What is the Role of a First Aid Officer: A first aid officer plays a key role in any organisation by providing urgent care to an injured or ill person until further medical treatment is available.
What Is A First Aider?
In Australia, like any other part of the world, a first aider or first aid officer in the workplace is crucial for any business or organisation.
A first aid officer refers to someone who completed the mandatory training in accordance with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011. This helps set out requirements and standards for creating healthy and safe workplaces across Australia.
The same regulations cover all workplaces, including offices, factories, airports, ships, laboratories, and more. It ensures that the environment remains safe for employees and visitors alike.
The key role of a first aid officer is to help a sick or injured individual until medical assistance is available. Under the right circumstances simple first aid skills can have a huge and potentially life-saving impact – from providing simple reassurance to physically prolonging someone’s life with CPR.
First aid also encompasses a many different kinds of assistance, from simply applying bandages to wounds to reviving someone with an AED unit.
First-Aid Officer Training
For someone to act as a first aider, they must be accredited to a certain level appropriate for their workplace. In most circumstances, this will require accreditation in Provide First Aid (HLTAID011), which grants them a first-aid certificate showing employers they’re trained for a variety of common medical emergencies.
Common responsibilities of a first aider include:
- Placing a victim in the recovery position
- Administering CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
- Stopping any bleeding using elevation and pressure
- Use of AED (automated external defibrillator)
First Aid Officers should be familiar with their current workplace’s specific risks and hazardous conditions. They should also know the where to locate first aid resources (such as a first aid kit) and either ensure such resources are maintained in a satisfactory condition, or know who is responsible for doing so.
The Provide First Aid training course (HLTAID011) equips employees with the skills to handle for medical emergencies and overall workplace safety. After a single day training seminar, the successful trainee will receive an accredited first aid certificate, valid for three years.
After securing a certificate, the first aid officer will be ready to act as a first aid officer in most organisations within Australia. The current demand for work first aid officers in the country is high due to increasing occupational injuries every year.
First aid officers are expected to attend first aid renewal courses every three years and CPR refresher training each year.
What Are The Roles Of A First Aid Officer In The Workplace?
First aiders have a long list of responsibilities they need to manage competently, including:
Quick And Calm Assessment Of The Incident
In an emergency, it is the role of the first aid officer to conduct an assessment of the situation.
Doing a thorough observation of the scene helps decide the rescue procedures to make sure no one is left behind. The first aid officer also has to ensure everyone remains safe from risks and hazards after an emergency.
Provide Professional First Aid treatment
The officer is trained to act on all first aid cases, including use of the recovery position and administering CPR while waiting for the emergency medical team to arrive.
Every first aid officer should have access to a fully equipped first aid kit that is regularly checked and is easily accessible in an emergency.
Prevent Infection
A first aid officer always practices high standards when it comes to hygiene before engaging with the victims. Wearing gloves with appropriate covers will help prevent contact with bodily fluid and infectious materials.
Provide Comfort And Reassurance
One key quality of a trained first aider is remaining calm and taking charge of the situation. Understanding what is happening, knowing what to do, and providing reassurance to other staff is important regardless of the emergency.
Other additional responsibilities of first aid officer outside of emergencies may include:
- Assisting managers/employers with first aid assessments
- Checking and maintaining first aid equipment (such as first aid kits, facilities, etc.)
- Assist in creating incident reports and investigations
- If the first aid officer is trained in mental health first aid, they can assist in providing aid in mental crises.
Get Trained
Make it your responsibility to look after yourself, co-workers, and the general public by becoming a First Aid officer in the workplace. Learn how to become one by enrolling in a first aid course.
Check First Aid Courses Darwin to learn more!