Working in a safe environment is essential. This is because every employee needs to feel safe whenever they are at their workplace. Therefore, having training on first aid for workplace is quintessential.
Most workplaces present various types of hazards for the workers. Low-risk workplaces are those considered to have minimal exposure to dangers. You will find various dangers that can cause serious injuries and even illnesses. Therefore, the availability of first aid for workplace is essential because it can save a life.
What Is First Aid For Workplace?
First aid is the first treatment administered to someone injured or sick. Likewise, first aid for workplace provides emergency care to employees and anyone at the workplace as soon as it happens. The first aid is just until the person gets medical attention or recovers.
Emergencies That Require First Aid
Emergencies in the workplace are often unforeseen. Oftentimes, the situation is caused by an abrupt injury or illness and requires immediate medical attention. Unless you are working in the hospital, you need to have sufficient knowledge of first aid for workplace to help someone whenever the need be.
Generally, the type of emergency that can occur at the workplace is determined by the type of environment the employees are in.
You may be at risk of falling from heights or burns, or even things falling on you in high-risk workplaces like a construction site or chemical plant. In these cases, emergency preparedness is different.
Conversely, places like the office are deemed as low-risk environments and pose dissimilar types of hazards. These places may experience a person going into a cardiac arrest or even a stroke (in the worst-case scenario). Others may slip and fall on slippery flows or when they miss a step in what is referred to as minor occurrences. These include:
- sprains or broken bones
- nonstop bleeding from cuts
- small burns
- sprained muscles
- allergic reactions
- seizures
First Aid Kits for Workplace
Besides adequate training on first aid for workplace, you also need to equip the office with the right kits for the task. There are three Ps to keep in mind when it comes to emergency aid for the workplace. These include preserving life, preventing deterioration, and promoting recovery. Therefore, the first aid box should consist of basic equipment for attending to situations.
- Assorted (sizes) sterilized gauze pads
- surgical tapes
- band-aids of various sizes
- antibiotic ointments for burns
- antiseptic wipes
- antiseptic solution
- saline wipes
- adhesive tape
- sterilized adhesive dressing
- face shield with valve for resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
Knowing how to perform CPR is essential when it comes to first aid for workplace. CPR combines various techniques that involve compressing the chest and pumping breath to restore circulation and provide air to the brain. You can identify a person who needs CPR by their way of breathing or if their heart beats faintly. It usually happens until professional help arrives.
Steps to Performing CPR
- Ensure the victim is lying flat on their back and on a firm surface. Then kneel next to them and place your hand in the middle of their chest
- Interlock your fingers while keeping your hands straight
- Start compressing the chest, while you keep your shoulders above the victim’s chest
- Help open the airway of the patient by pushing open their chin
- Blow into the patient’s mouth continuously until their chest rises (rescue breath)
- Observe as the chest falls and repeat the rescue breath
- Continue compressing the chest while giving rescue breathes until the person stabilizes
Conclusion
First aid for workplace is quite essential. Therefore, every employer should adopt the exercise on the premises. They are supposed to ensure there are enough staff members who have undergone first aid training to deliver the services when needed. However, it is essential as an employee to state any underlying health issues beforehand for consideration of first aid needs.
