PADI RTO First Aid Student Manual

HLTAID008 MANAGE FIRST AID SERVICES AND RESOURCES Under work health safety legislation, HSR (Health Safety Representative) may have the right to inspect records relating to safety and particular incidents. You will need to look to the relevant government body. You will need to look at the legislation to determine what type of matters must be reported, and to whom. The legislation will prescribe that it is the employer’s (PCBU) responsibility to report matters, but the occupational first aider may be asked to complete the notices required by the legislation. It will not be a breach of confidence to pass on medical information to medical aid, for example, ambulance officers or a treating doctor, provided that the information is necessary for the ongoing care of the person and the patient has not expressly refused such permission. If providing information to a doctor, the patient should be given a referral letter to take with them. Information should not be given by phone except in an emergency and only when the identity of the caller can be positively established. The first aider should and the patient should understand that many people may legitimately have access to the first aider’s records, but still the privacy of a patient should be respected to the greatest extent possible. The PCBU’s expectations and requirements should be discussed and included in any relevant duty statement or job description. Who is authorised to have access to the records, and under what circumstances, should be clearly established. An occupational first aider or other person who has control of the records should ensure that records are only released to people with appropriate authority and on a ‘needs to know’ basis. A record should be maintained to show who has had access to any particular documents, when they had access, and why they had access. Privacy principles The NSW Privacy Committee Data Protection Principles outline the privacy principles that all NSW community services organisations must follow. These guidelines are to protect client rights and ensure that only essential information about the client is collected. 1. Collect information directly from the client, except if: a. The client agrees otherwise; b. The other information source also follows these principles. 2. Make sure the client knows whether it is compulsory or optional to give the informa- tion. 3. Make sure the client knows the purpose for collecting the information. 4. Make sure the client knows who you usually pass information on to (and who they usually pass it on to). 5. Make sure the client can look at and correct their information (unless the law stops this), and the client knows this right. 6. Make sure the information is actually needed for your purpose. 7. Limit your use of the information to: a. The purpose you collected it for; b. Other purposes with the client’s consent; c. Preventing harm to the client or someone else. 8. Make sure the information is accurate, up-to-date and complete. 9. Make sure the information is protected from unauthorised access. 10. Make sure the information is kept for no longer than necessary for the purpose it was collected for. 11. Make sure that the information is only used or disclosed with the freely given, clear written consent of the client if the information concerns their: a. Ethnic or racial origin;

PADI RTO VIII-30