Netherwood School
FIRST
AID POLICY
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
FIRST AID IN SCHOOL – WHO IS
RESPONSIBLE?
WHO ARE THE FIRST AIDERS?
WHAT ARE A FIRST AIDER’S MAIN DUTIES?
WHAT IS AN APPOINTED PERSON?
FIRST AID – WHAT DO SCHOOLS NEED TO DO?
RISK ASSESSMENT OF FIRST-AID NEEDS –
WHAT SHOULD SCHOOLS CONSIDER?
QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING
FIRST-AID MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT AND
FIRST-AID FACILITIES
HYGIENE/INFECTION CONTROL
REPORTING ACCIDENTS AND RECORD KEEPING
SICK PUPILS
ACCIDENTS
INTRODUCTION
First aid can save lives and prevent minor injuries becoming major
ones. Under health and safety
legislation employers have to ensure that there are adequate and appropriate
equipment and facilities for providing first aid in the workplace.
The minimum first-aid provision is:
·
a suitably stocked first-aid container;
·
an appointed person to take charge of first-aid
arrangements;
·
information for employees on first-aid arrangements.
This minimum provision must be supplemented with a
risk assessment to determine any additional provision.
First-aid provision must be available at all times
while people are on school premises, and also off the premises whilst on school
visits.
FIRST-AID
IN SCHOOL - WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
The employer is responsible, under the
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSWA), for making sure that a school has a
health and safety policy. This should
include arrangements for first aid, based on a risk assessment of the school,
and should cover:
·
numbers of first aiders/appointed
persons;
·
numbers and locations of first-aid
containers;
·
arrangements for off-site
activities/trips;
·
out of school hours arrangements e.g.
parents evenings.
It is the employer’s responsibility to
make sure that the statutory requirements for provision of first aiders are
met, that appropriate training is provided and that correct procedures are
followed. The employer should be
satisfied that any training has given staff sufficient understanding,
confidence and expertise.
Teachers’ conditions of employment do
not include giving first aid, although any member of staff may volunteer to
undertake these tasks. Teachers and
other staff in charge of pupils are expected to us their best endeavours at all
times, particularly in emergencies, to secure the welfare of the pupils at the
school in the same way that parents might be expected to act towards their
children. In general, the consequences
of taking no action are likely to be more serious than those of trying to assist
in an emergency.
WHO
ARE THE FIRST AIDER’S?
The School’s two key first aider’s are:
Mrs Shirley James & Mrs Betty Dowling.
The other five first aider’s are: Mr Huw Morris, Mrs Barbara Morris,
Miss Sian Evans & Mr Paul O’Brien.
Following an accident, children will
initially be taken to either of the two key first aider’s and during a normal
school day they will interchange. If one
is absent then go to the other. Should
both be absent then any of the remaining five first aider’s can be called upon.
WHAT
ARE A FIRST AIDER’S MAIN DUTIES?
First aiders must complete a training
course approved by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
At school, the main duties of a first
aider are to:
·
give immediate help to casualties with
common injuries or illnesses and those arising from specific hazards at school;
·
when necessary, ensure that an ambulance
or other professional medical help is called.
WHAT
IS AN APPOINTED PERSON?
Key first aider’s will cover the
following issues:
a)
takes charge when someone is injured or
becomes ill;
b)
looks after the first-aid equipment e.g.
restocking the first-aid container;
c)
ensures that an ambulance or other
professional medical help is summoned when appropriate.
d)
Report book to be filled in by the
person the accident has been reported to.
Accidents books are kept in the Office and the Boarding House.
FIRST
AID – WHAT DO SCHOOLS NEED TO DO?
Employers must provide adequate and
appropriate equipment, facilities and qualified first-aid personnel.
There are four main First Aid areas:
Boarding House, Staff Room, Lower School and Science Lab. There is a mini kit in the new Lab and a
mobile kit for school trips where relevant i.e. beach trips is kept in the
girls changing room.
It is the School’s intention that there
will be a qualified first aider on school trips where it has been assessed a
need for one.
REASSESSMENT
OF FIRST-AID PROVISION?
At the end of the academic year the
school will reassess its stock of first aid equipment and orders placed over
the summer.
