Third of employees ‘anxious’ about lack of workplace first aiders

A third of employees (34%) feel anxious about having a lack of trained first aiders in their workplace, according to a poll.

The survey of more than 2,000 UK employees for St John Ambulance also found nearly a quarter (22%) said they had never had any first-aid training.

Almost three in 10 employees (29%) had experienced times when no one present in their workplace was first-aid trained.

Of the first-aid trained employees polled, more than two in five (43%) reported times when they had been the only person on site with first aid skills.

This meant that if they were to have an accident or emergency at work themselves, there would be no one available to help them, warned St John Ambulance.

The charity is this month running its ‘Save a Life September’ campaign designed to encourage organisations to train more of their workforce in potentially life-saving first aid skills.

Of those who are trained, the poll found that more than a fifth (22%) had skills that are more than five years old, meaning they may have forgotten things and have outdated qualifications.

Lisa Sharman, national head of education and commercial training at St John Ambulance, said: “Even if your workplace seems low-risk – like an office – accidents and emergencies still happen – choking, slips, allergic reactions, or even serious unexpected situations like terrorist attacks or natural disasters.

“Having multiple trained first aiders is an important safety measure that will protect both colleagues and the business. Plus, if an employee is harmed due to a lack of first aid provision, the employer may face legal action, fines or prosecution,” she added.

Separately, research has suggested half of UK workers say they would feel unprepared for dealing with a workplace emergency.

According to Evalu-8 EHS Software, 51% of employees feel only “slightly” or “not at all” prepared for dealing with an emergency at work.

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