Everyone has the right to refuse to help anyone else in my book....BUT WHY REFUSE TO GIVE HELP?????????

I don’t think there is any law that requires a first aider to always provide care. Therefore, they can refuse to administer first aid in any situation. It may be for example that they consider the danger to themselves too great to act or they become worried about their expertise and the mythical threat of liability if they get it wrong, some get overcome by the seriousness of the situation. So plenty of reasons why it can happen. If it is just awkwardness or cussedness then you have selected the wrong person.

Some have a view that there may be an enhanced duty of care if the first aider is specifically provided to care for fellow workers in the workplace but it is unlikely to go beyond using best efforts etc. However, simply leaving someone who is clearly in danger without any aid may well make a first aider liable due to an omission to act. I don’t know know whether that is the case or not. Perhaps others can help with that?
There is always stuff that can be done "hands of" as it were; simply take charge and call for help, monitor and comfort the casualty, keep others away etc. If this is done then any liability will disappear I would suggest.
The real answer is to find volunteers who don’t have any concerns about being a first aider and who will not let their mates down for the wrong reasons when help is needed,

P48

The simpl;e answer is 'yes' but......before this becomes too 'entangled' I wonder if Clove could provide some further background or insight into why this question cropped up? i.e. was first aid refused and why etc? It might prevent endless hypothetical debate and us all disappearing up blind alleys.

I have as I say had a female staff member refuse first aid to a male member of staff stating "she was only here for the female members of staff".

I am attending a fork lift truck training organisation, were the trainer is relatively new to the organisation and is being "sent" on the course, from an informal group discussion it come across that even when qualified he would not administer first aid.

My first case I believe I know the answer as to why she would not administer first aid which was all about sexism on her part!! But the chap in the FLT training establishment is obviously anxious about administering first aid their fore he may not be the right candidate for the post, yet the organisation are "sending him" and from what was quoted by his in house H&S advice "once qualified you have a duty of care".

Hope this helps and thanks for the comments.

para 55 of the ACOP (l74) covers selection criteria. A bit of small print that rarely forms part an employers decision to "appoint" first aiders; especially when nobody wishes to do it!

p48

Found my old post, think i was in an odd mood that day :-)

http://forum.iosh.co.uk/...aspx?g=posts&t=78168

"An example: a first aider dealing with a foreign body upper airway obstruction carries out backslaps followed by abdominal thrusts. Failing to clear the obstruction and forgetting what to do next, the first aider instead grabs a handy penknife, wrestles the struggling casualty to the floor and stabs an incision into the hapless victims cricothyroid membrane, as remembered from a recent episode of 'Casualty'...the ensuing bleeding completely occludes the airway and the person asphyxiates...."

if management are aware that a first aider is not going to ever deliver first aid, perhaps they must get a few more first aiders.

Maybe cannot change their mind but what about if delivering CPR of which can become very tiring for one person after a few minutes, potential is for them to be unable to continue at the sufficient rate. Wonder if someone stopped because they tired and were unable to continue; obvioulsy sufficient number of first aiders to allow for someone to step in and assist always helps.

Sorry, late to page but have extremely quickly reviewed information. Replies indicate clearly and concisely the events re: CPR etc - but looking at the question, I strongly advise that employers carefully vet first Aiders before training - its expensive, and some people don't want to "play"; If you are in charge of FA's then monitor and identify those who are notoriously absent from any record of applying the learning, and don't renew their next training. A FA should work and do according to training - some people are worried with regard to littigation and this should be a consideration before agreeing to undertake the role.

The first aid at work syllabus includes the situations in which to stop CPR - one is someone else taking over, but another is being too exhausted to continue.

really... please stop and think before pressing the post button.

As said multiple times above the first aiders safety MUST always come above that of the casualty. Every situation is different and first aiding can be very stressful.

Best answers = vetting, supporting and training first aiders and as I said where we have first aiders who aren't able to offer a plaster we need to rethink however a nice story for as Monday afternoon as I'm really angry following some of the blunt comments above.... (p.s. I am qualified to FAWI at work and AFAW for SJA )


I was helping my wife treat a 13 year old girl trapped in an overturned car. Fuel everywhere, steep bank, a small tree propping up the car and a very very aggressive father trapped in the car hitting my wife (nurse) and screaming at us to stop. We had a policeman screaming at us (he was in tears and shaking!!!) to get out if the car moved and a girl who was missing the back of her head..... Now let me get this clear, If I had decided not to treat or stopped treating her after starting I should give up first aiding???????

Sorry all for a rant, but really!