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If a customer or employee falls sick or is injured on your premises, you need to know exactly how to react to the situation. Such events may be rare, but most businesses will have to deal with them at least once – especially industries such as retail, hospitality or jobs involving manual labor. While calling an ambulance should always be a priority, there are other things that you can do to help in a medical emergency. Below are just some of the steps every business should take to prepare for such an event.
Stock up your first aid supplies
It’s important that you have all the necessary first aid supplies in the event of an accident. Plasters, bandages and dressings could be important for cuts and burns. Make sure that you’ve also got items like cleansing wipes, safety pins, gloves and tape. You could even buy a defibrillator in case you need to perform CPR. You can buy first aid kits with all these items included.
Get some first aid training
Having all the necessary equipment is no use unless you know how to use it. It’s important that any employer undertakes basic first aid training so that you can help people in the event of an emergency. It could also be worth enrolling a few of your employees on first aid courses so that they have the necessary skills. This could be particularly important if you’re not always on the premises during working hours.
Make sure you’re insured
If an injury or illness is directly the fault of your company, there’s a high chance that you could get sued. Having insurance in place can allow you to offer compensation in such events without having to dig into your own pockets. Worker’s compensation is compulsory for all employers to take out and can provide compensation to employees that are injured. Public liability insurance could also be worth taking out for offering compensation to customers or other third-party individuals injured on your premises.
Prevent illness and injuries where possible
You can’t prevent all medical emergencies – there may be nothing you can do to stop someone with a heart condition collapsing in your premises. There are however other forms of injury and illness that you may be able to prevent.
Some of the most common injuries worth protecting against include slips and falls and injuries from carrying heavy objects. Think about how you can minimize such injuries in your workplace. When it comes to slips and falls, you may be able to take measures such as using wet floor signs or adding anti-slip mats to areas prone to spillages. When it comes to preventing injuries involving lifting of heavy objects, train employees to lift from the knees and use electronic lifts and trolleys where possible.
Carrying out a health and safety audit could be one way to identify workplace risks. This could allow you to put in extra measures to prevent possible injuries – reducing the chance of having to deal with a medical emergency.
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