The Importance of First Aid and CPR Training in the Workplace

First aid

First aid

 

Emergencies can strike anywhere and anytime. Whether you are at work, at home or just walking along the streets, accidents happen and they are often unforeseen. You may be extra careful with your actions to be prevent accidents, but there are instances when they do happen and you are the first person on the scene. If that happens, do you know what to do?

Reasons Behind Why First Aid Training Is Really Important at the Workplace

A lot of companies have invested in their employees to learn first aid and CPR training. This is a crucially important skill especially when faced with an emergency or disaster. The workplace is no stranger to emergency cases, with hundreds or even thousands of employees coming day in and day out, and with natural disasters such as earthquakes and fire that can happen anytime.

Learning first aid and CPR can be extremely helpful during emergency cases, from isolated and simple cases to complex cases. In these times, your first aid and CPR skill may be the only thing in between another person’s life and death.

  1. You Can Save Someone’s Life

In cases of emergencies and accidents in the workplace, medical responders may not be right on the scene immediately. However, the patient may need immediate help if they are severely injured, unable to move, breathe or in severe pain. The position of the patient after the accident and identifying the injury are two crucial factors for first aid. Knowing first aid and CPR will let you know how to respond in emergencies and accidents, how to position the patient properly and if they need CPR in severe cases. You can help keep the patient alive until the paramedics arrive and take over.

  1. You Can Save Money

For some companies, employers invest in first aid and CPR training and education of their employees is one way to save money, time and effort. For instance, employees who are trained and certified to respond on first aid cases can save time, effort and money of medical responders, especially if the patient has already been stabilized. In addition, a complete medical staff will not be required if employees are certified on first aid and CPR. Instead, employers can hire only a part of the medical staff such as one company doctor and nurse. Also, health insurance should provide to every employee for healthcare.

  1. You Can Relieve Someone’s Pain Instantly

There are many different kinds of accidents that can happen in the workplace and even more types of injuries, wounds and cuts that can happen in an accident. These injuries can be extremely painful for the patient and can even lead to major procedures when they are tended to in the hospital. Your role as the first responder in the scene is to assess the injury and intensity of pain that the patient is experiencing. When you identify the injury and cause of pain, you will be able to know what type of first aid to administer to relieve the pain and lessen the injury.

  1. Employees Will Be More Confident

For many employees, learning the skills of first aid and being certified for CPR is one way to make them feel more confident about themselves. When employees know that they are equipped to handle emergency cases and accidents, they become more confident in themselves which, in turn, will reflect in their own performances at work.

  1. Promotes Security

First aid training and CPR certification for employees will promote the feeling of security among staff, as they know that they can respond properly and effectively when accidents do happen. This promotes trust and confidence among staff tom know that they will be in good hands. In addition, knowing that their fellow employees are trained for first aid will make them feel more secure because they know that they will be tended to should there be any emergency situations.

 

Of course, it is fairly important to always remain calm and not to panic when faced with an emergency situation. Learning first aid and CPR will let you save someone in a literal life and death situation. You can learn more about how to act and react on these situations by taking an Online First Aid Class in addition to your training.

Do you believe these defibrillator myths?

AED  Defib Myths

AED Defib Myths

Many people have outdated ideas about what defibrillators are, what they do, and how they are used. When the word is mentioned, they may picture a hospital, a trained doctor or a nurse giving a patient a shock from a large, intimidating machine with two metal pedals that administer a massive shock that dramatically brings the patient back to life.

Thanks to TV shows and glitzy Hollywood films, defibrillators have been seen as a mysterious life-saving machine that can also be dangerous and complicated, however, the truth is very different.

There is a type of defibrillator called an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). An AED is a small device that analyses a person’s heart rhythm in order to detect the irregularity that occurs during a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). They then administer a shock to the victim to get their heart back into a normal rhythm.

AED’s are incredible machines that are completely user-friendly and can save the life of a person suffering from a SCA, but there tends to be confusion and mystery surrounding them. We’ve taken a look at the biggest myths about defibrillators, and why believing them could lead to fatality.

  1. I can’t use a defibrillator, I’ve not been medically trained and it’s too complicated

This is one of the most common myths surrounding AED’s. For many people, the only exposure they will have had to a defibrillator in use will have been on TV, with a medical professional handling the equipment. Contrary to this image, AED’s are in fact very simple to use.

