Learning Basic First Aid Could Save a Life

Have you ever been in a situation where an accident has occurred or someone has collapsed? Did you know what to do? In an emergency knowing basic first aid could help to save a life.

The first things to check for, if someone is unconscious, after you have called for medical assistance are:

• Airways – check that they are not blocked by the tongue, gently tilt head if necessary
• Breathing – check that they are breathing, perform mouth to mouth if they are not and continue breathing for them until help arrives.
• Circulation – chest compressions may be necessary along with breathing for the victim to maintain blood flow to the organs.

The person at the hospital will ask the necessary questions and talk you through what you need to do but if you have done a first aid course you will be able to act quickly and knowing CPR could save that person’s life. There are several organizations that offer courses in first aid and CPR and you can find them in the phonebook. You could learn CPR in an afternoon if you enrolled on a course.

Some jobs require that you hold a first aid certificate especially in the professions that are dealing with children and the care of the elderly. These are really good skills to have and you never know when this knowledge will be put to the test. You must do refresher courses every couple of years to keep up with current techniques and new findings. For each occupation different knowledge will be required and there are different courses available. When dealing with the elderly, weak bones and knowledge of how to treat a suspected fracture will be important, with young children, knowing what to do if they are choking would be important, different situations require different knowledge.

There is a huge amount of scope for the differing sources of mishaps, that being aware of hazards that are around you could save any potential problems.

There are occupational safety courses that deal with safety issues that belong to a particular occupation and these are usually organized by the company. Staff members are normally required to attend these courses for which they receive a certificate. This certificate will help if you get another job in the same occupation or field.

It can be helpful to have people to who can organize assistance and keep situations under control when accidents occur. Keeping panic and anxiety to a minimum is paramount and to remain calm and control of a situation helps immensely. Being prepared to the best of our capabilities is all we can do.