First Aid Use Records vs. Accident Records

somashekar

Staff member
Super Moderator
#1
I have this very sticky problem of First Aid use records, as many a times the contents are used for injuries carried from home and are not recorded and even at times of some minor injury, the contents are used but seldom records of use updated.
Each of our First Aid Box contains a small note pad for people to record date / what is used / what injury / in factory injury ? / carried injury ? .
Small injuries are also not recorded so as the First Aid record and its a clean slate. But a look into the FA box clearly tells the usage. I also hear complaints that at times the FA box contents are stolen
Auditors express that things are being hidden and the FA management fails to provide data to take up corrective measures., and requests an action.
What can be done to change the scene ? Need some good and proven FA box management styles.
 
Last edited:
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S

samsung

#2
Re: First Aid use records Vs Accident records

I have this very sticky problem of First Aid use records, as many a times the contents are used for injuries carried from home and are not recorded and even at times of some minor injury, the contents are used but seldom records of use updated.
Each of our First Aid Box contains a small note pad for people to record date / what is used / what injury / in factory injury ? / carried injury ? .
Small injuries are also not recorded so as the First Aid record and its a clean slate. But a look into the FA box clearly tells the usage. I also hear comlpaints that at times the FA box contents are stolen
Auditors express that things are being hidden and the FA management fails to provide data to take up corrective measures., and requests an action.
What can be done to change the scene ? Need some good and proven FA box management styles.
Certain conditions in respect of management of First Aid Box are prescribed in the Factories Act, 1948 and the rules made therein.

See Section 45 of the act
45.
First-aid appliances.
(1) There shall in every factory be provided and maintained so as to be readily accessible during all working hours first-aid boxes or cupboards equipped with the prescribed contents, and the number of such boxes or cupboards to be provided and maintained shall not be less than one for every one hundred and fifty workers ordinarily employed 1*[at any one time] in the factory.
2*[(2) Nothing except the prescribed contents shall be kept in a first-aid box or cupboard.
(3) Each first-aid box or cupboard shall be kept in the charge of a separate responsible person 3*[who holds a certificate in first-aid treatment recognised by the State Government] and who shall always be readily available during the working hours of the factory.]
It's clear from point # 3 that there must be a trained custodian for every First Aid box. This implies that the box should always be kept locked in order to preclude it's unintended & unauthorized use. If it's practiced, the persons who need First Aid will have to report this guy who in turn will keep record of the contents delivered. No person, other than a trained First Aider is authorized to provide any treatment/ First Aid to anyone/self.

Hope this helps.
 
P

PotentCompoundSafety

#3
This is a difficult issue. Band-aids are expensive and employees realize it. Based on my experience, in many cases band-aids and cough drops are taken home as perks. In the good days where everyone was profitable, this wasn't an issue, but in tough economic times it can be an issue. My suggestion - get rid of cough drop, aspirin, and other luxury items from the first aid kits. Vendors tend to replace the whole box despite only one item used. First-aid kits need to be monitored. I've seen relatively small locations spend 20+ K a year in these items - none which were accounted for in the first aid logs.
 

somashekar

Staff member
Super Moderator
#4
Re: First Aid use records Vs Accident records

Certain conditions in respect of management of First Aid Box are prescribed in the Factories Act, 1948 and the rules made therein.

See Section 45 of the act


It's clear from point # 3 that there must be a trained custodian for every First Aid box. This implies that the box should always be kept locked in order to preclude it's unintended & unauthorized use. If it's practiced, the persons who need First Aid will have to report this guy who in turn will keep record of the contents delivered. No person, other than a trained First Aider is authorized to provide any treatment/ First Aid to anyone/self.

Hope this helps.
Thanks very much. We have followed the Sec 45 and we have many trained people around, some who have training from the recognized centre and many others who have basic FA training provided by competent trainers. Their list and contact extension numbers are also displayed near the FA box.
In keeping with the spirit of FirstAid and not losing on time and to avoid other practical situations of immediate non availability of the authorized personnel and chances of missing key at the time of need (This believe me happend several times) ., we have resorted to keeping the FA box without lock. Even the outcome of our safety committee meetings suggested that it is better to have the FA box not locked for its better use at times of need for small causes like cuts, nics etc. (The Dettol, Cotton or Band-aid strip cases)

This implies that the box should always be kept locked in order to preclude it's unintended & unauthorized use.
We never understood the act in this way that it implies must be kept locked.

