We never know exactly when an injury or illness may happen to us or the people around us. So is it important to know how to cope with a medical Emergency? All employers have a legal duty to arrange for the immediate care of employees if they become ill or suffer an injury when at work.
Octagon Technology sent their employees on a first aid courses run by Nick Hargreaves. Nick is a valuable client of Octagon Technology who they provide IT support and backup services for.
Lack of first aid skills can kill
Thousands of people are dying each year in situations where first aid could have made the difference. This includes 29,000 who die from a heart attack, 2,500 who asphyxiate from a blocked airways and nearly 900 people who choke to death. It is estimated that every year 150,000 people in the UK have a stroke. These events may occur at any time often without any warning and may affect your employees, yourself or even your customers.
New statistics by HSE (Health and Safety Executive) illustrate that in 2013/14 there were over 130 fatal and more than 77,500 non-fatal injuries to employees reported in the UK. Of these injuries, the most common kinds of accidents were caused by:
- Slips and trips (28%)
- Handling, lifting or carrying (24%)
- Being stuck by moving objects (10%)
First aid could make a dramatic difference in the event of life-threatening situation, either through direct intervention or recognising dangerous signs, such as a heart attack, and taking care until medical help arrives.
Be the difference
Nick Hargreaves, Owner and Lead Trainer at Hargreaves First Aid Training said: ‘We aim for every learner to leave our training courses with the confidence and knowledge to deal with a variety of accidents or illnesses either at work or their home environment. Employers have a legal duty to make arrangements for ALL employees to receive immediate first aid attention should they become ill or injured at work.’
Kamila Zolotar, Assistant to the Managing Director at Octagon Technology said: ‘All employees at Octagon Technology were sent for a first aid training this year. We are aware that the aim of first aid is to promote a safer environment. First Aid Training is important because it increases safety, helps save lives, helps relieve pain, makes people more secure and prevents the situation from becoming worse. Around 2,500 people die each year from a blocked airway, 900 people choke to death, but if someone had known how to react in this situation, lives could have been saved. It is important to know exactly how to recognise and deal with medical emergencies as they happen, we must take care of ourselves and people around us, it is our responsibility.’
Take action – take responsibility
Employers must make sure that employees have access to suitable first aid provisions that could save someone’s life. Moreover, The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 require employers to provide adequate and appropriate equipment, facilities and personnel to ensure their employees receive immediate attention if they are injured or taken ill at work. The Regulations apply to all worker places, including those with fewer than five employees.
Benefit from having trained first aiders at work
Kamila said: ‘Having the right number of appropriately trained first aiders in your workplace is important for helping your business meets its legal obligations and ensuring the safety of wellbeing of your staff. We are ‘a remote working company,’ working from home and visiting clients at their premises constantly; and all of our employees are first aid trained and have the confidence to deal with any accident that may occur unexpectedly. They are ready to help each other and other people around them if the worst happens.’
Nick said: ‘First aid training not only minimises the impact of workplace injuries, it can also reduce the number of accidents because all employees become more safety aware. Fast and effective treatment, particularly where an immediate action must be taken and emergency care provided is key. A blocked airway can cause irreversible brain damage to a person in three to four minutes. It’s the basics that saves lives and anyone is capable of doing the basics.’
