What do you have in your workplace? A First Aid Kit or a Staff Clinic?

It’s agreed that different workplaces have different scale of operations that determines the choice of either, however do you have the minimum requirement?

As a minimum requirement by Law, every workplace should have a First Aid Kit because injury could happen at any time and it pays to be prepared. We cannot afford to stand helpless when a colleague needs our assistance. It is therefore important to have a well equipped First Aid  Kit in the workplace for the following reasons:

1. It helps the First Aider provide correct help in timely manner
2. The injured person gets support while waiting for more professional help
3. It reduces the chances of the injury deteriorating

The presence of a First Aid Kit is however not enough. It is important to ensure some staff are trained on basic First Aid skills to ensure that they can give appropriate help if a situation arises. The contents of the First Aid Kit must be monitored regularly to ensure that as contents are being used, they are also restocked to prevent a situation where the First Kit is present but lacking in essential material.

The content of the First Aid Kit varies depending on certain factors such as:

1. The nature of hazards in the workplace
2. The number of employees
3. The proximity of workplace to a hospital
4. The laws of the State or Country of business operation
5. The nature of the industry

First Aid Kits can contain all these and more depending on the factors listed above: adhesive tape,scissors, eye wash solution, thermometer, cotton balls, duct tape,triangular bandage, instant cold packs, elastic wrap bandages, bandage strips and “butterfly” bandages in different sizes, eye shield or pad, duct tape, disposable non-latex gloves, plastic bags, safety pins, tweezers, soap or hand sanitizer, antiseptic solution, antibiotic ointment, syringe, first aid manual, antihistamine, pain reliever, cough and cold medication, laxative,antacids etc.

Accidents do not give ample notice before they occur so we should prepare by ensuring we have a well equipped First Aid Kit in the workplace. There should be a First Aid manual that could serve as a guide in emergency situations. The manual doesn’t have to be too large. It could be a small booklet containing procedures for handling various types of medical situations. It doesn’t hurt to have a primary contact of a hospital where staff can be taken. This prevents confusion that happens in the wake of an accident.

The presence of First Aid Kits in the workplace demonstrates care and concern for employee’s wellbeing and this boosts morale of staff. You absolutely need that in your business/workplace. First Aid Kits are not restricted to the workplace, it is important to keep one in the home for swift and effective response to emergencies.

An enlightened and prepared people leads to a safer society for all.

Image credit: Google images, HSEwise

“As soon as you see a mistake and don’t fix it, it becomes your mistake”. ~Author Unknown

You’ve perceived your workplace/business is not safety compliant but you have no clue on the next step. As an employee, you might ponder on leaving matters as they are because it’s a tough world out there without a job. Or as a business owner, you think it is either too expensive or beyond your scope.

Pause.

It is important to be alive and in good health to have a source of income as your body is your first tool. You are important to someone and would be irreplaceable if you are gone.

You need to realise your importance in order for you to take necessary action. Safety is the responsibility of both employer and employee. The employer is responsible for providing a safe place of work. The employee is responsible for complying with laid down rules and reporting lapses in the system. As an employee in a workplace that isn’t safety compliant, it might not be that the employer is heartless rather a case of ignorance. Therefore,  you need to acquire more information.

The Regulators

In all countries there are regulators and legislations that back up health, safety and the environment to ensure protection of all. In Nigeria, there are different regulators with different portfolios namely:

1. Ministry of Labour and Productivity
2. Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR)
3. National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA)
4. Federal Ministry of Environment (FMEnv)
5. National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA)
6. Lagos State Safety Commission
7. Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC)

What to do?

Arm yourself with knowledge

As an employee/employer you need to find out more about health and safety in the workplace. This blog is a source of information and there are other diverse sources online and in libraries. In Nigeria, the Factory Act (1987, 1990, 2004) is the major legislation that backs up health and safety issues. It covers cleanliness of the workplace, ventilation, lighting, overcrowding, safe use of machinery, use of protective clothing and equipment, provision of drinking water, investigation of incidents and accidents, penalties etc. More detailed information can be found on www.ilo.org

Share newly acquired knowledge

After getting more information, make it go viral. We share jokes, music, pictures why not something that could save our lives? It is possible that there are safety procedures written somewhere but not being complied with. Encourage others through information sharing on the benefits of compliance.

We must remind that a good manner of approach goes a long way here. Do not go confrontational to your boss. Speak politely, show pictures ( we have loads on our various social media platforms) and articles, share contact details of qualified personnel that can help, strike peaceful conversations with your colleagues (remember, it’s not a revolution), ask questions on what should be done in certain hypothetical situations, invite qualified personnel to speak to your staff etc.

Be intentional about your habits

They say practice makes perfect. You might not be used to following safety rules or laid down work procedures, however the good news is, if you make a conscious effort, it becomes a part of you.

Avoid shortcuts in work activities, use personal protective equipment as required, comply with laid down procedures, report faulty equipment, only trained personnel should work on faulty equipment, observe good housekeeping ( a place for everything and everything in its place), ensure spills are mopped, correct co-workers and practice caution everywhere not just in the workplace.

Invite Us

The Ulomka team does not want people to get ill, injured, die on the job or lose investment that is why we help businesses input safety procedures to ensure safe work and reduce loss of any kind. We offer a free general safety awareness training for staff of our clients. We could also provide more specialised training and develop safety procedures depending on the safety gaps in your system.

Sometimes when people hear this question, they think of fire extinguishers and safety hats. There’s a whole lot more to safety than that as we would get to see. No one wants to leave a workplace worse than when they got the job. Safety in the workplace is ensuring that workers leave work as whole as they entered, no broken bones and no health challenges (cancer, back pain, repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) etc.) We understand that some jobs entertain certain risks but that is why we are here to help you navigate your risks and reduce them as much as is reasonably practicable.

Safety in the workplace would start from answering basic questions such as: how many exits are available? Is there proper ventilation and lighting? Is the work station properly arranged? How comfortable and convenient are the seats available for the duration of employee’s stay per day? Is there access to drinking water, toilet facilities etc? How is rest period decided? Is there a safe way of performing the job? Is it being followed?

These questions may seem sort of  easy until we get to the part of emergency response procedures where we would need to answer questions such as: What are the procedures in the case of a fire incident? Are fire extinguishers available? Who would be the firefighters? Where is the muster point? What actions are employees expected to take? Or in the case of a medical emergency: Is there a first aid kit? Who are the first aiders? Are they sufficiently trained? What is the contact details of the primary health care centre? There is a whole lot more of such questions, some are general while others are more specific to the particular workplace.

One might think “God forbid”, ” It’s not my portion” but really, whose portion is it? Inasmuch as we are in a religious part of the world, we still need to play our part to keep our businesses safe. Remember, it’s only if the business exists that there is a chance to turn a profit. More so, people would be more likely to work with a safe business than one known for broken bones and various ailments.

Today, ask yourself, Is my  business/workplace safety compliant?