So should we now go back to lock and key system ? Are there any other ways also ? Across the globe are FA box always kept locked ?
 
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Ajit Basrur

Staff member
Admin
#5
Re: First Aid use records Vs Accident records

:)
.......We never understood the act in this way that it implies must be kept locked.

So should we now go back to lock and key system ? Are there any other ways also ? Across the globe are FA box always kept locked ?
According to OSHA guidelines, the first aid kits should be appropriate and readily accessible. If these boxes are locked, it surely isnt readily accessible.

If the employees are misuing it, its an organizational issue and you should be educating the staff not to steal away. I am not sure how it works in most organizations but last year, when I worked for a big Indian MNC, we had our first aid boxes kept open. In most organizations that I have seen across various geographies, they are not lcoked either.

I am attaching OSHA guidelines and a Red Cross first aid material for reference.
 

Attachments

A

arios

#6
In Mexico is common practice to have medical doctor, or at least a nurse or a FA specialist working full time at the companies (usually with more than 100 employees). This person keeps control of the FA's and other personnel issues and I have not seen issues with stolen articles from the MD office, so I think it works.

Having a MD on the plants is very practical as it reduces or avoids the time spent by employees going out for medical assistance and usually they receive their medication for free at the plants as well. These doctors even provide support to the families of the employees with vaccinations, prescriptions, health training, etc. This as a benefit which does not replace the social security services but it definetly helps.

The MD doctors also do the health screening of candidates who apply for work at the companies (e.g. drug test), and also monitor the cafereteria services for sanitary conditions. Others get involved on Industrial Safety as well. The ones I have met really deserve admiration for their dedication and commitment.
 
S

samsung

#7
Re: First Aid use records Vs Accident records

We never understood the act in this way that it implies must be kept locked.

So should we now go back to lock and key system ? Are there any other ways also ? Across the globe are FA box always kept locked ?
In addition to ensuring ready accessibility, one also needs to ensure some control on 'accessibility'. Here the key word is 'Trained & responsible person' (custodian). We need to ensure that it's kept in the charge of a trained first aider who is required to be readily available all the time, means we must train and make available as many persons as required.

Locking ensures some sort of control over unauthorized use. Keeping the first aid box 'unlocked' provides freedom to everyone to use it as desired. It's just not about band aid and antiseptics alone, a first aid box should have all the prescribed contents, around 25 items application of which requires services of a specialist first aider and perhaps the reason for controlling it's access.

Let me share a real world case. Once one of the contract labours in our plant consumed a bottle of tincture iodine considering it a 'cough syrup' while in an another instance, one of the workers got his his eyes badly injured by applying a schedule 'H' drug for lack of knowledge. The above medicines were properly labeled but they didn't take pain to see it in a hurry. Both the persons had to be hospitalized. We keep them locked all the time and in order to ensure ready availability, all shift engineers and shift technicians are trained by St. John's Ambulance Services. Our hospital and doctor's residence is just at walking distance from the work place. In addition a well equipped ambulance is also available round the clock within the factory premises.

Self medication or treatment by an untrained (unauthorized) person is highly dangerous. If a trained person or the keys of the box aren't readily available, it's a noncompliance in the first place.
 
U

Umang Vidyarthi

#8
Re: First Aid use records Vs Accident records

:)

According to OSHA guidelines, the first aid kits should be appropriate and readily accessible. If these boxes are locked, it surely isnt readily accessible.
Allow me to disagree with you Ajit. The first-aid boxes are readily accessible even when locked, by leaving the keys in the custody of first-aid trained personnels (a lock with three keys permits three persons to open the lock). This also takes care of another requirement, that only a trained person will provide the first-aid.

On 'Indian Railways' the First-aid training is compulsory for all supervisors and officers, and this training used to be repeated atleast once in a year to ensure that the personnels remain well versed in first-aid. Anyone not qualifying the test, given by the Medical officer, was not considered for annual increment. Secondly, we provide one first-aid box on each shop floor and one in each office block for easy access.

Hope my explanation clears the point, and thanks for the attachments.

Umang :thanks:
 

somashekar

Staff member
Super Moderator
#10
Re: First Aid use records Vs Accident records

I have attached a document containing list of what a FA Box should contain per H&S rules.

For item # 29 of the list, i.e. the First Aid booklet, you may follow this link.
19. One cotton wool rolls (100 gm)
Per the contents list quoted above, one small question ...
Does this item cotton wool roll need to be sterilized too ?

The factories act book mentions so, and we are knocked on this.
 
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