A first aid room or medical room, also known as an infirmary, is a room in an establishment (e.g., a school, factory, sports venue, or airport) to which someone who is injured or taken ill on the premises can be taken for
first aid
First aid is the first and immediate assistance given to any person with either a minor or serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery. It includes initial in ...
and to await the arrival of professional
emergency medical services
Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to definitive care. ...
.
According to guidance issued in 1981 in the UK, a first aid room should be clearly signposted, easily accessible, and contain the following:
* a sink and drinking water
* first aid materials (which may include
protective equipment
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, ele ...
and blankets)
* an examination/medical couch
* a telephone or other communication equipment
* a record book for recording incidents
[The Health and Safety (First-aid) Regulations 1981 - Approved Code of Practice and Guidance]
In the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, a first aid room is required in some
chemical factories,
construction sites, and premises at a distance from medical services. In some cases, the room may be used for other purposes when not required for first aid.
[
A ]first aid station
An aid station is a temporary facility (often a tent, table, or general rest area) established to provide supplies to endurance event participants or medical first aid and provisions during major events, disaster response situations, or military ...
or first aid post is a staffed first aid room - especially a temporary one at a large gathering of people or an emergency incident.
See also
* Sick bay
A sick bay is a compartment in a ship, or a section of another organisation, such as a school or college, used for medical purposes.
The sick bay contains the ship's medicine chest, which may be divided into separate cabinets, such as a refrigera ...
(on ships)
* Fainting room
A fainting room was a private room, common in the Victorian era, which typically contained fainting couches. Such couches or sofas typically had an arm on one side only to permit easy access to a reclining position, similar to its cousin the Chais ...
(a room, used during the Victorian era, where women could go to rest when feeling faint)
* Examination room (a similar room in a medical facility)
* Occupational safety and health
Occupational safety and health (OSH), also commonly referred to as occupational health and safety (OHS), occupational health, or occupational safety, is a multidisciplinary field concerned with the safety, health, and welfare of people at wor ...
References
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Room
In a building or large vehicle, like a ship, a room is any enclosed space within a number of walls to which entry is possible only via a door or other dividing structure that connects it to either a passageway, another room, or the outdoors, that ...
Rooms
Occupational safety and health