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The most important issue in any industry is to prevent workers from harm or minimize injuries
through first aid. First aid is not about curing an injured person at the spot but to take preventive
measures and prevent the conditions from worsening till the paramedic arrives. Often leaders in
Health and Occupational Industry are trapped in excessive documentations and regulatory
compliance without realizing the need for First Aid. For example it is normal that before we carry
out any work, we wish to know the objectives and goals of the task. Why we do certain things? What
would be the desired outcomes? We would also want to have the method statements on how to do
things and needs to get done, the people responsible (and their competencies) as well the additional
tools. We may have all this information and may have more information than this. And may have
done the risk assessments and it feels wonderful! We often forget to give serious thought to- what if
scenarios? What if something went wrong? What if a piece of equipment fails? What if someone get
hurt? Is there any measure taken to prevent further harm to the worker? And who is going to attend
to injured person?

First Aid is not just meeting legal requirements or the audit compliance inspections. It is not about
having a white box with a green cross and 1930͛s band aids. It is about having the right ͞tool͟ to deal
in precarious situations. First Aid is the first response or the initial response during an emergency.
Often the life and health of an injured person depends on the proper first aid response. However it is
only a trained person that can administer first aid to an injured person. Before you could decide to
send your staff for first aid training or purchase first aid equipment, there are important questions to
ask yourself. Have you observed at your activities carefully? What business or industry you are in?
What are you dealing with? Are you dealing with chemicals? Are you dealing with explosives? What
are the risk levels of your activities? How many staff are working, How many shifts you have? What
are they dealing with? And what is their location and accessibility? What are the issues in your
workplaces or with your type of industry? What are the legal implications or legal requirements that
you must adhere to? All these questions need to be answered before you begin working on first aid.
Once you review your activities and obligations, you should decide, who to send for the First Aid
training. And what kind of equipment you need to administer for First Aid treatment.

Once you understand all these aspects of First Aid, you need to study your local safety regulations or
first aid requirements. In Singapore, the Workplace Safety and Health Act have replaced the older
Factories Act with effect from 1 March 2006; and Workplace Safety and Health (First-Aid)
Regulations is one of the subsidiary legislation under the new Act. UK Health and Safety (First Aid)
Regulations 1981 requires employers to provide adequate first-aid equipment and facilities and
adequate number of qualified First Aid person.

However the Approved Code of Practice stresses that an employer must make an assessment of First
Aid needs first before jumping to conclusion. It is not just legal but a moral obligation as well to have
trained first aid personnel as well as proper maintained equipment and tools for provision of first aid
to the injured persons. In nutshell First Aid should not just be a workplace concern, it should be
something that we take with us everywhere and every day.