Coronavirus update and information

25th September 2020

First Aid certificate expiry dates and extensions UPDATE

Subject: Covid 19 – Certificate expiry information

HSE (Health & Safety Executive) have now updated their policy with regard to EFAW and FAW certificate expiry dates and extensions. For any EFAW or FAW certificates that expired after 16th March 2020, they will remain valid until 31st October 2020 OR 6 months from the date of expiry, whichever is later. All requalifications for these certificates should be completed by 31st March 2021.

To qualify for the extension, employers must be able to demonstrate that:

• They have made every effort to arrange requalification training as soon as possible and can explain in detail why they have not been able to do so. For example, they must show evidence that staff with expired certificates are booked on to EFAW or FAW requalification courses,  if requested by an inspector
• They have adequate and appropriate equipment and facilities to give first aid to any employee who is injured or becomes ill at work
• The level of first aid cover provided remains appropriate for their particular work environment
• The level of first aid provision necessary in high risk settings is fully maintained, eg in construction, agriculture, engineering and chemicals

Please read the full HSE statement here

1st June 2020 UPDATE

WE ARE OPEN! 

We are now open and able to deliver training both in-house and as open courses. We have scheduled new open course dates for the remainder of 2020. Some courses will be delivered face to face whilst others will be delivered via online or blended learning. The courses start from 1st June and can be booked via our website, or you can email us at office@ouchtt.co.uk. 

Our training venue has been adjusted to accommodate social distancing guidelines and various safety procedures have been put into place to ensure everyone’s safety whilst attending any training with us. All training equipment will be cleaned and sanatised prior to, and following any contact. Our risk assessment has been updated to incorporate all government and awarding body guidelines.

You can also download our open course dates sheet (PDF) for 2020… 

31st March 2020

Certificate extensions and expiry dates

Subject: Covid 19 – Certificate expiry information
As a provider of qualifications with a designated expiry date, Ouch have recognised that the current situation may impact on our customers Health and Safety accreditations and standards. We have been in touch with the relevant awarding bodies to clarify their position on certificate expiry dates, and listed below their current policies below. (N.B. the current situation is fluid and as such this may change on a day to day basis).

Detailed below is the information in relation to certificate extensions for different types of training. If you would like to request an extension on your certificate expiry date, then please download the form below and send to us at office@ouchtt.co.uk 

28th April 2020

First Aid training updates by Ouch 

First aid cover, advice and qualifications during the coronavirus outbreak.

This guidance has been taken from the Health and Safety Executive, find it here. https://www.hse.gov.uk/news/first-aid-certificate-coronavirus.htm

If first aid cover for your business is reduced because of coronavirus or you can’t get the first aid training you need, there are some things you can do so that you still comply with the law.

You should review your first aid needs assessment, find it here https://www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/needs-assessment.htm and decide if you can still provide the cover needed for the workers that are present and the activities that they are doing.

Keep enough first aid cover

If there are fewer people coming into your workplace it may still be safe to operate with reduced first aid cover. You could also stop higher risk activities.
You could share the first aiders of another business, but be sure that they have the knowledge, experience and availability to cover the first aid needs of your business.

Shared first aiders must:

• Be aware of the type of injuries or illnesses that you have identified in your first aid needs assessment and have the appropriate training and skills to address them
• Know enough about your work environment and its first aid facilities
• Be able to get to the workplace in good time if needed

Whoever provides the temporary cover must make sure they do not adversely affect their own first aid cover.

First aid certificate extensions

If you hold a first aid certificate that expires on or after 16 March 2020 and cannot access requalification training because of coronavirus you may qualify for an extension. This applies to:

• Offshore Medic (OM)
• Offshore First Aid (OFA)
• First Aid at Work (FAW)
• Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)

To qualify for the extension, you must be able to explain why you haven’t been able to requalify and demonstrate what steps you have taken to access the training, if asked to do so.

