First Aid

Common Construction Injuries

Falls from height: do NOT move the casualty — assume spinal injury. Call 999 immediately. Keep still and reassured. If unconscious and not breathing: begin CPR.

Struck-by / crush injuries: call 999 for any significant impact to head, chest, or limbs. Control severe bleeding with direct pressure. Do NOT remove embedded objects. Keep the casualty warm and still.

Manual-handling / musculoskeletal: rest, apply cold pack if available. If unable to move a limb or severe pain: treat as fracture, call 999. Suspected fracture: immobilise and support — do not attempt to straighten.

Eye / chemical injuries: irrigate immediately with clean water for at least 10–20 minutes. Do NOT rub the eye. Remove contact lenses if easily done during irrigation. Seek immediate medical attention after irrigation.

Head injury / unconsciousness: if unconscious but breathing, place in recovery position. Call 999 for any loss of consciousness, even brief. If not breathing: begin CPR.

Any serious incident must be reported to the supervisor and recorded. Consider RIDDOR reporting obligations.

Burns Treatment

Thermal burns (heat, flame, steam): cool under cool running water for at least 20 minutes. Remove clothing and jewellery near the burn (unless stuck to skin). Cover loosely with cling film or a clean non-fluffy dressing. Do NOT apply creams, lotions, butter, or toothpaste. Do NOT burst blisters. Call 999 if the burn is larger than the casualty's hand, on face/hands/feet/joints, or caused by electricity or chemicals.

Chemical burns: brush off dry chemicals before irrigating. Flush with large amounts of cool water for at least 20 minutes. Remove contaminated clothing carefully. Seek immediate medical attention.

Burns covering >10% of the body are a specified injury under RIDDOR and must be reported.

Adult CPR (Age 12+)

1. Check for danger, then check for response (tap shoulders, shout)
2. If no response: open airway (head tilt, chin lift)
3. Check for breathing (look, listen, feel for 10 seconds)
4. If not breathing normally: call 999, ask someone to fetch an AED
5. Begin chest compressions: heel of hand on centre of chest; press down 5–6 cm at 100–120 per minute; 30 compressions, then 2 rescue breaths; continue until help arrives or casualty recovers
6. AED: switch on, follow voice prompts, attach pads as shown

Compression-only CPR (no breaths) is better than no CPR at all. Push hard, push fast.

First Aid Staffing (HSE Guidance)

First-aid provision is determined by a first-aid needs assessment (HSE INDG214) based on hazards, workforce size, and site-specific risk — there are no fixed legal ratios. For a low-hazard, small site, an appointed person (someone who manages first-aid arrangements and calls the emergency services) may be the minimum; higher-hazard sites such as construction need trained first aiders.

Illustrative provision levels commonly used in practice (illustrative, from INDG214 needs-assessment examples — not a legal requirement): fewer than 5 workers — appointed person; 5–50 workers — at least 1 EFAW or FAW trained first aider; 50+ workers — around 1 FAW first aider per 50 workers.

EFAW = Emergency First Aid at Work (1 day). FAW = First Aid at Work (3 days). Both expire after 3 years — must be renewed. HSE recommends FAW for construction sites (higher risk).