PROVIDING
INFORMATION
A copy of this First-Aid policy will be
issued to all new members of staff as part of the staff handbook.
INSURANCE
The School is covered for public
liability.
RISK
ASSESSMENT OF FIRST-AID NEEDS –WHAT SHOULD SCHOOLS CONSIDER?
This comes under the umbrella of Health
& Safety. Risk assessments in work
and play areas are the responsibility of each member of staff who will then
hand them to the person in charge of Health & Safety. These will be reviewed on an annual basis.
Are there any specific hazards or risks on
the site?
Labs are kept locked and children are
only allowed in when a teacher is present.
Specific needs.
Our age range is 3-18 years. Parents are notified regularly of the need to
hand in special medication, including inhalers to the Office ensuring that the
name of the pupil is written on the item.
The Office should also be informed which type of inhaler the child is
using as there are many varieties. The child should also carry an inhaler and
during Sports should be handed to the teacher.
It is the responsibility of the parent to ensure that the child carries
an additional inhaler and they must instruct the child to give the inhaler to
the P.E. teacher at the beginning of each games lesson.
Every new parent must fill in a form
asking for information about allergies, medication etc. These should be listed and this information
given to all qualified First Aider’s.
Selection of First Aider’s
Anyone who wishes to become a qualified
first aider would be accepted to attend a course.
Contacting first-aid personnel
There is a notice in the staff room and
kitchen, which also informs staff of Key First Aider’s and First Aider’s.
QUALIFICATIONS
& TRAINING
Mr D Huw Morris
Mrs B Morris
Mrs S James
Mrs B Dowling
Mr P O’Brien
Miss S Evans
FIRST-AID
MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT AND FIRST-AID FACILITIES
Contents of a first-aid container
Each kit should contain a minimum of the
following items:
a)
a leaflet giving general advice on first
aid;
b)
20 individually wrapped sterile adhesive
dressings (assorted sizes);
c)
two sterile eye pads;
d)
four individually wrapped triangular
bandages (preferably sterile);
e)
six safety pins;
f)
six medium sized (approximately 12cm x
12cm) individually wrapped sterile unmedicated wound dressings;
g)
two large (approximately 18cm &
18cm) sterile individually wrapped unmedicated would dressings;
h)
one pair of disposable gloves.
The School Matron, Mrs Dowling, will
ensure that first aid container stocks are always available. She is also in
charge of stock levels of the Boarding House kit.
Mrs James is in charge of reporting on
stock levels of the mobile and staff room kits.
Mr O’Brien is in charge of reporting on
stock levels of the lab kits.
Mrs Pattison is in charge of reporting
on stock levels of the lower school kit.
Travelling first-aid containers
The mobile first aid kit will contain a
minimum of:
a)
a leaflet giving general advice on first
aid;
b)
Six individually wrapped sterile
adhesive dressings;
c)
One large sterile unmedicated wound
dressing – approximately 18cm x 18cm;
d)
Two triangular bandages;
e)
Two safety pins;
f)
Individually wrapped moist cleansing
wipes;
g)
One pair of disposable gloves.
First-aid accommodation
All first aid equipment is accommodated
in areas that are reasonably close to a W.C. and/or a washbasin.
HYGIENE/INFECTION
CONTROL
Blue Nyrex or vinyl gloves are the
schools choice of protection. The school
will provide batches of Nyrex gloves, which are to be used at all times by
first aiders when dealing with injuries involving blood or any other body
fluids.
REPORTING
ACCIDENTS AND RECORD KEEPING
The School continues to fulfil its
obligation in notifying bodies such as the HSE of all reportable injuries,
diseases or dangerous occurrence. These
accidents would normally include:
a)
accidents resulting in death or major
injury (including as a result of physical violence);
b)
accidents which prevent the injured
person from doing their normal work for more than three days (including acts of
physical violence).
How should the school report them?
The HSE must be notified of fatal and
major injuries and dangerous occurrences without delay (e.g. by
telephone). This must be followed up
within ten days with a written report on Form 2508. Other reportable accidents do not need
immediate notification, but they must be reported to HSE within ten days on
Form 2508.
How do I decide whether an accident
“arises out of or in connection with work”?
