Health And Safety (First-Aid) Regulations ACoP To Be Withdrawn On 1st October 2013
One of the first ACoPs associated with Health and Safety legislation is being withdrawn in October as the Tory-led coalition government dismantles over 40 years of workers health and safety protection. Instead three (yes 3!) guidance documents will be provided by the HSE, making the legislation easier to understand for employers, than the ACoP – according to the government and the HSE! Less cumbersome and less numerous health and safety documentation and legislation was promised by David Cameron within 6 months of his coming to power and forming the coalition government with the Liberal Democrats. First Aid organisations such as St John Ambulance are gearing up for the changes and making advice available to their members and businesses, based on the new regime of anyone being able to provide First Aid training, irrespective of their competency! It is being left to business themselves to monitor the efficacy of the training that their provider they hire delivers. Given the lack of knowledge of First Aid amongst managers and business leaders; it is very unlikely that standards in First Aid training will not diminish. St John Ambulance explain the changes on their website: Due diligence: Choosing the right first aid training for your workplace
Currently, both the ACoP and First Aid guidance documents from the HSE exist, but both the ACoP and the existing guidance document L74 version 2 will be withdrawn on 1st October. Both the ACoP and L74 will be replaced with a new 3rd edition of L74 (written last February) on 1st October 2013, and the HSE have provided for free download, a draft copy of the revised L74 guidance effective then. The HSE, on their website explain the main differences in the 3rd version of the guidance document(s): “This publication has been updated to take account of the amendment to regulation 3(2), which removes the requirement for HSE to approve the training and qualifications of appointed first-aid personnel, and to incorporate some additional amendments brought about by other previous legislative changes. In going into detail, the HSE advise:
The publication is aimed at all industries, although specific guidance on first aid in mines, offshore, and diving is covered in separate publications. Source: HSE / Unionsafety / St John Ambulance |