First aid in schools

Who’s responsible for first aid in schools?

Health and safety legislation states the responsibility for the health and safety of employees and anyone else on a school’s premises lies with the employer.

The employer is responsible for the head teacher, teachers, non-teaching staff, pupils and visitors, including contractors who may be working on the school’s premises.

The employer is responsible, under the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) 1974, for ensuring the school has a health and safety policy in place. This policy should include arrangements for first aid based on a risk assessment of the school.

For a community school, community special school, voluntary-controlled school, maintained school or pupil referral unit, the local authority (LA) is the employer who is responsible for schools’ health and safety policy and first-aid procedures.

The governing body is responsible for the health and safety policy and first-aid arrangements for a foundation, foundation special or voluntary-aided school. For a grant-aided school, the governing body (or equivalent) has the same responsibilities.

For an academy or free school, the academy trust is responsible for a school’s health and safety policy and first-aid arrangements. For an independent, private or fee-paying school, the proprietor or board of trustees (or equivalent) is responsible.

 

What should the first-aid procedure include?

• The number and designation of first aiders
• The number and location of first-aid kits
• Arrangements for off-site activities, such as school trips
• Arrangements for out-of-school-hours events, e.g. parents’ evenings or lettings.

 

What about insurance cover?

It’s the employer’s responsibility to ensure the school’s insurance arrangements provide full cover for claims that arise as a result of employees working within the scope of their role.

 

What are the responsibilities of the head teacher and other members of staff?

Most of the day-to-day functions for the management of health and safety are delegated to the head teacher who’s responsible for putting the governing body’s policy into practice. The head teacher should inform parents of the school’s health and safety policy and first-aid arrangements.

While teachers’ conditions of employment don’t include providing first aid, they may volunteer to undertake the tasks set out in the policy. All staff must safeguard pupils’ welfare at all times, particularly in an emergency. The consequences of not taking any action are likely to be more severe than those of trying to assist in an emergency.

 

What qualifications must a first-aider hold?

First-aiders must hold a valid certificate of competence in either of the following:

• First aid at work
• Emergency first aid at work
• Any other level of training or qualification appropriate to the circumstances defined by the school’s first-aid needs assessment.

The statutory framework for the early years foundation stage requires all schools and registered early years providers in the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors, which are attended by children from birth to the age of five, to ensure all staff have suitable first-aid training and at least one person has a current paediatric first-aid certificate. This person has to be on the school’s premises and available at all times when children are present. They must also accompany children on outings.

Since 2013, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) no longer approves first-aid training and qualifications. The employer must now ensure any provider they select for first-aid training is competent to deliver it.

 

What’s an appointed person?

An appointed person isn’t a first-aider, so they shouldn’t give any first aid treatment. An appointed person may do the following:

• Take charge when someone’s injured or becomes ill
• Quality control the first-aid kit and equipment
• Ensure an ambulance is called or, when appropriate, other professional medical help is summoned.

 

What’s the minimum first-aid provision?

The minimum provision is one first-aid kit for each designated school site (this should be marked with a white cross on a green background), with additional kits for split sites or levels, sports fields and playgrounds that are a long distance from the school and any off-site activities.

You should place suitably stocked first-aid kits in, or very near to, hand-washing facilities.

Where no special risk is identified, the HSE recommends the following as a minimum provision of first-aid items:

• A leaflet giving general advice on first aid
• Twenty sterile adhesive dressings (individually wrapped and in assorted sizes)
• Two sterile eye pads
• Six safety pins
• Four triangular bandages (individually wrapped and preferably sterile)
• Six medium-sized, sterile unmedicated wound dressings (approximately 12cm x 12cm, and individually wrapped)
• One pair of disposable gloves.

The person responsible (named in the school’s first-aid procedures) should frequently check and restock the first-aid kits after use. They should also discard out-of-date items safely.

 

What should be in a first-aid kit for off-site activities?

Before off-site activities take place, the head teacher should assess the level of first-aid provision needed. Where no special risk is identified, the HSE recommends the following as a minimum provision of first-aid items:

• A leaflet giving general advice on first aid
• Six sterile adhesive dressings (individually wrapped)
• One large-sized, sterile unmedicated wound dressing (approximately 18cm x 18cm)
• Two triangular bandages
• Two safety pins
• Moist cleansing wipes (individually wrapped)
• One pair of disposable gloves.

Equivalent or additional items are acceptable and may be necessary for specific activities.

 

For minibuses and public service vehicles used for school trips and journeys, what should be in the first-aid kit?

Transport regulations require minibuses and all public service vehicles used for either express or contract carriage to have a first-aid kit on board that includes the following:

• Ten antiseptic wipes (foil packaged)
• One disposable bandage (not smaller than 7.5cm in width)
• Two triangular bandages
• One pack of 24 adhesive dressings (in assorted sizes)
• Three large-sized, sterile unmedicated ambulance dressings (min. 15cm x 20cm)
• Two sterile eye pads
• Twelve safety pins (in assorted sizes)
• One pair of rust-resistant blunt-ended scissors.

The kit must be in good condition, easily accessible and clearly marked as a first-aid kit.

 

Does a school need a designated first-aid room?

The employer is required to provide accommodation that’s suitable and sufficient based on the first-aid needs identified in a risk assessment of the school.

Every school is required by The Education (School Premises) Regulations 2012 to have a room that’s suitable for medical treatment and the care of pupils during school hours. The room must contain a washbasin and be situated near to a WC. The school doesn’t need to use the area solely for medical purposes, but it must be available when needed to provide first-aid treatment to a pupil.

 

What precautions are necessary for hygiene and infection control?

All staff must follow basic hygiene procedures and should take precautions to avoid infection. Single-use disposable gloves and washing facilities should be accessible to all staff. You should take care when dealing with body fluids or blood and disposing of dressings or equipment.

 

Is there any specific guidance regarding concussion?

Yes. With incidents of concussion in sport becoming more prevalent, the Sport and Recreation Alliance has produced concussion guidelines for the education sector.

 

What are the legal requirements with regard to reporting accidents and record-keeping?

The Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 2013 require some accidents and injuries to be reported to the HSE – click here for further details.

 

How is the decision made on whether an accident “arises out of, or in connection with, work”?

The HSE takes the view that an accident must be reported if it relates to the following:

• Any school activity either on or off the school’s premises
• The way a school activity has been organised and managed
• Equipment, substances or machinery used
• The design or condition of the school’s premises.

 

How should records be kept?

Schools should keep a record of any first-aid treatment given by first-aiders and appointed persons and are legally required to keep accident records for a minimum of three years.

The details should include the following:

• The date, time and place of the incident
• The name of the injured or ill person and their class
• Details of the injury or illness and first aid given
• What happened to the affected person immediately afterwards (eg they went home, resumed normal duties, went back to class, went to the hospital, etc.)
• Name and signature of the first-aider or person who dealt with the incident.

 

How can the information in the record book help?

The information in the record book can be used for insurance and investigative purposes and to identify accident trends and possible areas needing improvement in the school.

In an emergency, the head teacher or teacher in charge should have procedures in place for contacting the child’s parents as soon as possible. It’s good practice to report all serious or significant incidents to the child’s parents by telephoning them or sending a letter home with the child.