Hi all

Under the first aid at work regulations must a large visitor attraction provide first aid to members of the public?

we are around 2-3 miles away from a nearby hospital, and it is my understanding a trained first aider would in the first instance contact the emergency services in order to preserve life.

Would the provision of first aid for visitors be a legal requirement? Or best practice?

Cheers

Dave.

Under the first aid regulations Phil is correct, however...
legally how about section 3 HSAWA, Reg 3 Management regs and a common law negligence?

I can not see how it would not be considered reasonably practicable for a large visitor attraction to not offer first aid.
I also think if you have a fist aider to attend staff, and they are instructed NOT to administer first aid to a dying visitor this is clearly immoral as well!

To answer your question it is clearly best practice for many similar bossiness providing first aid,

If you didn't offer first aid and you use the policy you describe and for every first aid case called an ambulance, I think you would quickly find yourself with some annoyed paramedics!

Not sure what your experience is, but at a public attraction first aid is rarely about preserving life and more about patching up scrapes and grazes.

Not really the stuff of 999 - and it is an offence to all if you divert emergency services for such simple issues quite frankly.

Whoever it is that is resisting the provision of such basic service should take a look at the adverse publicity your business will suffer on day to day basis, let alone if you tell your staff to stand by whilst someone bleeds to death after an accident on your site.

Talk to some of your opposite numbers at other attractions (simple enough to find them I'd have thought) and find out what the real pro's and con's are. I spent 18 months at a very large attraction and we were proud to supply first aid facilities.

Your decision will be based upon your first aid assessment.

As stated there is no legal requirement to provide first aid care for members of the public, However, depending on the nature of the environment and the risks involved/potential injury's it would be prudent to include a number of trained first aiders. I work in a similar environment and we provide trained first aiders who are available if required to deal with injured guests.