Hi All,
NO medicine shall be kept in the first aid box or anywhere else in absence of a qualified person such as nurse, pharmacist or doctor. OTC medicine can be purchased by an individual from the pharmacy store, but the employee cannot demand to be kept them in the office or shop floor. Also, you need not require support of law for each and every activity / decision. Each individual is different and have different susceptibility to every medicine. Drug overdose, accidentally taken wrong medicine, hypersensitivity are major risks. For example, eEven a simple medicine like paracetamol can react seriously, if someone is suffering from liver disease. We have even removed antacids like digene also from our first aid boxes in the office. Yes, there was resistance initially; but awareness drive have made people understood the importance of taking medicine only under medical supervision.
Dr. Divyang Shah
Occupational Healh Physician
From India
5NO medicine shall be kept in the first aid box or anywhere else in absence of a qualified person such as nurse, pharmacist or doctor. OTC medicine can be purchased by an individual from the pharmacy store, but the employee cannot demand to be kept them in the office or shop floor. Also, you need not require support of law for each and every activity / decision. Each individual is different and have different susceptibility to every medicine. Drug overdose, accidentally taken wrong medicine, hypersensitivity are major risks. For example, eEven a simple medicine like paracetamol can react seriously, if someone is suffering from liver disease. We have even removed antacids like digene also from our first aid boxes in the office. Yes, there was resistance initially; but awareness drive have made people understood the importance of taking medicine only under medical supervision.
Dr. Divyang Shah
Occupational Healh Physician
From India
Dear All, I consult with our visiting doctor also and decided not to kept such tablets .... Thanks for all all replies.....and valuable information... Regards, Safety First
From India, Vadodara
From India, Vadodara
Dear,
Some of our friends have rightly suggested of provisions of Se.45 of Factories Act. Similar provisions are there in Mines Act 1956 and some other Acts which deal with safety at work place.
Firstly, it is a statutory provision to keep emergency medicines, first Aid box. The work of first aid is done under supervision of First Aid Trained employees only. There is no hard and fast rule to provide medicines/medical aid under supervision of Regd. medical Practitioner only. After giving first aid, it is upto the condition of the injured/suffering employee as to whether he is to referred to dispensary/hospital for more specialist treatment or he will be well with this first aid itself.
So, there is no point in refusal of giving medicine under guidance of a First Aid Trained employee (St. John Ambulance certifies such persons for a period of 3 to 5 years at a time) as deemed fit by the trained person. But it should not be done on demand of suffering employee himself. As regards the possibility of having a sensitivity to any particular drug, the trained person may ask for the same which is known to each person. But to avoid such accident to about 1-2 %, 98-99 % persons should not be ignored.
AK Jain
HR Personnel
NCL, CIL
From India, Jabalpur
Some of our friends have rightly suggested of provisions of Se.45 of Factories Act. Similar provisions are there in Mines Act 1956 and some other Acts which deal with safety at work place.
Firstly, it is a statutory provision to keep emergency medicines, first Aid box. The work of first aid is done under supervision of First Aid Trained employees only. There is no hard and fast rule to provide medicines/medical aid under supervision of Regd. medical Practitioner only. After giving first aid, it is upto the condition of the injured/suffering employee as to whether he is to referred to dispensary/hospital for more specialist treatment or he will be well with this first aid itself.
So, there is no point in refusal of giving medicine under guidance of a First Aid Trained employee (St. John Ambulance certifies such persons for a period of 3 to 5 years at a time) as deemed fit by the trained person. But it should not be done on demand of suffering employee himself. As regards the possibility of having a sensitivity to any particular drug, the trained person may ask for the same which is known to each person. But to avoid such accident to about 1-2 %, 98-99 % persons should not be ignored.
AK Jain
HR Personnel
NCL, CIL
From India, Jabalpur
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