In HSE’s view an accident must be
reported if it relates to:
a)
any school activity, both on or off the
premises;
b)
the way a school activity has been
organised and managed (e.g. the supervision of a field trip);
c)
equipment, machinery or substances;
d)
the design or condition of the premises.
Statutory accident records
The school will keep readily accessible
accident records, either in written or electronic form. These records must be kept for a minimum of
three years. These records will contain
the following information:
a)
the date, time and place of incident;
b)
the name (and class) of the injured or
ill person;
c)
details of the injury/illness and what
first aid was given;
d)
what happened to the person immediately
afterwards (for example went home, resumed normal duties, went back to class,
went to hospital);
e)
name and signature of the first aider or
person dealing with the incident.
In most cases parents will be informed
of all injuries by the School Secretary.
In minor cases the parent might be called in to take the child home if
necessary. In a more serious case the
pupil or member of staff will be taken to Withybush Hospital by Matron or any
other suitably qualified person in her absence.
In the most serious cases a paramedic will be called in and parents
notified.
Sick Pupils
All of the Office Staff are trained in First
Aid. A great deal of their time is taken
up dealing with pupil illness, injury and distress and therefore the member(s)
of staff who deal with the pupil is unable to carry on with office duties. The following procedure has been adopted by
all teaching staff in order to minimise the time lost by the office staff and
to maximise the service provided to the pupils.
If a teacher feels that a child is not well enough
to continue working in school, a slip is completed and sent with the child to
the office. The child remains in
reception (except in extreme cases) and parents will be contacted and asked to
take direct responsibility for the pupil (remove the pupil from the premises). The responsibility for deciding whether the
pupil should go home or not, therefore primarily resides with the teacher who
presumably knows the pupil better than the office staff.
Pupils will not be dealt with by the office staff
unless they have a signed, completed slip as shown below:
PUPIL ILLNESS
NAME OF
PUPIL:............................................ CLASS/FORM:.......................
The above pupil is unwell and is, in my
opinion, unable to continue working and should be sent home.
Signed................................. Room
...………...
A supply of slips will be put in the staff room in
the stationery case and staff have a small supply with them at all times. The procedure is described in the School
Handbook (issued to all new parents) and fully explained to the pupils when
they start at the School.
If pupils become ill at break or lunch times they
should report to the teacher(s) on duty.
Accidents
If a pupil has an accident they should be sent to
the first aider in the office along with another pupil/member of staff to
explain the problem. Accidents only will
be dealt with in the medical room and appropriate action taken. Any cuts and abrasions should be dealt with
in accordance with the 'HIV preventative protocol'.
In the case of distress a more relaxing and less
clinical atmosphere is provided.
For the more serious accidents (other than minor
cuts and abrasions) the pupil will be sent to hospital accompanied by a member
of staff. Medical advice and common
sense state that it is better for the patient to be waiting at a hospital,
rather than at school, especially if complications develop, e.g. concussion.
Initially attempts will be made to contact the
parents, inform them of the
situation and assess the feasibility of the parent taking the pupil to
hospital. When it is not reasonably
feasible for parents to take the pupil to hospital, the pupil will be driven to
casualty by a member of staff (with suitable car insurance) who will remain
with the pupil until the parent(s) arrive.
Parents should be:
· given the name of the Hospital to which
their son/daughter has been taken;
· asked to attend the hospital as a
matter of urgency;
· reassured to prevent parental distress
and another possible accident as they travel to the hospital.
If no member of staff is available to take the pupil
to hospital then an ambulance will be called.
Whilst the ambulance travels to the school a note should be made of
'contact names and telephone numbers' and this note should be given to the ambulance
crew on their arrival at the school. The
Hospital should be telephoned and told of the problem and any available
'contact names and telephone numbers' - this is best done by the ambulance
crew. The Hospital will then take
responsibility for contacting parents and may use the police if deemed
necessary.
Pupils must be sent to hospital immediately by ambulance in these cases:
· any head injuries and wounds needing
stitches;
· all suspected fractures must go direct
to hospital immediately by ambulance;
· if there has been any amount of unconsciousness
even for a few seconds.
N.B. Legally
pupils must be sixteen to be given medical treatment without parental consent,
however in 'Life or Death' situations treatment is offered immediately.