First Aid Resized For Blog

First Aid - Are you prepared in an Emergency?

22/07/2015BY: Tracey Mesken

​Emergencies happen all around us.  They can happen anytime and anywhere to anyone.

Emergencies in the workplace can still be unpredictable, even if we plan for them.  The number of incidents in a workplace will often vary depending on the type of industry you work in. For example, in most cases it would be far more dangerous working on a construction site than in an office because of the risks and nature of the tasks performed in that particular working environment.

First aid is a simple skill, but an essential one that enables you to help others in need – most importantly your own family, friends and co-workers.

 

First Aid Training

The role of first aiders is to be the eyes and ears of the health professionals who will take over the care of an affected person in an emergency situation. First aiders have the primary role of providing initial care and implementing mechanisms that can save lives or contain an incident from spiralling out of control.

Employees who are trained in first aid can play a major role in containing an incident scene until professional health care arrives. First aiders are able to perform the fundamental basics of life saving, like securing an incident scene, ensuring that the injured person’s airways are open, has sufficient breathing and checking for a pulse.

Adequate First Aid training gives confidence & skills, ensures correct treatment and ultimately improves the overall safety practices of your workplace. First Aiders are recommended to undertake regular refresher training to keep their skills up to date.

A typical first aid program will cover many of the following elements:

• Assessing the victim’s condition
• Protecting yourself from infections
• Responding to someone who is choking
• Dealing with broken bones, head, and neck injuries
• How to help someone suffering from a heart attack or stroke
• Administering CPR and using an AED
• Treating a burn or bleeding wound

 The First Aid Kit

The First Aid kit is an essential tool for providing first aid. It is important that everyone in your workplace is properly trained about the first aid kit, its importance, contents and use. It would be a huge waste of money, time and safety risk if a first aid kit is provided and people are either clueless, misinformed or have little knowledge about its whereabouts, use and importance.

First Aid kit training helps you and your workmates know about the contents of the kit. Knowing what is inside the kit helps you to know in case of an incident, what to use and when. Not having this knowledge and training could lead to the incorrect use of items in the first aid kit which may worsen the injury and cause unnecessary pain & trauma. Another common misuse issue is when an item in a first aid kit has been used and not replaced therefore unavailable the next time it is required to administer first aid to an injured person.
Whether you working a high or low risk workplace, being prepared ensures you minimise your risk and are confident and able to deal with any First Aid emergencies or in some cases able to avoid them all together.

While employers are primarily accountable for ensuring a safe work environment, always be responsible for your own safety at work.

 

WorkPac is Focused on Zero Harm
The safety of our people is our absolute priority. To report a safety incident or hazard, call us on 1300 967 572 or click here to submit a report.

 

For Further information on First Aid Training:

http://stjohn.org.au/first-aid-training

http://www.redcross.org.au/first-aid.aspx

http://www.firstaidtraining.com.au/