Prior to the start of any project, provision will be made for prompt medical care in thecase of serious injury. In the absence of an infirmary; clinic; hospital; physician or other licensed healthcare professional that is reasonably accessible in terms of time and distance to the worksite, a person who has a valid certificate in first aid training from the American Red Cross (or equivalent training) will be available on the job site to render
first aid.
Assigned first aid providers will not only provide emergency first aid, they will be the only employees who are allowed to handle any bodily fluids after an accident. Thus, if clean up of bodily fluids after an incident is necessary, assigned first aid providers will handle it.
Why? Because assigned first aid providers will have the knowledge and the equipment to place an impermeable barrier between themselves and the bodily fluids. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell, at the job site, if a bodily fluid contains infectious pathogens so the assumption must be that it does. First aid is just what the name implies. It is the initial effort to stabilize and provide care, if necessary. First aid providers are not medical personnel such as physicians and
nurses.
There is no point in having assigned first aid providers if their identity is not known. All persons on a job site where first aid providers are used must know who they are. The names of assigned first aid providers will be posted along with the emergency phone numbers.
Of course, there are many first aid procedures that do not involve bodily fluids and most first aid requirements are not of a serious nature. In these cases, any employee may assist a co-worker following the below listed rule.
A primary rule of first aid is never provide any medical assistance for which you are not qualified. With the exception of moving an injured party from more imminent danger (example: removing an unconscious person from the hazard of fire or explosion), do not move persons with back or neck injuries. The last thing you want to do is take a mildly serious incident and turn it into a permanent paralysis or fatality!
Assigned first aid providers will ensure that adequate first aid supplies are available including appropriate PPE which will provide an impermeable barrier between themselves and bloodborne pathogens and other infectious materials.
All injuries will be reported to the competent person on the job site who will fill out an accident report and inform the Safety Director.