Medical and First Aid

Medical And First Aid

Facilities for medical and first aid treatment are to be provided for each job. On large projects, the client or General Contractor may provide medical or first aid facilities on site. The following guidelines are provided to assist job site supervision in establishing procedures for handling injuries requiring first aid or medical treatment.

Medical

a. Secure names and locations of qualifying physicians in the area before the start of the job. The local insurance carrier's claim office can provide a list of local doctors.

b. Visit doctors selected.

1. Explain the nature of work, hazards and types of possible injuries.

2. Identify insurance carrier and explain how services are to be billed.

3. Give the job telephone number, job location and the best route to the job.

4. Get recommendations on hospitals and ambulance services.

5. Explain need to maintain close follow-up with doctors on injury cases regarding seriousness, progress and when the employee will be able to return to work.

c. Contact hospitals and ambulance services.

1. Make arrangements for services.

2. Describe the job location, best route and provide any special instructions.

3. Post telephone numbers and locations of doctors, hospitals and ambulance services at each job location. (Give printed information to supervision when work will be at a considerable distance from job phones.)

4. Secure professional assistance in setting up job medical facilities or dispensaries when required by owner or necessitated by the remoteness of the job.

First Aid

a. Provide a doctor approved First Aid Kit in each job office for treatment of minor injuries.

b. Provide smaller First Aid Kits for foremen's vehicles only in cases where work is at a considerable distance from the job office. Supplies for replenishing these kits should be kept in the job office.

c. Contact the local American Red Cross to arrange for first aid classes for supervisors wherever practical.

d. Establish a policy for transportation of injured employees to doctors or hospitals.

e. Educate employees during supervisory and tool box meetings in the basic procedures for handling injured personnel. Subjects to be covered include:

1. Not moving injured personnel in cases of serious injury unless necessary to prevent further injury. First Aid should only be administered by designated personnel except in the case of severe bleeding or cessation of breathing.

2. Applying pressure at the point of serious bleeding rather than using tourniquets.

3. Keeping injured personnel warm and protecting against shock.

4. Use of CPR in applicable cases.

5. Not giving injured personnel food or drink until the doctor arrives.

6. Precautions to be observed pertaining to possible blood-borne pathogens in cases of open wounds.

f. Stress the importance of reporting all injuries, regardless of how slight, so that first aid and/or medical attention can be provided and ensure that the injury becomes a matter of record.

g. Record all first aid cases on the First Aid Log.

h. Require each employee to notify job supervisor prior to leaving job site because of injury or illness whether or not the injury or illness is work-related.

i. Require each employee to obtain release from treating physician prior to returning to work If released for light duty only, a determination must be made whether light work can be made available.