Who’s who?

How many first aiders and fire marshals do you have at your gym?

According to the HSE, first aid provision must be ‘adequate and appropriate in the circumstances’. This means that you must provide sufficient first aid equipment, facilities and personnel. Likewise you must have at least one fire marshal, with the requirement increasing with the size and risk level of the business.
You, as an employer (or just as a business owner with a Duty of Care), are best placed to understand the exact nature of your business and the associated risks to both staff and members. This will help you decide what you need to provide, which at a minimum will be one trained first aider and one trained fire marshal at all times. The easiest way to achieve this is to arrange training for as many of your staff as possible, and then ensure constant cover via the use of a staff rota.

Dedicated training for these roles is crucial to proving your commitment to the safety and welfare of others and helps to establish an emergency operating procedure with a core group of people to allow for safe, efficient and effective management of any adverse events/situations.

Appointed persons should also be communicated to other staff/members via signage or other means. The use of dedicated high-vis jackets for Fire Marshals in an emergency, for instance, can be invaluable to both identify authority and more effectively control evacuations. Having a vest by each fire alarm point/fire exit is highly recommended.
#emergencyprocedures #riskmanagement #firstaid #firemarshal