Publication updates

Clarification regarding GE700, Book B, 5.4.8 First aiders

The sentence “At least one first aider should be provided where 25 people are employed.” is a general statement, and therefore refers to low-risk work environments.  

In future publications, so as to minimise any potential confusion, we will remove this sentence, and amend the “www text” to state “For further information on the suggested number of first-aid personnel required, see Appendix D.” (The source of Appendix D is the HSE guidance First aid at work (L74).)

Please note: Chapter 5 has many references to the fact that the number of first aiders should be decided as a result of a full needs assessment, and that there are many considerations as part of the assessment. Even in the official guidance from HSE, in the form of the table at Appendix D, the numbers are ‘suggested’ only. So, it is possible for a needs assessment to conclude that one FAW-trained first aider is needed for just four employees, for example, if they are working remotely from the main workforce.

Changes to GE700 Book C (Fire Extinguishers)

C02 – 2.13.1.1 Colour coding of fire extinguishers (page 34)

Content correction: The extinguishing medium for carbon dioxide should read “for liquid and electrical fires” with the instruction that this type extinguisher should not be used on metal, wood, paper or textile fires.

The relevant column in the table should therefore appear as:

Wet Chemical – 2.13.1.1 Colour coding of fire extinguishers (page 34)

Content correction:  The wet chemical extinguisher should show a yellow band as per the below image:

Changes to GE700 Book A Legal and Management - 10.4.1 Active monitoring

Content correction – The removal of ‘Survey’ within active monitoring

The relevant section should therefore appear as:

Active monitoring (often referred to as proactive monitoring) measures the current level of compliance with legislation and company procedures. An effective active monitoring approach will help to reduce accidents and ill health in the longer term. It can take the following forms.

• Health and Safety Inspections
• Pre-use checks
• Safety tours
• Hazard spotting exercises
• Audits