Taxi Driver Online

Ill put the cats name as the MD

(and i know someone who put his dogs name in as MD.....)

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

I emailed the HSE and asked whether a self employed taxi driver needs to carry a first aid box this is the reply

Thank you for your enquiry regarding first aid kits in vehicles.
With regards to the provision of first aid kits in vehicles, the guidance to the Health and Safety (First Aid at Work) Regulations 1981 states:
An employer should make an assessment of first-aid needs appropriate to the circumstances of each workplace.
How much first-aid provision an employer has to make depends on the circumstances in each workplace. No fixed level exists but each employer needs to assess what facilities and personnel are appropriate.
In assessing need, employers need to consider:
• workplace hazards and risks;
• the size of the organisation;
• the organisation's history of accidents;
• the nature and distribution of the workforce;
• the remoteness of the site from emergency medical services;
• the needs of travelling, remote and lone workers;
• employees working on shared or multi-occupied sites;
• annual leave and other absences of first aiders and appointed persons.
With regards to travelling workers the guidance states:
The needs of travelling, remote and lone workers
Employers are responsible for meeting the first-aid needs of their employees working away from the main site, for example those who travel regularly or who work elsewhere. The assessment should determine whether those who travel long distances or are continuously mobile should carry a personal first-aid kit. Organisations with employees who work in remote areas should consider making special arrangements such as issuing personal communicators, providing special training and organising emergency transport facilities. Where employees work alone, other means of summoning help such as a portable telephone may be useful to call for assistance in an emergency.
Travelling first-aid kits
First-aid kits for travelling workers would typically contain:
• a leaflet giving general guidance on first aid [for example, INDG347, Basic advice on first aid at work, single copies are available free of charge from HSE Books, see below for details]
• six individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings;
• one large sterile unmedicated dressing - approximately 18 cm x 18 cm;
• two triangular bandages;
• two safety pins;
• individually wrapped moist cleansing wipes;
• one pair of disposable gloves.
This is a suggested contents list only; equivalent but different items will be considered acceptable. As with first-aid containers, the contents of kits should be kept stocked from the back-up stock at the home site.
Reference: L74, First Aid at Work Regulations 1981: Approved Code of Practice and Guidance, ISBN 9780717610500, priced at £6.75.


So clear as day then really!

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Life? Don't talk to me about life!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjm2eslm6hI

Looks like a "Please yourself" bit of guidance..

You can argue until you are blue in the face but as long as it is a condition of your license you will need one. Lets face it you are going to buy it once and it will cost around £10 so why is such a big deal.

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Grandad,

Thanks for that information, Echo15. It's still as clear as mud!

Grandad, the reason behind my raising this topic in the first place was due to a statement, made to me by a training provider, that the carriage of a first aid kit and training was a legal requirement for taxis. He was obviously looking to sign up a load of drivers to charge them an arm and a leg for training, based on the premise of compliance with the law. I didn't wish to encourage our drivers to spend money in lean times if it wasn't necessary and, as I have implied, I had my doubts about the veracity of the statement that had been made to me.

I also have had a chance to look in detail at the legislation now. IMHO, the only legal requirement for the self-employed is to carry out an assessment. This may reveal a need for a first aid kit to be carried. There is no legal rquirement for training, although most people would want to know how to use it if carried. I believe L74, First Aid at Work Regulations 1981: Approved Code of Practice and Guidance, is about the nearest we'll get to the truth.

As stated in a previous post, I have nothing against carrying a first aid kit, per se, and carry one myself. I do, however, take a dim view of being conned into spending money by misrepresentation.

Thanks to all of you for your input. I'll let you draw your own conclusions whether we've actually managed to answer the question definitively.