Health and Safety

First Aid

Heads of Department should ensure that there are sufficient trained First Aiders and appointed persons to cover areas and activities within their department. 

When planning activities, including one-off events, organisers and supervisors should consider level of risk and how requirements for first aid will be met.  Any special or additional first aid arrangements are to be recorded along with other more routine precautions on college risk assessment forms.

'Appointed Person' means someone who has attended a one-day first aid training course and who is able to take charge in case of injury/illness, until emergency services arrive.

'First Aider' means someone who has successfully completed a four-day First Aid at Work course and holds a current first aid certificate.  Refresher training (two days) is needed every three years to keep certificates up to date.

• List of First Aiders (by building)
• First aid training
  
• Health and Safety Executive advice on First Aid
• Contents of first aid boxes

First aid training

First Aid Training

Training requirements from 1 October 2009:

• The current 4 day First Aid at Work course will become a 3 day First Aid at Work (FAW) course.  First Aid at Work certificates will continue to be valid for a period of 3 years.
• At the end of the 3 year validity period, the current 2 day First Aid at Work Re-qualification Course will still be required to renew First Aid at Work certificates for a further 3 years.
• A new Health and Safety Executive approved 1 day Emergency First Aider in the Workplace (EFAW) course will also be introduced.  This qualification will also be valid for 3 years.  This course will be broadly similar to the current Appointed Person course and appointed persons will in future follow the Emergency First Aider in the Workplace course.
• The HSE strongly recommend that all First Aiders and Emergency First Aiders attend a half-day skills update course annually, to practice and reinforce their first aid skills and knowledge.

Note: current First Aid at Work and Appointed Person/Emergency First Aid certificates are still valid until the expiry date printed on the certificate.

From October 2009:

1 day Emergency First Aider in the Workplace courses and half-day skills update courses will be run on campus.  These courses will be advertised here with booking details.

3 day First Aid at Work courses and 2 day First Aid at Work Re-qualification courses will be provided by the Red Cross off-campus.  Staff requiring these courses should contact Staff Development (staffdevelopment@gold.ac.uk)

There is no charge to Departments for this training, but please note that Departments may be charged a booking cancellation fee if participants fail to attend courses.

Health and Safety

Fire Safety

• Fire awareness [Word - File Size 239K]
• Hot work procedures [Word - File Size 235K]
• Hot work permit form [Word - File Size 248K]
• Location of fire assembly areas [Word - File Size 247K]

The Council and the College Warden are ultimately responsible for fire safety in respect of college premises and activities.

Fire risk assessments have been carried out for all buildings and will be kept up to date by the Fire Safety Adviser, who will also advise on building emergency plans.

The Head of Estates and Facilities has operational responsibility for the maintenance of fire detection and warning systems, fire fighting equipment and emergency lighting throughout the college and for ensuring that all college buildings are equipped with adequate means of escape and adequate means of access for emergency services in the event of fire. Records of fire alarm activations and system testing and maintenance are kept by the Estates and Facilities Department.

Heads of Department are responsible for ensuring that escape routes and exits in departmental areas are kept free of obstructions and that precautions are taken to eliminate or reduce risk of fire or explosion from activities carried out by departmental staff or students.  Heads of Department are also responsible for nominating sufficient fire wardens to cover departmental areas.

All staff, students and contractors are responsible for ensuring that they: do not create an uncontrolled fire risk; do not obstruct fire exit routes or doors; do not damage or deliberately misuse anything provided for fire safety; and do report faults and fire hazards.

Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans will be prepared with students, staff and visitors who are unable to descend the stairs quickly or who cannot hear audible fire alarms. Refuge points will be identified in each building and these will be equipped with telephone communication to 24 hour staffed security point in Richard Hoggart Building. Where fire evacuation lifts are installed, appropriate staff will be trained to assist in the operation of these lifts when it is safe to do so in an emergency.

Training and information on fire safety arrangements will be provided for staff and students by the Fire Safety Adviser with the Training and Development Unit. Fire safety awareness is also included in induction information for new staff and students. Fire drills will be arranged annually by the Fire Safety Adviser, assisted by staff in Estates and Facilities Department and Accommodation, as appropriate. Records of fire drills are kept by the Head of Health and Safety.