Is this elf and safety gone mad?

[girlfriend44]

Yesterday I helped an elderly woman who had fallen over in town. She slipped on the wet path.
Managed along with others, to get her up, talk to her etc and give her tissues for her cut etc.
We took her into a local bank to sit down in the warm while we waited for an ambulance.
We asked if the bank had first aid box we could borrow as all we had were tissues.
The bank were apologetic and said they couldnt lend the box to the public due to the fact some people might have allergies etc.
I asked for a bit of water and they bought that but said no the borrowing the first aid box.

IS this right in your opinion or is it elf and safety gone mad. When its a long wait for an ambulance its very hard if an organisation wont lend you their first aid.

I'm a first aider and I work in a public building and I think this 'rule' is ridiculous. I'd contact them if I were you OP and ask them to clarify incase the staff member got it wrong.

Besides, if she was allergic to anything in that box, the BANK haven't applied any of it to her anyway, they've just dealt with a request.

The only thing we wouldn't do at work is give a plaster to a child without an adult being present to give permission. This is because some people can still be allergic to hypoallergenic plasters.

We would instead stop the bleeding with a bandage, as that's less likely to cause any reactions.

Where was this? I ask because some places may have different rules. I assumed England at first - but yesterday the banks would have been shut and no staff available.

sorry I meant today. Happened this morning. Well Spotted. UK.

It will have come from up high

yes she did go and ask someone else?

The legislation is very clear that there is no obligation on companies to provide first aid for members of the public, including customers. Many do chose to but they don't have to.

Companies are loathe to put themselves at risk. I remember being told in a previous job that I had to clock out if I wished to provide first aid to a customer (or member of the public) so that I wouldn’t be associated with the company!

Just because they don't have to help doesn't mean they shouldn't. I wouldn't be able to just stand and watch knowing there was a first aid box available. Just mean

I'm impressed you found a branch of a bank. And one that was open on New Year's Day!

Oo good spot that the OP said the bank was open on a bank holiday……

It's not quite that straightforward when you're at work, though. You have to abide by whatever your company policy is.

We had a customer collapse at work and all we were allowed to do was offer him water and a chair while we waited for an ambulance.

@helpfulperson what legislation?

Is it The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981?
From:
https://www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/legislation.htm

Ah there we go.

I don't think it is elf and safety gone mad tbh. I think it's good generally that there is no obligation to assist.

It's absolutely crazy. I was in work years ago and a young g child fell over and had a cut knee, parent asked for a plaster, I went to our first aid box and gave her a plaster. Manager then took me into a meeting and said I shouldn't have done that incase they had an allergy to the plaster 🤯

For future reference, she should only have got up if she could do it without help.....

The OP says she was very elderly.

Most very elderly people couldn't get up off the floor alone, even on a very good day.

Just out of curiosity OP what did you actually need out of the first aid box ?

I requirement for them to have a first aider on hand. And they're not required to provide first aid supplies. Yes that may be unpopular but they probably need to complete an accident book for any supplies used. The accident didn't happen on their property. Health and safety gets blamed for a lot but it's not always the cause.

Could you not have got her into a taxi? I think that we've got to stop thinking of ambulances as being the go to. It's a disgrace, but only as a last resort would I wait on ambulance.

Absolutely nothing to do with H&S. They should have had a trained first aider on-site who should have administered aid. They were just making up shit and I can bet if their head office finds out (preferably via the press) there will be an immediate apology and a statement that this isn’t company policy.

You havent read it or grasped it. Elderly person was on the floor outside. It was wet they slipped. Are you supposed to leave there for 2 hours on their own waiting for an ambulance with a bleeding head?

We helped them up into the warm and dry. The bank was close by and they have a foyer area.

There was blood, the person was old, the ambulance was a long wait and he had no family that could attend.

Only asked for the box, not for them to help.

The bank would have to have named first aiders, could one of them not have administered any aid required using the box ? Or wasn't the injured party a registered customer ?

So if your elderly parent had an accident, and was bleeding, and had no family that were available to come, you'd like them to just sit there bleeding would you? Nice.