stock first aid boxes/supplies
• All drivers of academy vehicles are expected to carry a first aid kit with them at all times (e.g. school minibus).  The driver is responsible for its safe-keeping and to keep it adequately stocked.

Dealing with Visitors

7.1        It is the federation’s policy to offer First Aid assistance to visitors to our premises.  Should a visitor feel unwell or have an accident, then the employee supervising their visit should call for a First Aider.  If the visitor has had an accident, the employee dealing with the incident is responsible for ensuring that an accident/incident report is completed and logged.

Staff Training

8.1        All staff undertaking first aid duties on behalf of the academy will be given full training in accordance with current legal requirements.  The federation will additionally train academic staff in emergency first aid subjects which they are likely to be exposed to when administering first aid to pupils. Staff training in the use of the Epipen and how to respond to other particular medical needs (e.g., asthma, diabetes) will also be provided.  No training will be considered complete unless the course is attended from start to finish and the trainer considers the attendee to be competent following the course completion.

8.2        First Aiders will receive the First Aid at Work course (3 day course).  These persons can be   called upon to attend staff, pupils and visitors to the academy.

• A small number of staff will be trained to this level and then retrained at 3-year intervals.  (Based on your academy risk assessment)
• These persons may also receive annual refresher training through attendance at an Emergency First Aid at Work course.

8.3        Emergency First Aiders will receive the Emergency First Aid at Work course (1 day course).  The federation has identified this course as an extremely useful course for support staff who deal with general First Aid demands and for lone workers.

• A moderate number of non-teaching staff within departments will be trained to this level and then receive retraining at 3-year intervals.  (Based on your academy risk assessment)

8.4        Paediatric First Aid training will be provided for staff in early years setting (2 day course); staff will be re-trained every 3 years. There is a requirement for a paediatric first aider to be on site whenever pupils aged 5 and under are present including before and after school activities.

8.5        Administration of Medicine training will be provided for identified staff who support students with medical needs/administer medications (half day course); this should be refreshed every 3 years. Please refer to separate Supporting pupils with medical needs policy.

8.6        All First Aid training will be delivered by a suitably qualified individual.  Where necessary, all line managers will be expected to re-organise working hours to enable staff to attend training.  The academy will do its best to ensure that sufficient notice of both initial training courses and any refreshers are given to managers to assist with this planning.

8.7        Staff who administer First Aid according to their training in the course of their employment, will be covered by CLF Employer’s liability insurance.

First Aid Kit Contents

9.1        There is no standard list of items to be held in a First Aid kit, although there is an HSE/BS standard guidance which can be followed if suitable.

9.2        The choice and number of items in the kit need to be suitable for the risks in each department.  The table beginning on the first page of this policy shows the basic risk assessment for First Aid within the academy, however, additional risks should be identified by individual departmental risk assessments and this should be used to guide the choice of contents.

9.3         As a basic guide and where there is no special risk, the minimum stock of First Aid items in a low risk department (as advised by the HSE) would be:

• A leaflet giving general guidance on first aid, e.g. HSE leaflet Basic advice on first aid at work;
• 20 plasters, of varying useful sizes;
• One pack of gauze swabs;
• Two sterile eye pads;
• Four individually wrapped triangular bandages (preferably sterile);
• Six safety pins;
• Six medium-sized (approximately 12cm x 12cm) individually wrapped sterile un-medicated wound dressings;
• Two large (approximately 18cm x 18cm) sterile individually wrapped un-medicated wound dressings;
• One pair of disposable gloves.

9.4        Dependent upon the department type and risks associated, each department could also consider including the following:

• A disposable ice pack;
• An eye wash; (Eye irrigation tubes in science)
• Scissors which can cut through thick fabric;
• Burns dressings;
• Foil survival blanket;
• A resuscitation face shield;
• Nitrile gloves (medical gloves which are more resistant to puncture);
• Adhesive tape.

Tablets or medicines should never be kept in a first aid kit.

9.5        A spills kit (suitable for dealing with bodily fluid spills) should also be available at each academy, and within high risk departments.  This should be located adjacent to the First Aid kit.

9.6        Eye washes are not routinely kept in or near to a First Aid kit but should be used whenever a risk to eye health is present and a mains water tap is not or might not be in the immediate vicinity (in the event of mobile working).  Wherever eye risks are present away from a tap, an eye wash should be provided. Eye irrigation rubber tubes should be kept and available in science, and all staff aware of how to use immediately whilst First aid support arrives.

9.7        Department heads, the Operations Manager or the Health and Safety Advisor need to assess if the above list is suitable for specific areas for the risks posed by any activity or area.  First Aiders are encouraged to attach a list to the outside of each First Aid kit that details the contents and the expiry date (if applicable) for each item.  First Aiders should also check their First Aid kit regularly to ensure that sufficient items are available and within the use by date.

9.8        First Aid kits need to be sited to ensure that they are available out of ‘normal’ hours for anyone who needs to use them.  First Aid kits should also be located as close as possible to hand washing facilities.

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)

10.1        Whilst not compulsory, it is the aim of the CLF to have and advertise the fact that all CLF Academies have an AED on site.

10.2        From December 31st 2016, defibrillator training is part of both the First Aid at Work and the Emergency First Aid at Work courses. An appointed person must be designated to carry out regular checks on the defibrillator to ensure it is working.

10.3        There are six defibrillators on-site: First Aid room, outside Sports Centre office, outside AWP changing rooms, site office, outside swimming pool and main reception.

10.4        It is important that all first aiders make themselves fully aware of the location and use of the Academy AED units

Medical Rooms

11.1        Suitable accommodation should be provided in order to cater for the medical and therapy needs of pupils, including— (a) accommodation for the medical examination and treatment of pupils; (b) accommodation for the short-term care of sick and injured pupils, which includes a washing facility, hot and cold running water and is near to a toilet facility. Good standards of housekeeping and hygiene are maintained; and (c) where a school caters for pupils with complex needs, additional medical accommodation which caters for those needs.

11.2        The room does not need to be used solely for this purpose but an identified area compliant with 11.1 above

Information for Employees

12.1        The federation acknowledges that First Aid arrangements will only operate efficiently where they are understood by both employees and others who may be working on academy premises.  These include part-time and temporary staff.  For this reason, information on how to summon First Aid is provided for all new staff at induction.  A list of the First Aid at Work qualified first aiders can be found on Appendix One.

12.2      1.1        A list of First Aiders is attached as Annex 1.

Appendix One: