Health & Safety in the workplace is vital to ensure any business stays on the correct side of the law and we have the perfect resource in this section to help offices get the right health & Safety products.

The regulatory document governing the correct practices and guidelines surrounding First Aid at work was last updated back in March 1997 and is more commonly know as the:

Approved code of practice and guidance:

The code aims to make clear the requirements for Health & Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. - otherwise known as ACOP L74.

Approved by the Health & Safety Commission the code gives businesses practical tips and advice on how to comply with the law.

Health & Safety inspectors seek to secure compliance with the law and regularly refer to this guidance as good practice in the workplace. These regulations are in place and are to be adhered to by all businesses in the UK.

The relevant salient regulations are:

Regulation 3 (1): 'An employer shall provide or ensure that there are provided, such equipment and facilities as are adequate and appropriate in the circumstances for enabling first aid to be rendered to his/her employees if they are injured or become ill at work.'

ACOP 3(4): 'An employer should make an assessment of first aid needs appropriate of each workplace.'

ACOP 3(31): There is no mandatory list of items that should be included in a first aid kit or first aid container. Employers should decide on what exactly to include in the first aid kit from information during each risk assessment of first aid needs.

To help employers and business owners to choose the right first aid products the Officeprofiles team have put together a guide to what might be considered a minimum stock list in an average UK office or workplace.

20 sterile plasters

6 safety pins

A guidance leaflet

2 sterile eye pads

4 triangular bandages

6 medium dressings (12cm x 12cm)

2 large dressings (18cm x 18cm)

1 pair of disposable gloves

ACOP 3(35): 'The assessment may include that there is a need for additional materials and equipment, for example scissors, adhesive tape, disposable aprons and individually wrapped moist wipes. These are all ideal extra items that could be kept in a first aid kit.'

Fire Extinguishers

One of the few products that we hope you will never have to use but in case you do then it goes without saying that getting the right tool for the job in this field is vital!! Fire extinguishers should be serviced once a year and should be services by a company registered by the British Approvals for Fire Equipment (BAFE).

Fire extinguishers are colour coded for use with specific fire types;

RED (water) Applications = wood, cloth. paper, plastics, coal and fires involving solids.

BLUE (multi purpose dry powder) Applications = wood, cloth, paper, plastics, electricity, coal etc and fires involving solids. Liquids such as grease, fats, oils, paint, petrol but NOT chip or fat pan fires.

CREAM (Aqueous film-forming foam) Applications = Wood, cloth, plastics, paper, coal etc, fires involving solids. Liquids such as grease, fats, oil, paint, petrol.

BLACK (Carbon Dioxide) Applications = Electricity, liquids such as grease, fats, oil, paint, petrol etc but not on chip fat fires.

Also in the Officeprofiles Safety & Security section you will find all the safety signs and general office signs you will need to help your office comply with regulations. Safety signs are required to inform, advise, instruct, warn of danger and improve general safety in the workplace. Signs incorporating certain colours have specific meanings as follows;

PROHIBITION - these safety signs have red circular borders with a diagonal red line going through a white background (eg no smoking signs)

MANDATORY - These blue circular signs inform you of what you must do or give instructions you must follow (eg keep fire door shut) WARNING - Triangular solid yellow signs that may warn of possible danger ahead (eg electric shock risk)

SAFE CONDITION - Solid green square signs giving directions in an emergency or the way to perhaps a first aid room (eg fire exit right) FIRE EQUIPMENT - solid red square giving details of available fire equipment (eg fire blanket or extinguisher)

In addition to our safety and security range Officerprofiles also offer many office furniture products including; office chairs, filing cabinets, visitors chairs, boardroom and meeting room chairs and ergonomic back supports chairs for UK businesses and home office workers.