GUIDELINE Provision of First Aid Contact Officer Manager, Health & Safety Guideline No. OHS.22 Purpose This guideline outlines the provision of First Aid treatment at Macquarie University, and provides information to assist First Aid Officers in discharging there duties Guideline Introduction First aid is the immediate care given to an ill or injured person until more advanced care arrives or the person recovers. In an emergency situation first aid aims to maintain life, prevent further harm/injury, ease pain and to prevent the deterioration of a person's condition until professional medical help can be obtained. Legislative Requirements First Aid services provided at Macquarie University are required to meet requirements under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Sect 8) and under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001 (Sect 20). All First Aid Officers must possess a current First Aid Proficiency certificate which meets WorkCover NSW requirements First Aid Officers - Occupational First Aiders - HLTFA301B Apply First Aid HLTFA301B Apply First Aid HLTFA402B Apply Advanced First Aid HLTFA403B Manage First Aid in the Workplace Responsibilities of Key Stakeholders The University is responsible for Appointing sufficient numbers of staff to the position of First Aid Officers. Providing First Aid training and refresher training as required. Ensuring that all First Aid Officers are paid an allowance in accordance with the Universities Enterprise Award. Providing a first aid room, first aid equipment and advanced resuscitation equipment in accordance with legislative requirements. Page 1 of 8
Executive Deans/Heads of Departments are responsible for Providing and maintaing first aid kits. Determining the number of first aid officers required in there area. Maintaing required levels of first aid officers at all times. Recommending staff members to be appointed as first aid officers as required. First Aid Officers are responsible for provide initial first aid attention when necessary to members of staff and the public whilst on office premises. must remain with an injured or ill person until no further treatment or assistance is required, or until the person is handed over to ambulance or other medical personnel, unless the officer s personal safety is at risk. recognise their limitations and only administer or carry out duties that have been included in their training. ensure a First Aid Injury Report Form is completed for the treatment of any person in relation to any injury/incident and forward the form to Personnel within 24 hours for inclusion in the Injury and Incident Register and so that Personnel can implement necessary follow up action and/or further reporting requirements. ensure that any first aid kits under their control are fully stocked in accordance with the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001. This includes all car first aid kits, all portable first aid kits and all first aid kits, kept in Personnel, which are temporarily available to staff when working at home on an ad hoc basis. conduct monthly audits on the contents of all first aid kits and arrange to replenish supplies when required, as well as provide a copy of the audit reports to Personnel. ensure a notice is displayed, on or near any first aid kit they are responsible for, detailing their name, telephone number and work location. provide quarterly reports to Personnel on all treatments provided by them and any action/recommendations taken to reduce further incidents. advise Personnel by email when they will be absent from the office for more than 5 consecutive days, prior to proceeding on the leave. Ensure that their first aid certificate is current. carry their current first aid certificates on them at all times Administering First Aid Consent Before you start treating an injured person you should seek and receive their consent to be treated. If the injured person is unconscious, or unable to give consent due to their injuries, you can assume consent and begin treatment. If the injured person is under 18 years old, then you should seek consent from a parent or guardian. If a parent or guardian is not present, you can start treatment. You should not start treatment if an adult refuses your offer of treatment. You only have the injured person s consent to treat them for a condition that affects their immediate health. You should not provide help for any ailment that goes beyond your Page 2 of 8
knowledge of first aid. Refusal of Treatment Where an injured person declines treatment, the first aid officer should Ask the person several times whether they can provide first aid assistance to the person. Call for an ambulance for further assistance. Advise the person that their refusal will be noted in the record of treatment and if possible have the injured person sign the notation indicating there declinature of treatment. Providing First Aid All First Aid officers must work within the scope of their experience and training. Generally, this means that the officer should not undertake invasive procedures or use advanced skills, or administer pharmaceuticals unless the officer has undertaken and passed required training. First Aid officers with appropriate training and certification may administer oxygen and/or automated defibrillation if required. Once notified of an injury the First Aid Officer should firstly seek consent to treat the injured person and then commence administering the