Introduction: It is impossible to fully eliminate the risk of occupational accident, injury, or illness. Employers must therefore ensure the provision of first aid at work. Legislation requires that they implement specific measures, e.g. determining the right number of employees who are qualified for administering first aid, providing the requisite sanitized equipment, ensuring unencumbered access to where first aid supplies are kept, and informing employees as to which of their co-workers are trained for first aid. Purpose: this thesis aims to compare the extent of the provision of first aid in small and medium enterprises. Research showed that companies’ responsible persons indeed had differing opinions on the provision of occupational first aid, what level of theoretical knowledge employees should have about first aid, and how to abide by the norms regulating the stock of equipment in first-aid kits. Methods: The study mainly employed the descriptive method. Data was collected through an anonymous survey for employees, partially-structured interviews with responsible persons, and trough an observation checklist. Results: the survey was answered by 105 employees across 4 small enterprises and 110 employees in 2 medium enterprises. All respondents assessed their own theoretical knowledge as good. Significant differences were not observed in the fundamental theoretical knowledge among respondents in small and medium enterprises. Respondents who were responsible for administering first aid at the selected enterprises assessed that their workers had poor knowledge of the basic procedures of resuscitation. The responsible persons at small as compared to medium enterprises have poorer knowledge of the legislative requirements regarding the provision of occupational first aid. The results of the analysis of field data from the observation checklist indicate that small enterprises provide measures for occupational first aid to a lesser extent. Discussion and conclusion: employers as well as employees must be aware that the provision of occupational first aid is not only a legislative requirement, but also the moral and ethical responsibility of each and every individual. Appropriate employee knowledge and an appropriate stock of first-aid supplies are both crucial for the proper provision of occupational first aid. Both small and medium enterprises can achieve this through faithfully abiding by relevant legislative provisions.
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