Having at least one employee that has relevant first aid training is mandatory in many places, but highly recommended in all. Even in seemingly the safest work environments, there’s always the chance that someone will need medical assistance. If you’re running your own business and have employees, then it’s high time that you did the right thing and got them trained up in first aid.
Why first aid training is important
Potential hazards are everywhere; if you work with machinery then you’ll be well aware of them, but you might never have considered the knives in the office kitchen, or the plug sockets under the desk. Freak accidents can and do happen, and sometimes people just have random medical emergencies. It’s not worth taking the risk; a first aider can mean the difference between life and death in the time it takes an ambulance to arrive.
Finding a training company isn’t too difficult, and there are a variety of courses that you and your employees can do. It’s also possible to get first aid accredited.
Getting your staff involved
Now, you can’t force people to be put through the training. There are some who simply aren’t suited to being a designated first aider, whether this is because they don’t cope well under pressure, or they can’t deal with blood. For this reason, it’s far better to open up the offer to your staff; it’s rare that nobody will take up the chance to learn a new skill and become an even more valuable member of the team. Only if you’re really desperate should you directly ask people to do the training – it can put them in an awkward position, especially since it’s not in their job description.
The number of people you need will of course vary depending on the size of your organisation; it’s best to aim for having one person trained in the office at all times.
Leading by example works
In an ideal world, you should lead by example and take the training too. You’ll give the impression that you’re willing to get stuck in and learn new things, but also that you care about your employees and are able to help them should they require medical assistance.
So, if you’re sitting in your office right now, and you know that nobody is trained to give any kind of medical care, then it may well be time to get something booked in.
Photo credit: StJohn_Wa / Flickr
