A4: Health and safety regulations applicable

• A4.1 The purpose of workplace health and safety regulations in the health sector:

  • Maintain the safety and wellbeing of both the individual and healthcare workers
  • Reduce risk to the individual and healthcare professionals 
  • To provide a duty of care to the individual and healthcare professionals
• Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations (1981)

  Purpose: to set legal guidelines for employers within the health sector to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work
• Care Act (2014)

  Purpose: improve people's independence and wellbeing. Local authorities are obligated to provide or arrange services that help:

  • prevent people developing needs for care
  • prevent deterioration that would result in a need for ongoing care and support
• Ionising Radiation Regulations (2017)

  Purpose: impose duties on employers to protect employees and members of the public from:

  • radiation arising from work
  • radioactive substances
  • any other forms of ionising radiation
• Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)


  Purpose: to ensure that medicines and medical devices work and are acceptably safe for use
• The overarching responsibilities of trained first aiders

  • Providing first aid treatment for minor injuries and illness
  • Treating minor burns and scalds
  • Stopping bleeding using pressure or elevation
  • Keeping fractured limbs still and supported
  • Placing an unconscious casualty in the recovery position
  • Performing CPR or using an AED
  • Ensuring, where necessary, that the casualty is referred for further treatment, appropriate to the circumstances of the injury/illness
  • Ensuring that the first aid box/kit for which they have responsibility is kept clean, tidy and appropriately stocked
  • Ensuring that any support provided, in as far is possible, reflects an individual's needs and does not discriminate against them in any way
• Assessing the situation when providing first aid

  1. Safety

  2. Protecting yourself first, never putting yourself at risk. Only moving the casualty if leaving them causes them more harm

  3. Preventing infection

  4. Comforting and reassuring the casualty

  5. Treating the casualty with respect at all times

  6. Assessing the casualty and giving first aid treatment as required
• When providing first aid you must assess the situation quickly and calmly
• A4.4 The purpose of guidelines produced by the Resuscitation Council (UK):

  • Resuscitation Council: 
  • promotes and publishes high quality scientific resuscitation guidelines o develops educational materials for resuscitation 
  • supports research into resuscitation 
  • Resuscitation guidelines: 
  • detailed information about basic and advanced life support for a range of individuals including adults, paediatrics and newborns
  • Information for the use of external defibrillator
• A4.5 The purpose of manual handling regulations and training, including why it’s important to follow policy and guidance when moving, positioning people, equipment or other objects safely:

  • Manual handling regulations: 
  • purpose: the main aim of the regulations is to prevent injury or harm 
  • Importance to follow policy and guidance when moving, positioning people, equipment or other objects: 
  • to protect the individuals and healthcare professional from harm 
  • insurance purposes 
  • compliance with mandatory requirements