Tel: 0800 012 6051 Email: info@albacare.co.uk

COVID-19 Statement by Albacare

COVID-19 Information

As most of you know we at Albacare are following the government guidelines and trying to ensure that our staff are working from home and staying safe.

We ARE Rinning all First Aid at Work, Defibrillator and Fire Warden Training.

These courses have a limited number of spaces and Social Distancing is critical

We ARE still suppling defibrillators and accessories to keep you and your colleagues safe

All of our Occupational Health FACE TO FACE services are for Safety Critical only.

We ARE still providing Phone Occupational Health Services

What the HSE and Resuscitation Council are saying in regards to FIRST AID -

First Aid at Work -
Provision and Re-qualification Training

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.

Share first aid cover with another business.

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 identified in your first aid needs assessment and have the 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

First aid providers have resumed first aid training and assessment. In some cases, there remains a back log or limited availability.

FAW or EFAW certificates that expired after 16 March 2020 can remain valid until 31 October 2020 or 6 months from date of expiry, whichever is later. All requalification training for these certificates should be completed by 31 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

This guidance now applies to employers in England, Scotland and Wales.

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

Providing CPR -
Resuscitation in First Aid

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 corona-virus advice service or medical adviser.

Here is a Video from the Resuscitation Council UK

Albacare's Occupational Health Services - COVID-19

Many of our clients will be aware that standard Health surveillance, Safety Critical medicals, Airside medicals are currently not being undertaken due to the difficulty with social distancing being impossible to maintain. Guidance from the Health & Safety executive is reviewed regularly along with the Society of Occupational Medicine and when advice changes, we will update our website regarding this.

Currently tel-consultations are still being undertaken. Availability of appointments can be booked through info@albacare.co.uk.

COVID-19 Infection Concern

Any individual is generally deemed fit to return to work 2 weeks after their symptoms have resolved. However, coughs can linger for several weeks, but this does not prevent their return as long as they are clear of the infectious stage of the virus