First Aid kits are an important but often forgotten tool in many businesses. They provide a variety of equipment that can help in treating and preventing workplace injuries from developing and becoming more serious.
Unfortunately, your First Aid Kit may not be suitable for your working environment and even if it is, it may not be maintained as often as it needs to be. Once purchased they are set up and can be forgotten. This leaves medical products expiring and as a result reducing their effectiveness in sometimes dangerous situations where they need to perform.
New Zealand’s workplace safety has been an area of concern for a long time now. On average 51 New Zealanders die at work every year with 346 people seriously hurt at work. This only empahsises the importance of having the correct and functioning health and safety equipment readily accessible in businesses all over New Zealand.
Some workplaces have greater risks of injury and illness because of the type of work they do. These risks are an important factor in deciding first aid requirements, because different first aid facilities may be needed for different activities.
To ensure first aid is easy to access you need to consider:
- The size of your workplace.
- The number of buildings across a worksite.
- The size of buildings across a worksite.
- Site security and working hours.
- Availability in all company vehicles.
As a PCBU (Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking) it is your responsibility to ensure you are doing everything within your means to prevent health risks and potential incidents in your workplace. This can range from notifying people of potential hazards, removing a hazard if you are able to or checking your First Aid Kits contents. If you are not doing this and someone is seriously hurt, you could be liable and as a result personally fined $150,000, your business could be fined 1.5 million dollars and you could face potential imprisonment.
Purchasing the correct First Aid Kit for your workplace and being able to review the contents of these kits regularly is crucial in ensuring that your employees’ safety is maintained. Having access to a range of medical products and Safety Specialists can help ensure that you are doing your part to keep your business safe.
At Snell we have a range of First Aid Kits and equipment to help keep your staff safe, while our Safety Specialists can help ensure you make the decision best suited to your business. For more information please contact your Snell representative.
