4 First Aid Tips Every Employee Must Know

Companies are required to make the workplace environment safe. However, accidents like team members getting injured can still occur despite putting precautions in place. That’s why your team must know the basic first aid procedures which they can apply in case of emergencies. Knowing the important first aid skills to learn is an integral part of creating a safe environment within your company.

Accordingly, first aid in the workplace is a temporary assistance an injured or ill person needs until emergency professionals arrive to provide medical care. First aid aims to prevent the situation from aggravating and minimize its effects. When your team members are equipped and prepared for any injuries or medical crises in the workplace, they can respond quickly and adequately to them.

It’s worth mentioning that first aid in the workplace should also cover CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) or AED (Automated External Defibrillator) training. So, if you’re looking forward to increasing the survival rates of sudden cardiac arrest in the workplace, working with life-saving companies like Avive can empower you and your team to respond to sudden cardiac arrest emergencies quickly and efficiently. 

Furthermore, you can share the essential first aid tips below with your team members to help deal with accidents and injuries in the workplace.

1. Remember The Primary Goals Of First Aid

First aid has three primary goals, also known as the “three P’s.” Preserve Life, Prevent Further Injury, Promote Recovery. These goals are simple on purpose, considering that most people panic and forget what they need to do when they have to provide temporary assistance. So, whenever there’s an emergency like an accident in the workplace, these goals should remind you and your team members to save a person’s life, keep them from further injuries, and help them recover.

2. Prepare A Well-Supplied First Aid Kit

Having a well-stocked first aid kit is the most significant thing to consider when preparing for any emergencies in the workplace. So, make sure you’re well-supplied with first aid items such as painkillers, bandages and tourniquets, anti-bacterial wipes, band-aids, cotton, rubbing alcohol, and other medical instrument kits. In addition, your team’s first aid kit should also include over-the-counter medicines like aspirin and ibuprofen.

3. Evaluate The Scene Of Danger

Regardless of the situation, you must first assess the scene before rushing in to assist the injured person. Otherwise, you run the risk of getting yourself injured. If that happens, you won’t be able to help the person who needs assistance. So, make sure you take a moment to analyze the scene of danger that could harm you by looking at any threat in the area around the injured individual.

On top of analyzing the scene, make sure to look for the cause of the injury if it’s safe to approach the person. Remember that the more you understand the state of the injured person, the more helpful you can be to medical experts. Also, while looking for the cause of injury, make sure not to move the injured person as internal injuries can be challenging to assess.

Therefore, instead of moving the injured individual, it’s highly advised to call the emergency services to let the medical professionals decide the best approach to move the injured person. It’s also worth remembering that as you wait for the emergency professionals and you’re uncertain about what’s wrong with the person, you can still do your best by keeping the person calm through words of assurance.

4. Determine Who’s In Charge To Provide First Aid

Each workplace department should have at least one or two members trained and selected to provide practical first aid assistance. This way, everyone knows who to call during emergencies like accidents that caused injuries or sudden onset symptoms of a medical condition. But if the scene involves loss of consciousness, severe bleeding, or back or head injury, it’s highly advised to call the medical professionals. 

While waiting for the assistance to arrive, try doing your best to make the injured team member feel comfortable by ensuring they’re breathing evenly. So, clear the area of all equipment and spectators that might be preventing good airflow to the injured person’s location. 

Furthermore, if you see any bleeding, look for a bandage or clean cloth and put it against the injured person’s cut or wound. If there’s a stuck unfamiliar object in the wound, don’t attempt to remove it. Just continue putting bandages or clean cloth to contain the bleeding while waiting for the energy professionals to arrive. 

Conclusion

Ultimately, medical professionals are not always instantly available during emergencies. For that reason, you need to give the life-saving directions above to your team members so that they can provide temporary assistance to an injured or ill individual in the workplace. Also, it’s worth noting that serious injuries or conditions may require more advanced caregiving services. So, make sure to do your best to contact the emergency hotline or get the injured or ill person to professional caregivers.