First Aider Information

Guidance
First Aid is the immediate assistance or treatment given to someone injured or suddenly taken ill
before the arrival of an ambulance, doctor or other appropriately qualified person. The person
offering this help to a casualty must act calmly and with confidence, and above all must be willing to
offer assistance whenever the need arises. First Aid is a skill based on knowledge, training and
experience and a First Aider is someone who has completed a 3 day theoretical and practical
instruction course, and passed a professionally supervised examination (HSE approved).

Aims of First Aid

The aims of First Aid are to:
− preserve life
− limit the effects of the condition
− promote recovery

First Aider’s Responsibilities

Responsibilities of a First Aider are to:
− assess a situation quickly and safely, and summon appropriate help
− identify, as far as possible, the injury or the nature of the illness affecting the casualty
− give early, appropriate and adequate treatment in a sensible order of priority
− arrange for the removal of the casualty to hospital, to the care of a doctor, or home
− remain with the casualty until handing him or her over to the care of an appropriate person
− make and pass on a report, and give further help if required

Requirements
 A First Aider needs to reach a First Aid incident quickly and administer certain treatments that
require a good level of physical fitness and agility.
 A First Aider must be an effective communicator who can understand quickly their patient’s
needs and administer suitable treatment.
 The First Aider role can be very rewarding but some First Aid incidents may be stressful.
 If a First Aid emergency arises in your work area you will need to attend to it immediately.
 The First aider must ensure they are aware of the location of the first aid boxes in their areas.

Primary and back up response to First Aid requests at the BBC

In London, Scotland and in the majority of The Regions, BBC First Aiders are the primary support to
anyone in need of medical assistance. They are volunteers who have received full First Aid training, in
these areas BBC Security provides a back up response only in the case of no BBC First Aider being
available. Currently, in Belfast and Bristol, Security provide the primary First Aid response but we are
seeking additional BBC First Aiders that we can call on.
Finding a First Aider
We are working to make it easier for people to find a First Aider and part of this is to ensure all
contact information is up to date and easily found in the central hub points. First Aiders are being
given a First Aid lanyard (below) for quick identification in an emergency, if you haven’t received one,
you can contact your Facilities Manager.

Automatic Emergency Defibrillators (AEDs)

The BBC has installed Automatic Emergency Defibrillators (AEDs) in BBC buildings of 500 or
more staff. This will enable emergency treatment for cases of heart fibrillation.
The AEDs are fully automatic. When you open the box you will hear spoken instructions about
exactly what to do. They are very portable, reliable, and easy to use. The AED can detect whether or
not a "shock" is required - first aiders don't have to decide.

It is critical that First Aiders know where to go to get the AED and what to do with it, to enable them
to act without any delay.
Typically they will be on a wall behind the main reception desks at each site. This will also mean they
are accessible should a member of the public in the immediate vicinity be taken ill.

Although the AEDs are designed to be used by anyone, we want to inform BBC First Aiders
in advance for two reasons.
BBC First Aiders provide the primary first aid cover across all our buildings and may get asked about
defibrillators by their colleagues. However the main reason is that for best chance of survival the
casualty must be treated within the first few minutes of their heart attack so it is critical that First
Aiders know where to go to get the AED and what to do with it, and be able to act without any delay.

We are including AED familiarisation training within all of the courses in our First Aid portfolio
(refreshers are every 3 years).

If you think that using an AED might save someone's life you, or anyone else, can and should not
hesitate to use them even if you haven't had any training at all.

Training
Please can you also check that your training is up to date. In order to keep it up to
date and valid, you need to refresh your first aid qualification within 3 years.
You can find all of the course details on Academy.gateway:

First Aid in the Office & Studio

http://academy.gateway.bbc.co.uk/courses/first-aid-in-the-office-studio/13330

First Aid on Location

http://academy.gateway.bbc.co.uk/courses/first-aid-on-location/13336
First Aid in Remote Locations
http://academy.gateway.bbc.co.uk/courses/first-aid-in-remote-locations/13337

Contact details
We are really grateful to all those who have volunteered to be first Aiders. Many of
you have already contacted your Facilities Managers (FM) to update your contact
details. But if you haven't had time to do that yet please can you ensure that the FM
does have your correct desk and mobile phone numbers.

How do you get more help?

In the majority of sites only the Control Room can co-ordinate the Emergency
Services entry and location of the injured person, so if you think that the
casualty needs an ambulance:

 Phone 666 - tell the operator that you are a First Aider and that you need them to call an
ambulance immediately, tell them where you are, and ask them to confirm with you when they have
done that. You can also ask them to find you another First Aider to back you up.
 The Control Room will call the Emergency Services and guide them to you.
 If your site does not use 666 call 999 directly

myRisks site
If you give first aid to someone please encourage them to report the incident to their
line manager and on the myRisks site. Ask them to make sure they record that they
received first aid. This will help us to ensure enough First Aiders are available at all
times. If you want any more information for and about First Aiders and the BBC please
click on the links: General Workplace Safety: First Aid or First Aid and First Aiders in BBC Buildings