Do Your Employees Need to Know Emergency First Aid?
If you are the employer of any type of business or workplace, it is important to have your staff trained in emergency first aid. This is especially true if you have workers who may be responsible for tending to an injured or sick coworker until the emergency medical service arrives. This training can save lives and prevent a medical emergency from becoming a much more serious situation.
While every workplace environment presents different risks, a number of common situations can occur. For example, cuts and scrapes, poisonings, severe burns, musculoskeletal injuries, temperature extremes, choking, asthma attacks, seizures, choking, cardiac arrests and more can be life-threatening emergencies that require immediate attention.
As a result, it is necessary to train employees in first aid and CPR techniques, as well as how to respond to a variety of other common injuries and illnesses. While only one employee needs to be trained as a first aider, most employers opt to have multiple people trained as the person who will provide first aid during an emergency situation. This ensures that someone will always be available to respond to a medical emergency and reduce the chances of a life-threatening situation escalating before help arrives. For Emergency First Aid Training Courses, contact www.tidaltraining.co.uk/emergency-first-aid-training-courses
The good news is that a class in emergency first aid can be completed within a few hours, making it an effective way to help your employees learn the skills needed to handle a variety of medical and traumatic conditions. Typically, courses include instruction on how to assess and manage shock, as well as how to treat various injuries. Common treatment procedures include assessing circulation, airway and breathing, putting an unconscious person into the recovery position, using bandages, applying pressure to wounds, reducing swelling, treating a fractured arm or leg, and giving chest compressions and administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Most first aid classes also instruct participants on how to use a defibrillator (AED) and teach proper use of an epi-pen or ana-pen for allergic reactions like anaphylaxis and asthma.
First aid training provides the knowledge and confidence to act quickly and effectively in an emergency, preventing an accident or illness from escalating before emergency medical services arrive. This can ultimately lead to reduced medical costs, minimised lost production and a safer workplace for all employees.
Once your employees complete their first aid training, it is a good idea to review the workplace’s policies and practices on a regular basis. This can help ensure that all employees are familiar with the procedures that they would need to follow during a first aid emergency and that the first aid kits, facilities and arrangements still suit the risk profiles of your workplace.
