Accidents can happen anywhere, even at work, due to slips, trips, overexertion, and other similar circumstances. Consequently, the employees involved in these workplace accidents are more likely to sustain nonfatal injuries. However, there are also instances where accidents and injuries can be life-threatening. In that case, employers should educate their employees about the basics of first aid to help respond to any workplace emergencies while waiting for a rescue team to arrive.
Generally, knowing how to apply first aid measures immediately can be essential to avoid further health complications associated with injuries. When the employees are well-trained in first aid, they can respond to workplace injuries as quickly as possible.
But how are employers going to do that? Read on to learn the four first aid basics every workplace should teach its employees.
What Is First Aid?
First aid refers to a fast response to someone who has sustained an injury or illness. Its primary purpose is to temporarily assist an injured or ill person until professional medical care arrives in the fastest time possible.
Moreover, first aid is vital in the workplace. It can help save lives since it buys enough time until professional medical assistance is provided. It can also provide adequate support to victims by applying treatment and making them feel comforted and safer. Lastly, understanding first aid fundamentals can allow you to become more vigilant about your surroundings.
But how can you administer a first aid response if you don’t know its basics? Well, we’re here to help you. Continue reading for the insight.
What Are The First Aid Basics To Remember?
Since workplace accidents and injuries can happen at any time, employers should make an effort to educate their employees regarding first aid basics. That way, they can create a healthy and safe work environment and allow for initial medical intervention in case of an accident.
That said, below are the four first aid basics that every workplace should teach their workers:
Preparing Some First Aid Essentials
Providing first aid to injured or wounded employees in the workplace requires a lot of preparation. Aside from knowing which conditions need to be attended to, employers should also train their employees to prepare some first aid essentials when applying for first aid treatment. With the right first aid gear, employee responders can quickly respond to workplace emergencies.
Some basic first aid kit supplies that every workplace should include are:
- First Aid Instructions
- Medical Instrument Kit
- Medical Gloves
- Gauze Pads
- Antiseptic Wipes
- Painkillers
- Sling
- Tourniquet and other similar items.
Ideally, it would be best if each department in your company had a first aid kit with all the essential medical supplies. The purpose of this emergency kit is to help the injured employee get immediate medical attention while waiting for a medical team to arrive. So, each department or office in your company should have one.
Understanding The ‘Three Ps’ Of First Aid
Employers should teach their workforce the importance of the ‘three Ps’ when providing first aid in the workplace. These can include:
- Preserve Life
- Prevent Further Injury
- Promote Recovery
These three Ps are necessary when giving first aid treatment to an injured person. Thus, all the employees in the workplace should keep these three Ps in mind to keep the injured alive, prevent them from sustaining further injuries, and help them heal and recover.
Assessing The Accident Scene
Another first aid skill that every workplace should educate employees on is knowing how to assess an accident scene. When employees encounter an injured person in the workplace, inspecting the scene before providing first aid treatment is essential. In that case, employees should know how to evaluate the area for potential danger. If the accident area is dangerous, the threat should be eliminated first before rushing to the injured person.
Moreover, employers should teach employees to know the cause of the injury. In doing so, they should refrain from moving the injured person before the professionals arrive to avoid health complications. The next step is administering first aid when the injured person is safe.
Familiarizing The ABCD Of First Aid
When administering first aid, employers should also educate their employees about the ABCD of first aid. It is an essential component of first aid as it allows employee first responders to preserve the lives of people needing temporary assistance while waiting for professional medical services to arrive. The ABCD of first aid includes:
- Airway: This step involves titling the injured individual’s head to check their airway. When something is blocking the airway, the first responder should remove it immediately to keep the injured person safe.
- Breathing: This step involves checking the breathing of the person. It can be done by listening for air and examining chest movement. If the injured person isn’t breathing, the first responder should provide them with quick intake breaths.
- Compression: If giving intake breaths doesn’t work, the employee responder should perform compression. They can do this by applying pressure and determining the rate at which they should compress.
- Defibrillation: This is the last step that involves restoring someone’s heartbeat. However, unlike other steps, using a defibrillator requires a high skill level. In that case, employers should hire professionals to train employees in the fundamentals of defibrillation.
Upon completion of the initial ABCD assessment, the first responder should repeat it until the patient becomes stable. The first responder should also acknowledge that the effects of this procedure will likely manifest in a few minutes. So, they should be keen on observing the victim.
Conclusion
Ensuring safety at work can be crucial to smooth business operations. Because of this, every workplace should teach employees the basics of first aid. When employees know how to handle emergencies and administer first aid, employers can mitigate any harm in the workplace. Hence, it’s best to keep the information mentioned above in mind for employers wanting to train their workforce in first aid to maintain a safe work environment.