Accidents can occur anywhere — at work, at home or in public — and how a person reacts within those initial moments can be critical. First Aid training provides individuals with the skills and assurance to act and assist when it matters most. It’s not only about CPR and bandages. It’s about understanding how to remain calm, take charge, and assist someone until professional help arrives.
Most people expect that emergency services will always arrive in the nick of time. In reality, those initial few minutes will often be crucial. Whether it’s stemming bleeding, coping with a seizure or assisting an individual in shock, trained individuals can stop a bad situation from deteriorating.
What a Good First Aid Course Includes
Not all courses are equal. A good First Aid training programme should include both the practical skills and the reasoning behind them. Most begin with basic life support, such as how to check a casualty, carry out chest compressions, and operate an automated external defibrillator (AED).
You’ll also be instructed how to act in case of choking, burns, allergic reactions, fracture and head injuries. A good instructor won’t only tell you the steps — he or she will allow you to practice them as well. That hands-on practice is what you’ll remember when panic strikes.
Courses for the workplace will usually have additional sections depending on the work being carried out. For instance, a person in construction may need to be taught how to deal with crush injuries, while workers in catering may be more vulnerable to cuts or burns.
Who Needs First Aid Training?
Technically, it should be known by all at least the basics. You never know when you might have to assist a colleague, a stranger or even a family member. But for others, it is a matter of the law. UK workplaces are under health and safety law to have proper First Aid arrangements in place — and that means having trained personnel on site.
Employers have to conduct a risk assessment and ensure they have the proper level of training. That could be a one-day Emergency First Aid at Work course, or a higher-level three-day version. Certain sectors, such as childcare or sports coaching, require further standards of paediatric or activity-based First Aid.
Away from the workplace, there are First Aid courses offered to parents, community volunteers and students. There are even schools that have started incorporating it into the syllabus, which actually benefits young people a great deal.
How to Keep Your Skills Up to Date
As with all functional skills, First Aid is forgotten if it isn’t practiced. Even the person who took a course three years ago may find they have forgotten the sequence of steps or alterations to advice. That’s why most certificates expire after three years — and it’s suggested to re-do every year if you don’t practice the skills very often.
Several providers now provide blended learning schemes, in which online theory is followed by face-to-face training. Although the fundamentals can be acquired electronically, hands-on practice remains the foundation for confidence. Don’t leave yourself vulnerable in an emergency — training is the difference between uncertainty and taking action. Contact Inspirational Training for more information.