Rank: Forum user 
|
Hi All, I can only find ambiguous wishy washy "it’s down to your own RA" type advice on this issue with our first aid training provider offering to include it in the training for our employees. My problem is that we have a new employee with multiple allergies informing me that her fellow employees may have to administer the pen to literally save her life at any time. My take is that in the interim all the location managers should read and know where to find the instruction leaflet that comes with the pen and going forward we will include in the FA training because as far as I am aware you cannot really do any more damage my wrongfully administering the pen, but you cannot just stand there and watch someone die whilst you wait for an ambulance. Anyone got any other ideas or suggestions? Thanks Paul
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user 
|
It is down to a "wishy washy" RA because you cannot force any one of your employees including managers or First Aiders to administer an epipen even if you do provide training. Your real action should be to support this new employee in openly discussing their allergy with colleagues who work in the immediate vicinty (avoids any GDPR/Data protection debate) and start the dialogue with those likely to come across "life threatening" situations about what they can do to help.
|
 8 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
It is down to a "wishy washy" RA because you cannot force any one of your employees including managers or First Aiders to administer an epipen even if you do provide training. Your real action should be to support this new employee in openly discussing their allergy with colleagues who work in the immediate vicinty (avoids any GDPR/Data protection debate) and start the dialogue with those likely to come across "life threatening" situations about what they can do to help.
|
8 users thanked Roundtuit for this useful post.
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user 
|
Train the first aiders (but you can't oblige them to administer). Preferably notify the first aiders of the individual and you can notify managers if you like (but get employee's permission to disseminate the information first - it's sensitive personal data).
Do not write anything anywhere saying that this that or the other class of person may or may not administer the pen. Leave it up to the basic humanity of your employees to decide whether they'll do it or instead stand around and watch their colleague die.
Encourage employee to talk to immediately surrounding workmates about it - explain the issues, show them the pens, show them the instructions. Their colleagues should know where to find teh epipens.
(I'm assuming you've taken 'reasonable steps' - you haven't put her on satay production after she's told you she's allergic to peanuts, for example.)
All 'in my opinion', but I also could depend upon administration of an epipen and have been hospitalised (unconscious and deteriorating) when one was not available. They are trivial to use. I'd rather an untrained numpty had a bash than anyone decided to look up in procedure who was allowed to adminsiter it, then looked up in the phone list what their number was, then found out they are out of the office today, then ...
|
1 user thanked achrn for this useful post.
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
Some good advice above. For what its worth, these are simple to use and could save a life, so why would you not use one. Some/most people are able to self-administer their own epipen when needed. My advice is (if possible and if the patient is conscious) hold the persons hand over the pen when administering it, this makes them aware its being administered. The epipen must go to the hospital with the patient so that healthcare professionals know it has been administered.
Edited by user 20 September 2018 23:23:13(UTC)
| Reason: Font Size
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank: Super forum user
|
Originally Posted by: toe  most people are able to self-administer their own epipen when needed.
Yes, I forgot to say that - it's vanishingly unlikely I wouldn't administer my own - basically I stop breathing within a breath or two, and my eyes swell shut soon after. As long as I'm within (say) a minute of my pens I'll self-administer becasue I can do it holding my breath with my eyes shut.
It's not like the 'good old days' when I carried needles and syringes and little glass ampoules - snapping the top off an ampoule and getting a needle in the neck of it when your eyes are shut and your last breath was a minute ago is rather more challenging.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum.
You cannot reply to topics in this forum.
You cannot delete your posts in this forum.
You cannot edit your posts in this forum.
You cannot create polls in this forum.
You cannot vote in polls in this forum.