Most organisations and worksites have fulfilled the requirements of the The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 by ensuring that they hold suitably stocked first aid kits and have appointed a staff member to take charge of first aid arrangements.
Information for all employees telling them about first aid arrangements is probably displayed visibly or distributed via an intranet.
Their trained first-aiders will also be well aware of what to do in an emergency and how to go about it.
But what if an incident escalates to a point where an ambulance is needed? Are there protocols in place to guide paramedics to exactly where they are needed on a large site?
To provide the postcode and general directions may not be enough: the main gate may be some distance from where a casualty is immobilised.
One method of specifying a precise location is to use the website and app “what3words. “
When callers struggle to describe their precise location, what3words helps them indicate exactly where they are, saving precious time. The three word code indicates a three metre by three metre square
Responders can use the what3words app on mobile devices to indicate their exact location.
They can find their what3words address on the free smartphone app or through a FindMe link in an SMS sent by an operator from an ambulance service HQ when 999 is used.
what3words addresses can be shared easily over text, radio or digitally. This minimises error when incident locations are passed between teams on the ground and between different agencies.
So it is certainly worth appointed first aid managers and trained first aiders having the free what3words app installed on their mobile phones.
An incoming ambulance crew will appreciate it and precious minutes and seconds saved will help to improve outcomes for casualties.
But it doesn’t stop there. I have helped management develop simple protocols and procedures to make the arrival of an ambulance (or fire engine) as straightforward as possible and completed an effective first aid chain of safety.
#KnowExactlyWhere