required first aid. If further medical assistance is required, the First Aid Officer (or a bystander) should contact security to arrange for assistance in transporting the injured person to the Medical center or calling an ambulance. The First Aid Officer is required to complete an Accident/Illness Treatment form once the provision of first aid has ceased. Precautions for First Aid Officers In administering First Aid, care should be taken to ensure there own health and safety. Safe work practices must be followed with regards to minimising exposure to blood or bodily fluids. It should be assumed that all blood/bodily fluids are infectious and First Aid Officers should follow standard precautions to reduce the risk of infection These include Wash your hands with hot soapy water (or anti-bacterial gel) prior to and after administering first aid. Wear disposable gloves and eye protection. Cover any sores or open wounds with Band-Aids. When performing mouth to mouth resuscitation use a face shield or barrier guard. Use the injured persons hand to cover an open wound or to apply pressure. Locate and remove any sharps (syringes; glass etc) and dispose of these in a safe manner (See Disposal of Biological Waste and the Safe Working Procedures for Sharps). Dispose of all contaminated dressings in a plastic bag for safe disposal.(see Page 3 of 8
Disposal of Biological Waste ) Wash any equipment with an alcohol swab or in warm water and a neutral detergent. (Where practicable replace any metal equipment with disposable equipment e.g.: tweezers) Wash any surfaces down with warm water and neutral detergent. It is recommended that First Aid Officers are immunised against Hepatitis B. The cost of immunisation is to be met by the relevant department. A certificate of immunisation will need to be provided to the OHS unit for recording. Where a first aid officer wishes to decline the offer of vaccination they will need to complete the Election to decline vaccination form. First Aid Kits & Equipment All work areas are required to have a first aid kit located in a prominent position and clearly signposted. As a rule of thumb kits should be Easily accessible areas Wall mounted and portable to allow for transport to an injured person. Located in a supervised area in close proximity to a first aid officer. Located close to running water, toilets and a private area where treatment can be administered. Clearly signposted with an appropriate safety standard sign (White cross on Green Background) and have an updated listing of First Aid Officers for that area. The number of or type of First Aid Kit per work area is dependent upon The types of work being undertaken and the hazards associated with that work. Laboratories and workshops typically require more kits than administrative areas due to the nature of that work. The number of people that access or use a building will also determine the number of kits that may be required. Buildings with higher usage may require more kits than buildings with lower usage. The size and layout of the building will also be a factor in determining the number of kits required. Smaller portable first aid kits (bum bags) increase portability and can be kept on the First Aid Officers desk, increasing access. For all Macquarie University buildings, a Size B kit is recommended. All Macquarie University cars and boats are required to carry a Size C kit. It is the responsibility of the First Aid Officers to ensure that first aid kits in there area are kept clean, tidy and stocked. First Aid Officers should regularly check the contents of the kit to ensure that adequate resources are available. At a minimum the kits should be checked each month. The following levels of stock should be maintained. First-Aid Kit Description of Appliance or Requisite A B C Adhesive plastic dressing strips, sterile, packets of 50 2 1 1 Adhesive dressing tape, 2.5cm x 5cm 1 1 * Page 4 of 8
Bags, plastic for amputated parts: small 2 1 1 Bags, plastic for amputated parts: medium 2 1 1 Bags, plastic for amputated parts: large 2 1 * Dressing, non-adherent, sterile, 7.5cm x 7.5cm 5 2 * Eye pads, sterile 5 2 * Gauze bandages, 5cm 3 1 1 Gauze bandages, 10cm 3 1 * Gloves, disposable, single 10 4 2 Rescue blanket, silver space 1 1 * Safety pins, packets 1 1 1 Scissors, blunt/short nosed, minimum length 12.5cm 1 1 * Splinter forceps, stainless steel 1 1 * Sterile eyewash solution, 10ml single use ampoules or 12 6 * sachets Swabs, prepacked, antiseptic, packs of 10 1 1 * Triangular bandages, minimum 90 cm 8 4 1 Wound dressings, sterile, non-medicated, large 10 3 1 First-Aid pamphlet (as issued by the St John Ambulance or the Australian Red Cross Society, or any other firstaid pamphlet approved by the Co-ordinator. 1 1 1 It is recommended that all first aid kits contain a sharps container. Kits and replenishment stocks can be ordered from ABC supplier You will need to contact the Manager, Health & Safety for account code details. First Aid Rooms Macquarie University has a fully equipped first aid room, as required under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 2001. This room is located at Building C1A and is staffed by Occupational First Aiders. (Add in list) Provision of External Automated Defibrillators The university has an External Automated Defibrillator available on campus. If the defibrillator is required, please contact security on 9999 and the defibrillator will be dispatched immediately. Further purchases of defibrillators will be on an identified needs basis. Use of the defibrillators is limited to Occupational First Aiders and staff who have completed advanced resuscitation training. Page 5 of 8