Anyone can use an AED, even if they’ve not had formal training. They are safe to use by people of all ages, and many have voice-guided systems or step-by-step directions coupled with pictures to aid the user. They have been designed to be completely user-friendly – you should never worry about breaking one or be apprehensive about following the instructions.

  1. I could seriously hurt someone if I use a defibrillator on them

A major myth is that using an AED on someone incorrectly may harm them. This is understandable – the thought of giving someone’s heart an electric shock sounds like a frightening and invasive procedure.

 

What you need to remember is that that all AED’s have a built in failsafe to ensure that they won’t shock someone who is not suffering from a SCA. When an AED needs to be used, the patient will technically be already dead, so there is no possible way to cause them any further damage.  Never worry about causing someone further harm when performing CPR or using a defibrillator on them, because, put bluntly, the alternative is death.

As well as this, a AED will never deliver a shock to a person whose heart is not in irregular rhythm, as we will discuss in more detail below.

  1. A defib could be harmful to me if I don’t use if properly

If you’ve not had any experience using an AED before, they can seem quite intimidating. It’s natural to be worries about your own safety, especially

AED  Defib Myths

AED Defib Myths

in high-pressured and dangerous situations. We can tell you that an AED cannot shock a person who’s heart is in normal rhythm no matter which side of the pads you are on.

When you apply the pads to a patient and the AED analyses their heart rhythm, you will be told not to touch the patient before the shock is administered. If you are touching the patient, the most you will feel is a slight twinge.

  1. A defib is a life-saving device that can be used on anyone who has been injured

This is untrue. Unfortunately, defibrillators can only aid people who have suffered from a Sudden Cardiac Arrest.

Although it is important to remember that there are approximately 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests per year in the UK and an AED will never shock a person who is not suffering from a SCA. This means it’s well worth understanding and making yourself familiar with AEDs to ensure that you are prepared and informed should you be in the vicinity of one occurring.

  1. I don’t need to use a defib on this person as I’ve called an ambulance and it will arrive soon

In an emergency situation where you suspect that a person has had a SCA, you must first call the emergency services. After this, unless instructed otherwise you should look for an AED in order to use it.

If a defibrillator is used and effective CPR is performed within 3-5 minutes of cardiac arrest, survival chances increase from 6% to 74%. Considering that the emergency services average response time to an urban cardiac incident has recently increased from 8 to 11 minutes, every single second counts.

Always be prepared to take action

The reality of a SCA is that without immediate treatment, 90-95% of Sudden Cardiac Arrest victims will die. This is why it’s so important for everyone to understand how effective AEDs are, and how simple they are to use.

Rosa Mitchell is a guest writer for defibshop, the UK’s independent defibrillator supplier. For more information about defibrillator myths, take a look at their infographic.

‘How to Perform CPR on an Adult’ – this might save a life so please read!

How to perform CPR on an adult.

Yes I know I keep on banging on about First Aid and the need for all of us to learn at least some techniques. But, can I be truthful, it is really important.

Today I would like to share this very useful infographic entitled ‘How to Perform CPR on an Adult’.

The NHS explain CPR as “Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a first aid technique that can be used if someone is not breathing properly or if their heart has stopped. Chest compressions and rescue breaths keep blood and oxygen circulating in the body.”

Sp please read and share. As I say – you could save a life.


How to Perform CPR on an Adult

From Visually.

This may be the important thing you read on the internet. How to perform CPR on an adult!

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a type of first aid used if a person is not breathing correctly or if his or her heart has stopped. Using chest compressions and rescue breaths that keep blood and oxygen circulating in the body.

How to Perform CPR on an Adult

From Visually.


First Aid Part – Why would should consider formal training in First Aid! Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

Kirsty Perry and Dave Moreland

Kirsty Perry and Dave Moreland

Tesco employees Kirsty Perry and Dave Moreland were at work one morning when they had to put their first aid skills into action.
An elderly customer who had entered the supermarket had collapsed in an aisle and was found by 26-year-old Kirsty. As the store’s duty first aider, she quickly assessed the man and thought he’d had a seizure. As the man was unconscious but still breathing, Kirsty and her colleague Dave placed him in the recovery position to keep him safe and monitor his condition while they called for an ambulance.
However, while on the phone with the emergency services, Kirsty quickly noticed that the 81-year-old man had stopped breathing. Springing into action, she and Dave commenced CPR on the customer and continued for 10 minutes before the ambulance crew arrived with a defibrillator. Thanks to the actions of the two employees, the crew were able to restart the man’s heart before he was taken to hospital.