Do Nurseries Need First Aid Training?

Is the nursery your child attends so safe that the staff don’t require first aid training?

Did you know that by law, in Scotland, all nurseries must provide a first aid representative? Of course you did…it’s obvious, common sense that the people responsible for looking after your nearest and dearest must be first aid trained. Things might not be as they seem though…

Nurseries in Scotland must train their staff to deal with ADULT first aid emergencies, but not paediatric first aid emergencies, wait…WHAT?  That’s right, the nursery you send your child to does not have to provide paediatric training for their staff.

In 2016 that seems unbelievable. You’ve all been there, right. You go for a familiarisation, they show you the security arrangements to prevent any mini escapees, the cute pictures on the wall, the healthy eating options…but no one ever asks if the staff have first aid training in the event of an accident or emergency, why? Because all parents expect it to be in place and why shouldn’t they?

The Health and Safety Executive govern legislation for all workplaces in the UK and by law, all employers must carry out a risk assessment to determine what level of first aid provision is required. It takes in to account the amount of staff within the building whether that is an office, warehouse, factory or other, risk vs. likelihood, location and many other factors. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, around 10 children die as a result of falls each year and around 500 children, mainly under fives, are admitted to hospital and a further 2000 attend A&E departments every year due to scalds and burns.

So why isn’t a nursery legally required to have paediatric first aid provisions in place? Bumped heads, burns, cuts, bruises and falls…or worse. I urge you to discuss this with your nursery as some have gone over and above what’s legally required and they should be applauded. More importantly though, some haven’t.

The next time you walk through the doors to drop your child off, have a think about what training is in place, should the unthinkable actually happen.