Provision of Medication or Analgesics The administration of medication or analgesics by a first aid officer is prohibited. First Aid Officers can assist an injured person self administer medications where the medication is used to control or reduce the effects of a medical condition e.g.: vasodilator tables used to reduce the pain associated with an angina attack. Epi-pens Only First Aid Officers who have received specific training in the administration of Epipens can administer the pen if required. Epi-pens are not to be bought by a Faculty except in situations where as a result of employment there is an increased risk of exposure to insect sting, food or latex allergies. Currently the only areas that would require the supply of Epi-pens are Fauna Park and Office of Facilities Management. Epi-pens are to be stored in a secure (not locked) and cool location. The First Aid Officer is responsible for ensuring that the pens are regularly checked to ensure that the pen has not expired. Once used, the pen should be disposed of in accordance with standard infectious waste guidelines. Record of Treatment It is a requirement that after any administration of first aid, the First Aid Officer is to complete a First Aid Treatment Form. Once completed a copy of the form should be sent to the OHS Unit for reference. The First Aid Officer should advise the injured person to complete the injury/accident notification form via the Universities online notification system. It is important that the First Aid Officer record any: refusals of first aid assistance on a treatment sheet. recommendations made by the First Aid Officer. other relevant information. that may be useful for future reference. Privacy of Patient Personal Information Personal information gathered whilst treating an injured person is to be considered as strictly confidential. Information obtained whilst providing treatment is governed under the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act (NSW) and the Health Information Act (NSW). Only information critical to the provision of first aid should be recorded. This information may include Name and contact details of injured person. Page 6 of 8
Date and time of injury/accident. Information regarding the type of work being undertaken The details of first aid provided. Information with regards to medical conditions, previous injuries etc that would be relevant to the treatment being provided. Use of alcohol or illicit drugs. First Aid Officers are allowed to release information regarding an injured person to the attending Ambulance Officer or other emergency services personnel as required. Disposal of Waste Waste generated in the administration of first aid is to be considered a biological hazard and should be disposed of appropriately. For items such as bandages, swabs, gauze etc, the following procedures should be observed Put on disposable gloves. Pick up objects with tongs. Place in a biological hazard bag and seal as instructed. Place this bag inside another bag and seal. For Sharps (syringes, needles etc), the following procedures should be observed Put on disposable gloves. Locate a sharps container or glass jar with a lid. Place the container on the ground in front of the sharp. Pick up the sharp in the middle with tongs (where no tongs are available, make sure you have the pointy end directed away from you. Place the sharp into the container and secure the top. Remove the rubber gloves and wash your hands thoroughly. Legal Protection In providing first aid assistance to an injured person, a First Aid Officer is provided protection from legal action brought against them through the Universities vicarious liability. Vicarious Liability holds that Macquarie University as the employer is generally responsible for the actions of its employees, where they have acted in good faith and within the scope of their training. The Civil Liability Act (NSW) 2002, contains provisions which limits the ability of an injured person bringing legal actions against a First Aid Officer for administering treatment which is described as good Samaritan acts. Sect 57 (1) of the Act states that a good Samaritan does not incur any personal civil liability in respect of any act or omission done or made by the good a Samaritan in an emergency when assisting a person who is apparently injured or at risk of being injured. It is important to note that this protection does not extend to situations where a person renders first aid assistance and is under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs Page 7 of 8
(including prescription medication) and fails to exercise reasonable care and skill. is responsible for the injury or risk. falsely represent their skills or expertise in rendering assistance. impersonates an emergency services worker Related Policies / Procedures First Aid Policy Appointment of a First Aid Officer Procedure Safe Handling and Disposal of Syringes Safe Working Procedure Links WorkCover Guideline First Aid in the Workplace. WorkCover NSW. 2001. National Code of Practice for the Control of Work-related Exposure to Hepatitis and HIV (Blood-borne) Viruses [NOHSC:2010(2003). NOHSC. 2003 Keywords Provision of First Aid Date Approved Approval Authority Day Month Year Director, Human Resources Page 8 of 8