Not having certified First Aid and CPR providers can result in OSHA fines
We received a call late last week from a former client here in Kentucky. They didn’t have good news to share – an employee had been injured in a workplace accident. That was bad enough, but a few days later, Kentucky OSHA paid them visit. They weren’t hit hard by OSHA for the event or what led to it, as they still had some good safety processes in place from when we worked with them in the past. But they did receive a serious citation for not having employees adequately trained to render first aid as they had failed to keep their employees’ certification current. In Kentucky, this serious citation can result in a Serious violation with a $7,000 fine and could subject an employer to the possibility of a repeat violation ($70,000) for the coming five years. Recently a national restaurant chain based in Louisville, KY was cited for a “Failure to Abate” violation and fined $150,000 for having no one trained to render first aid, after being notified by OSHA to do so.
Employers need to be aware that the Kentucky OSHA Standard on Medical and First Aid states that “(1) Employers with eight (8) or more employees within the establishment shall have persons adequately trained to render first aid and adequate first aid supplies shall be readily available. Outside salesmen, truck drivers, seasonal labor, and others who, while performing their duties, are away from the premises more than fifty (50) percent of the time shall not be included in determining the number of employees and that (2) All other employers shall, in the absence of an infirmary, clinic, or hospital in near proximity to the workplace which is used for the treatment of all injured employees, have a person or persons adequately trained to render first aid. Adequate first aid supplies shall be readily available.”
So, what is the definition of “near proximity”? OSHA has long interpreted the term to mean that emergency care must be available within no more than 3-4 minutes from the workplace, an interpretation that has been upheld by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and by federal courts.
It is in your and your employees’ best interest to have someone always available onsite to render lifesaving, or at least life-sustaining, techniques until outside emergency personnel arrive on the scene. Make sure you keep their certification current. Advanced Safety & Health is now making it easier than ever to help you achieve that goal. If you utilize our Certified First Aid and CPR trainers we also provide friendly reminders in a timely manner before re-certification time comes due. Please contact us at Info@AdvancedSafetyHealth.com or visit our Website to learn more.
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