By Mark Spring, CSP, CRIS, AGC Safety Management Consultant
Construction work carries inherent risk, and even with a strong safety program, proper planning, and personal protective equipment (PPE), injuries can still occur. The first line of defense has always been the trusty first-aid kit and first-aid-trained employees. This works for small cuts and scrapes and can get workers back to work quickly. However, more serious cuts, scrapes, or burns are often outside the comfort zone of construction workers who had first-aid training several months ago. Wounds need to be cleansed, properly dressed, and assessed. This would typically lead to a trip to urgent care or an emergency room.
One approach that has become increasingly popular among construction companies is the use of third-party first-aid services. These services provide trained medical professionals who can respond directly to the job site to evaluate injuries and perform first aid on injured workers. It is important to understand that these services only provide first-aid treatment; they do not replace urgent care clinics or emergency rooms. You must assess the injury and determine whether it can be addressed with first aid. However, trained medical professionals, typically paramedics or emergency medical technicians (EMTs), with a high level of medical expertise and access to proper equipment, can address a wide range of injuries using first-aid techniques. Cuts, strains, minor burns, and similar injuries can often be treated effectively on-site without requiring a trip to a medical clinic.
One of the most immediate benefits is time savings. When an injury occurs, the standard response is to transport the employee to an urgent care clinic or emergency room. This can require a supervisor or safety professional to leave the jobsite, drive to the clinic, and wait for the employee to receive treatment. In many cases, this process can take several hours. With a third-party first-aid provider, the medical professional travels to the job site. Injuries can be evaluated quickly, allowing employees and supervisors to return to work much sooner when appropriate.
Cost is another factor that makes these services attractive. Most third-party first-aid providers do not charge a fee to enroll for the service. Instead, companies are only billed when the service is used. This allows organizations to access professional medical support at no ongoing cost.
Another important benefit is availability. Many of these services operate twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. They can respond not only to job sites but also to an employee’s home if an on-the-job injury that was “not a big deal” at the job site has worsened and now requires attention. This flexibility allows employers to ensure that workers have access to prompt medical evaluation whenever they decide they need it. These are not one-and-done services; they can schedule follow-up appointments to reassess or redress an injury. It is worth mentioning that many of these companies offer more than just on-site first aid. Many provide additional services, such as mobile drug testing, fit testing and respiratory services, telehealth, audiometry testing, wellness screening, first-aid training, and other safety training categories.
Probably the most important benefit of third-party first aid services is that they can also help reduce unnecessary workers’ compensation claims and reduce your recordable injuries. Early intervention and proper treatment can prevent minor injuries from becoming more serious and escalating into recordable injuries. Because these services only provide first aid, these injuries are not OSHA recordable, and workers’ compensation doesn’t get involved.
It is important to recognize that these services are optional for employees. Workers cannot be required to use a third-party first-aid provider. If an employee prefers to seek treatment at an urgent care clinic or from their medical provider, that is their right. Additionally, any injury that appears serious and beyond first aid should always be referred to an emergency room or appropriate medical provider.
Third-party first aid services are not a replacement for a strong safety program or first-aid-trained employees, but they can be a valuable tool for safety professionals and business owners. By providing rapid on-site medical evaluation, reducing time away from the jobsite, and effectively managing injuries, and reducing recordable injuries and workers’ comp claims, these services offer a practical way to support both worker health and efficient jobsite operations.
If you would like more information about third-party first-aid services, please contact your assigned AGC safety management consultant or Mark Spring.
Article written with AI editing and assistance