Each
year, more than 2.2 million people worldwide die from work-related injuries
and illnesses. So our ultimate goal should be to prevent injuries and
deaths by focusing on safe practices at work.
Should an injury or sudden illness occur, emergency care often makes
the difference between life and death, rapid versus prolonged recovery,
and temporary versus permanent disability.
First-aid training plays a vital role in one’s ability to react
to emergencies and provide assistance to injury or accident victims.
First aid isn’t always about saving lives – it is frequently
about providing initial care until emergency medical service providers
are available.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations require that
first-aid services be readily available or accessible to employees.
It is a basic obligation of employers, especially those who are far
from medical facilities, to provide first-aid equipment, training and
personnel.
According to the “1910 OSHA Regulations Guide,” additional
or separate first-aid requirements are mandated for many industries,
so consult the regulations to ensure you’re in compliance.
Do you need a trained first-aid provider?
Determining if you need a designated trained individual to provide first
aid partly depends on your distance to medical treatment or emergency
response time. In areas where accidents from suffocation, severe bleeding
or other life-threatening injuries or illnesses can be expected, a maximum
three-to-four-minute response form the time of injury is required.
Where life-threatening injuries are less likely, a 15-minute response
time is acceptable. If these time frames are not achievable, adequately
trained and equipped first responders must be available.
Keep in mind that your work site, be it a field, grove or orchard, may
be some distance from your office, so response times for these remote
locations also must be considered. You may need to train supervisors,
crew leaders and field mechanics in first aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.
Minimum first-aid training requirements
First aid and CPR training can be provided through a number of nationally
recognized programs, such as Medic First Aid International and the American
Red Cross. Topics must include:
Pretreatment assessment of the scene and patient
condition.
Initial communications with the victim and bystanders.
Mobilizing emergency medical services.
Assessing the airway, breathing and circulation before treating an injury
or acute illness.
Proper techniques for rescue breathing and CPR.
Bandaging and splintering.
Immobilizing and moving the victim.
Treatment of wounds and broken bones.
Treatment of chest or abdominal pain, shortness of breath and shock.
Legal aspects of providing first aid.
Rescue and transport of victims.
Treatment of contaminated materials.
OSHA first-aid requirements should be seen as
minimum standards for most organizations. Additional training in the
use of automated external defibrillators and emergency oxygen may be
useful, and first-aid providers should be aware of the risk of blood-borne
pathogens. Supplemental training in areas such as burns, toxic chemical
inhalation, severed limbs, insect bites and stings, eye injuries and
ladder falls, also is a good idea.
Emergency responders have to work quickly and safely, so they should
always be prepared. Make sure that a CPR mask and fully stocked first-aid
kits are readily available.
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