Brisbane -First Aid Training in the Workplace

Occupational Health and Safety requirements in the provision of First Aid Training certification are guided by the First Aid Code of Practice (2004) which provides practical advice to employers and employees. It covers first aid personnel, first aid kits, first aid rooms, first aid signs, accident response plans, risk management and accident response plans. All States and Territories within Australia are required to follow their relevant legislation.
It is the responsibility of employers to have procedures in place to deal with major and minor accidents in the workplace. It is the employees responsibility to follow these procedures of First Aid Training certification.

The fundamentals of Occupational Health and Safety include:

• State the primacy principles of Occupational Health and Safety.
• List the role and responsibilities of employers and employees.
• State the functions of health and safety committees.
• List the powers of Workplace Health and Safety inspectors.
• Describe the principles of risk management.
• Explain why personal protective equipment is used.

Within the Work Environment
First Aid Training Courses Describe possible hazards.

• Recognize various safety signs.
• Define an 'emergency situation'.
• Identify a range of fire extinguishers suitable for a specific type of fire.
• Recognize chemicals as hazardous substances.
• Identify hazards, equipment and precautions with respect to working at heights.
• Define a 'confined space' and its potential hazards.

Manual Handling

• Define manual handling.
• Describe correct lifting procedures.
• List typical manual handling injuries.

Each state and territory has legislation in place regarding the relevant requirements for workplaces; these requirements will give recommendations on items such as the required size of first aid kits and equipment needed for the level of risk as well as the number of first aiders required within that workplace.

First Aid Training And Courses Provided By Immediate Response.

The team at Immediate Response First Aid training are privileged to have the chance to provide people with our First Aid courses. Our aim is assisting others.
Our goal is to raise awareness and on how to manage medical emergencies like:

• Anaphylaxis
• Diabetes
• Heart attack

And to teach people the skills to act with injuries like:

• Choking
• Fractures
• Head injuries
• Amputations

First Aid is about knowing simple, lifesaving skills. Each week I am going to discuss ways these issues can be managed.
The information I provide is in accordance with the Australian Resuscitation Council guidelines, but is intended as tip for emergency assistance only.
To ensure you too can assist others you should begin a First Aid Training Course.
The 1^st tip I will pass on to you is this:
If the injury/situation looks bad, call for emergency help, trust me Paramedics would prefer to arrive at a job where the casualty is now recovering then to get there too late, use and trust your own instincts.



This week’s management
Managing a suspected Spinal Injury:

Creating further damage when dealing with a suspected spinal injury is always a great concern for first aiders.

The vertebrae is in 5 sections and contains 28 bones (some of these are fused to create a “joined bone”) and of course supports and protects the spinal cord which is carrying signals from the brain to different parts of the body.
If the injured person is conscious and can give symptoms of the pain eg: tingling in the hands, feet, or worse no sense of felling at all leave them on their back or in the position you have found them, avoid any movement of their vertebrae assisting with immobilization if possible. If you are trained to do so and the equipment is available apply a neck brace or collar for support, constantly monitor their A.B.C and treat for shock while you are waiting for the professionals.
If the injured person is unconscious we should still be concerned about the movement of the vertebrae and must manage the causality with as much care as possible but in this case the causality must be rolled onto their side into the lateral position ensuring spinal alignment as this is done.
The reason the unconscious causality must be moved is that there is a greater risk of blocking of the airway by their tongue or aspirating (choking on their vomit) when left on their back which will result in suffocation of the causality. The A.R.C (Australian Resuscitation Council) states that “airway management must take precedence over ever other condition including spinal damage”.
I look forward to giving more tips and information and how to assist others who may be in trouble.