The purpose of First Aid is to give immediate assistance to an ill or injured person until professional medical assistance arrives. This aid could be the difference between life and death for someone, so the decision to take a First Aid training course which teaches you these basic skills and knowledge, could be one of the most important decisions you ever take.
Most first aid courses require the delegates to be a minimum age of 14 except for the Paediatric First Aid training courses where the minimum age is 16. A good understanding of the English language is also a requirement to enable the assessments to be completed at the end of the course.
The Principles of First Aid
The principles of first aid are simple and consist of the 3 P’s:
- Preserve life: Administer effective and immediate first aid in order to save a casualty’s life;
- Prevent the condition from worsening: Being able to recognise and treat the cause of illnesses or injuries which will assist to prevent them from worsening;
- Promote recovery: Ongoing treatment of and support to the casualty until assistance arrives.
First Aid Practices include having a quick response to an incident whilst always making sure the scene is safe for both yourself and the casualty; remaining calm under pressure which helps to reduce stress levels at an incident as well as provide emotional support for all involved; calling 999 and giving relevant information as soon as possible so that professional help arrives quickly; using a basic checklist to arrive at a decision on appropriate treatment and how best to stabilise the casualty until help arrives.
There are many first aid training providers in the UK offering a variety of first aid qualifications. These range from companies offering regulated qualifications to independent operators and voluntary aid societies. The HSE does not specifically promote or recommend any particular first aid training course although all providers have to adhere to certain guidelines.
However, there are definitely benefits in using an accredited training centre that offers regulated qualifications like OHS Compliance Ltd. Our awarding organisation has strict quality controls in place and our training courses are approved and monitored on a continuous basis, resulting in high quality Level 2 and 3 Awards such as First Aid at Work, Emergency First Aid at Work, Paediatric First Aid and BLS / with AED.
Employers have a responsibility to ensure the health and wellbeing of their employees when they are at work. The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 state that when people in the workplace become ill or injured, arrangements must be in place to give them immediate help. A minimum first aid provision at any place of work is a suitably stocked first aid kit, an appointed person in charge of first aid arrangements, and visible information on these arrangements for all the employees.
Companies need to do a risk assessment based on their current hazards and risks to determine their first aid needs. This will in turn indicate how many first aiders and first aid provisions are required.
4 Reasons Why Basic First Aid Knowledge is Essential
Listed below are some of the reasons why first aid courses and knowledge is essential:
- First aid training for the workplace provides peace of mind to all employees that the employer is looking after their wellbeing and safety at work;
- The HSE requires all workplaces to conduct training in first aid and that there are first aid certificates available indicating that work training in first aid has taken place;
- First aid training for the workplace ensures that when an emergency occurs, the first aiders are able to provide immediate first aid cover and treatment, which may keep the casualty alive until the paramedics or ambulance arrives. An example would be by attending first aid CPR training and providing CPR to a casualty may keep the casualties brain oxygenated and alive until the emergency services arrive;
- The health and safety (H&S) team are groups of employees that have been trained, and they should also attend and obtain an annual refresher certificate in first aid to keep their skills practiced and current. This H&S team may consist of first aid members with different levels of first aid training;
What should all employees know about first aid?
All employees need to know that there are fellow employees in the workplace that have certified first aid training and are able to assist those in need of assistance when an emergency occurs. The employee who has been trained and is in possession of a first aid training certificate, their contact number such as workplace telephone extension number and name must be made available to the rest of the employees so that they know to call that extension when an emergency occurs. A post training brochure can also be compiled to reflect the H&S Team members for everyone to familiarize themselves with.
Obtaining volunteers to attend first aid training is a good approach, so the employer sends out a company notice which should briefly explain what is first aid training, and that the employer will cover the first aid training cost. Indicating first aid training requirements, training venues, and dates and that they will receive a certificate will also be helpful information. Blended first aid training is also available, where theory can be covered on-line at work, and then the practical elements and the assessment are completed face-to-face at the workplace where the training will take place.
OHS Compliance Ltd – Your Accredited First Aid Training Provider
It is important to find a trusted and accredited first aid training provider. OHS Compliance Ltd is a fully accredited first aid training provider, able to offer national first aid training. We have structured our business around being Client Focused, Professional, Cost Effective, but always maintaining high Quality standard training.