Event planning guide

The Event Safety Guide (HSG 198) specifies the definition of a First Aider as:

"A 'First Aider' is a person who holds a current certificate of first aid competency issued by three voluntary aid societies (or certain other bodies or organisations); St Johns Ambulance, British Red Cross Society or St Andrew's Ambulance Association. The first aider should have prior training or experience in providing first aid at crowd events.

It should be noted that completion of a 'Health and Safety at Work' or four day 'First Aid at Work' course does not necessarily qualify a person as competent to administer first aid to members of the public. Unfortunately, the guidance is not specific about what "certain other or organisations" means. It also specifies that First Aiders, ambulance and medical workers should:

• Be at least 16 years old and not over 65 years old
• Have no other duties or responsibilities
• Have identification
• Have protective clothing
• Relevant experience/knowledge of requirements for first aid at major public events
• Be physically and psychologically equipped to carry out the assigned roles
• First aiders under the age of 18 years must not work alone or 'unsupervised'.

Event Organisers need to be aware that providing first aid to the public is a very different scenario to providing first aid to staff in the workplace. That means first aiders should not have any other role at the event. They must also have the appropriate equipment to work with and access to a facility in which they can work, that would protect a patient's confidentiality and dignity.

The best advice is therefore no matter how small the event is to go to a recognised body that provide such services. To help you ensure you get the right provider detailed below are some checks and considerations you need to go through.

Key checks and considerations for event medical providers

The following are key checks and considerations that event organisers should make on organisations providing medical and First aid cover:

• Public Liability Insurance - In the sum of £5m
• Employers Liability
• Clinical Negligence and medical malpractice
• for Ambulance providers providing treatment and transport - should be able to provide evidence of current Care Quality Commission (CQC) registration - mandatory where the provider transports people off an event site to hospital.
• where the provider uses Registered Health professionals e.g. Paramedics, Nurses & Doctors; the supplier should provide registration numbers for these people to enable the event organiser to check their registration status. Where registered professionals are required as part of the cover recommended then all individuals should have current valid UK registration with their relevant body.

Where guidance indicates an Ambulance is required for the event this normally means the ambulance should be crewed with a least one registered Paramedic and a second crew member trained to a suitable standard to operate an emergency ambulance e.g. Ambulance Technician.

Ambulance provision provided on site for the event (where required) should be capable and willing to transport any patients who require hospitalisation, to a suitable Emergency Department with minimal delays.

It is expected that where ambulance cover is indicated in the guidance for the event there should be no requirement for 999 calls to the local ambulance service (except for multiple casualties or a Major Incident).

Ambulance providers should be capable of providing emergency transportation to hospital e.g. Blue light transfer for life threatening conditions. The provider should be able to demonstrate suitable insurance and driver competence for this if required.