Are You Due for a First Aid Refresher Course?

A course in First Aid is an important component of your workplace safety program.  Given the daily demands of everyone’s work activity, first aid training might get set aside for other pressing issues. The problem, of course, is that accidents happen. The day will come when someone in the office or work site is injured and needs medical attention. That need for medical treatment can range from minor injury to potentially life-saving procedures, until an ambulance and medical professionals arrive. With either end of the range, the workplace needs to have someone trained in first aid to proceed – and that training needs to be up to date.

Need for First Aid in the Workplace

When was the last time you attended a first aid training session? How many people in your workplace location have been trained, and when did they last complete a first aid refresher course? These are important questions; if the answers and dates are less than certain in your mind, it is probably time to plan for some training.

First Aid is Part of a Safe Workplace

Safety in the workplace is essential – and mandated by law. First aid is an essential part of workplace safety. Going beyond the obvious need to feel safe, the specific values or benefits of a safe workplace also include a boost to employee morale and overall job satisfaction. If you can go about your work day, knowing your safety is important to your employer and co-workers, you will feel good about your job – and that feeling goes way beyond just a paycheck. Good morale leads to better productivity, and happy employees stick around. Retention and productivity are benefits to the bottom line and helps the business grow. Improved safety means Less accidents and less workers comp payouts, all benefits to workplace.

Safety Roles and First Aid

The requirements for first aid training will vary by type of workplace. A typical office can expect far fewer accidents and injuries than a construction site. However, people can become ill in the office, and falls and minor incidents can occur. It’s not just CPR, though that is a major part of first aid without a doubt. It’s about tending to wounds, treating a coworker for shock, assessing an injury or even dealing with a heart attack or stroke (knowing what signs to look for and how to begin a course of treatment).

The potential risks in the workplace, the proximity of the workplace to a medical facility, and other factors can drive the requirements for more trained personnel on-site and the requirements for regular training maintenance.

Training Requirements

Training and awareness are critical elements of any safety program, and this very much applies to the first aid. In some low risk environments, the first aid need requirements may only be to create an awareness of the first aid services on-site. At a minimum, the location in each department or work area should be known to all employees. Supervisors or team leads are to be trained, along with front-line staff.

With higher risk environments, where there is the potential for serious injury or the work location is in a remote area, there is an elevated need for first aid training. The requirements extend to training all employees, with specialized training for a select group on-site.

Get Up to Date with Your First Aid Training with Advanced Consulting & Training

Is it time to schedule first aid training for you and your coworkers? A first aid course and a well trained staff are essential components of your workplace safety program. To find out more and schedule your next first aid refresher course, contact us today.