In June 2021, all our team undertook a full day’s training course on first aid in the workplace.
The Covid-secure course covered what to do in an emergency, with a particular focus on cardiac arrest. This included practicing CPR on training Manikins as well as a demo on how to use a defibrillator. Other topics covered included burns, choking, bandages and the recovery position.
The training was instigated as part of a move to ensure safety in the office at all times. With a number of our team members still working remotely, having every member of the team hold the certificate will help to ensure that a first aider is always present on site in case of an emergency relating to a member of staff, a client or a visitor.
Having undertaken the course, all of our team now all have their first aid certificate for the workplace. This is a qualification that lasts for three years, after which point, the plan is to have all members of the team renew.
Some practical steps that came out of the course that are useful for everyone to know included:
Familiarising yourself with the location of the nearest defibrillator in your most common locations – eg. home or work address. In the event of a cardiac arrest, the speed at which a defibrillator can be accessed and applied to the individual can make a significant difference on the chance of survival. HeartSafe.org.uk can be used to find the location of the nearest defibrillator according to your postcode.
Downloading the What Three Words app in case of needing to pinpoint your location to the emergency services.
Making sure the information on your smart phone relating to Medical Emergency and your own medical information is kept up to date, and also knowing how to access this on another person’s phone. This could help to identify a person’s health history, which could be useful to pass on to paramedics in the event of an emergency.