St Johns have released the results of their new research in a press release that shows that millions of workers may be at risk because only 13 per cent of workplaces in Australia know the procedures for ensuring that their workers are safe.
St John Ambulance is the premier provider of first aid services and training across Australia.
Their research, that can be found at http://www.stjohn.org.au/ shows that:
– The majority of Australian employers (65%) are unaware of Safe Work Australia’s new Code of Practice.
– Only 48 per cent of Australian workplaces offer accredited first aid training to their employees.
– Less than half of workplaces have appropriate workplace first aid resources (e.g. first aid kits and signage).
– Only 24 per cent of employees have participated in first aid procedures training or first aid drills.
Safe Work Australia’s new Code is currently being rolled out across most States and Territories.
St John Ambulance Australia CEO, Peter LeCornu, said the new Code will change first aid responsibilities for Australian businesses.
“Australian workplaces are in a volatile situation and employers need to act now to reduce the risk to their employees, customers and ultimately their businesses,” he said. “The St John research shows that a serious first aid knowledge gap exists.”
The research report, titled First Aid Readiness in the Australian Workplace, was undertaken by St John to assist employers in understanding what they need to do to become first aid compliant, and the results are alarming.
STATE AND INDUSTRY FINDINGS
St John examined first aid readiness across a variety of industries including the education, retail and hospitality sectors. Workplaces in each state and territory were assessed.
– Education was the best performing industry overall, but even so only 21.5 per cent of education workplaces are fully compliant with the new Code.
– Only ten per cent of hospitality workplaces are compliant, and just six per cent of retail workplaces.
– VIC (15.4 per cent) and NSW/ACT (14.3 per cent) have the highest levels of first aid readiness, but still fewer than one in six workplaces are meeting the guidelines set out by the new Code.
– WA has the lowest level of first aid readiness (8.8 per cent) with less than one in ten workplaces meeting the guidelines set out by the new Code.
Often businesses forget just how important first aid is and how it can make the difference between life and death. The first five minutes after an accident are critical and first aid can assist workers that are hurt while the emergency services are on the way.
St John’s reminds businesses that it is not just about purchasing a first aid kit. Staff needs to be properly trained so that they can choose the appropriate action in case of an incident.
Peter Cutforth is a Director at Urban E-Learning, a global elearning and web strategy firm based in George St Brisbane. Peter's interests extend to training, safety and compliance, online marketing, and Mobile Apps.
