What is and what does a first responder do? Everything about emergency response.

That in-house emergency response is compulsory for every company is well known to most. Yet not everyone can answer the question of what exactly in-house emergency response is and what skills an in-house first responder must have. Are you setting up a company or want to organise an event and are you curious about what you need to arrange for in-house emergency response? In this article, we list the most important information for you.

What is a first responder?

The law requires that emergency response workers or first responders are adequately trained. The first responder is trained to bring employees and customers to safety in the event of an emergency. Besides acting adequately in the event of an emergency, a first responder is also the point of contact for external emergency services.

As soon as your organisation receives a person, the safety of this person within your company falls under your responsibility. Whether it concerns your own staff, a visitor or a customer: the presence of a certified first responder on site is then mandatory. Are you taking your employees to another location, for example for a staff outing or training? Even then, as an employer, you are responsible for arranging a lifeguard.

Safety = first responder x first aid training course

What does a first responder do?

People sometimes think that in-house emergency response is a disguised description of someone with a first aid diploma. This is wrong: while a first aider can provide targeted assistance to people in case of accidents, a first responder must also be able to provide first aid. But what exactly does a first responder do? Consider, for example, evacuating a building in the event of an emergency such as fire. Another big difference can be found in the training of a first aider and a  first responder. The first aid course, for instance, is a 3-day course that focuses on all kinds of general issues surrounding the provision of emergency first aid and non-emergency first aid. In contrast, a first responder training course consists of several modules including a fire and evacuation module and also a first aid module. It varies from one sector to another whether you opt for just a first aid training course or also want to train employees a broader first responder. After all, each sector has different risks that require its own, targeted approach. In short: an in-house emergency response organisation is tailor-made and tailored to the company's risks.

Work floor or event: how many first responders are needed?

Now that you know what a first responder is and does, you may be wondering how many first responders should be present at your location. Although no legal rules have been set for the number of first responders present, health and safety legislation must be taken into account. If you want to know how many you need, it is best to have a risk inventory & evaluation (RI&E) carried out.

Do you have questions about in-house emergency response or are you curious about our training courses? Feel free to contact us to discuss the possibilities.

September 1, 2021 I Emergency response
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