Interrupted first aid training

If because of coronavirus you cannot complete training for your first aid qualification within the usual timeframe, training can restart at a later date as long as:

• A full recap of training delivered before the interruption is done before moving onto undelivered modules
• The awarding body is content that you can show: a full understanding of all aspects of the course content and the knowledge required and competencies at the end of the training

Guidance for first responders

This guidance has been taken from Public Health England, find it here

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-interim-guidance-for-first-responders/interim-guidance-for-first-responders-and-others-in-close-contact-with-symptomatic-people-with-potential-2019-ncov

Providing assistance

If you need to provide assistance to an individual who is symptomatic and may have COVID-19, wherever possible, place the person in a place away from others. If there is no physically separate room, ask others who are not involved in providing assistance to stay at least 2 metres away from the individual. If barriers or screens are available, these may be used.

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Use and dispose of all PPE according to the instructions and training previously provided by your employer or organisation. Disposable gloves and fluid repellent surgical face mask is recommended and, if available, disposable plastic apron and disposable eye protection (such as face visor or goggles) should be worn. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water before putting on and after taking off PPE.

Your organisation will need to look at existing first aid kits and update supplies with recommended equipment.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Where possible, it is recommended that you do not perform rescue breaths or mouth-to-mouth ventilation; perform chest compressions only. Resuscitation Council (UK) Guidelines 2010 for Basic Life Support state that studies have shown that compression-only CPR may be as effective as combined ventilation and compression in the first few minutes after non-asphyxial arrest (cardiac arrest due to lack of oxygen).

If a decision is made to perform mouth-to-mouth ventilation in asphyxial arrest, use a resuscitation face shield where available.

This guidance has been taken from Resuscitation Council (UK), find it here https://www.resus.org.uk/media/statements/resuscitation-council-uk-statements-on-covid-19-coronavirus-cpr-and-resuscitation/covid-community/

Those laypeople and first responders with a duty of care (workplace first-aiders, sports coaches etc.) that may include CPR should be guided by their employer’s advice.

Resuscitation Council (UK) Guidelines 2015 state “If you are untrained or unable to do rescue breaths, give chest compression-only CPR (i.e. continuous compressions at a rate of at least 100–120 min)”.

Because of the heightened awareness of the possibility that the victim may have COVID-19, Resuscitation Council (UK offers this advice:

• Recognise cardiac arrest by looking for the absence of signs of life and the absence of normal breathing. Do not listen or feel for breathing by placing your ear and cheek close to the patient’s mouth. If you are in any doubt about confirming cardiac arrest, the default position is to start chest compressions until help arrives.
• Make sure an ambulance is on its way. If COVID 19 is suspected, tell them when you call 999.
• If there is a perceived risk of infection, rescuers should place a cloth/towel over the victims mouth and nose and attempt compression only CPR and early defibrillation until the ambulance (or advanced care team) arrives. Put hands together in the middle of the chest and push hard and fast.
• Early use of a defibrillator significantly increases the person’s chances of survival and does not increase risk of infection.
• If the rescuer has access to personal protective equipment (PPE) (e.g. FFP3 face mask, disposable gloves, eye protection), these should be worn.
• After performing compression-only CPR, all rescuers should wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water; alcohol-based hand gel is a convenient alternative. They should also seek advice from the NHS 111 coronavirus advice service or medical adviser.

Paediatric advice

This guidance has been taken from Resuscitation Council (UK), find it here https://www.resus.org.uk/media/statements/resuscitation-council-uk-statements-on-covid-19-coronavirus-cpr-and-resuscitation/covid-paediatrics/

For out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, the importance of calling an ambulance and taking immediate action cannot be stressed highly enough. If a child is not breathing normally and no actions are taken, their heart will stop, and full cardiac arrest will occur.

It is likely that the child/infant having an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest will be known to you. We accept that doing rescue breaths will increase the risk of transmitting the COVID-19 virus, either to the rescuer or the child/infant. However, this risk is small compared to the risk of taking no action as this will result in certain cardiac arrest and the death of the child.

Should you have given mouth-to-mouth ventilation there are no additional actions to be taken other than to monitor yourself for symptoms of possible COVID-19 over the following 14 days. Should you develop such symptoms you should follow the advice on what to do on the NHS Website, find it here https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/