News

Would you know what to do if your child was injured? A basic first-aid course could make all the difference, says Sheridan McCoid

On the last day of the Christmas holidays, Doug Taylor, from Lewes in East Sussex, took his two children, Mia, 10, and Tom, eight, on their favourite walk to try out the camping kettle Doug had been given for Christmas. They walked for about 40 minutes before they stopped for tea. It was about 3.45pm and they couldn't hang around too long if they were to make it back to the car with some light.

A POLICE officer today encouraged people to take first aid courses - after emergency training enabled him to save a motorist's life.

Acting Sergeant Paul Smith, based at Suffolk police headquarters, claimed the first aid training he received was solely responsible for preventing the death of a heart-attack casualty at an incident.

Mr Smith was on duty in Felixstowe, dealing with a broken down lorry near the port gates when a car came out of a petrol station and ended up in collision with another truck.

HSE have recently released three papers as part of the consultation with stakeholders regarding proposed changes to the current First Aid at Work provision. The three papers are appended as PDF files below.
 

Consultation on Revised Guidance incorporating a new Training Regime for First Aiders in the Workplace.

Draft revised Approved Code of Practice and Guidance (L74)

A statement was issued by the American Heart Association (AHA) on 31/03/2008, recommending that bystanders who witness the sudden collapse of an adult should give chest compressions without ventilations, also known as ‘hands-only’ CPR.

First Graide UK delivers its First Aid courses following the guidelines issued by both the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) and UK Resuscitation Council and therefore, as the statement below from the ERC confirms, will not be changing the protocols currently taught.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has today issued a warning to construction companies about the importance of maintaining plant and equipment effectively, and training employees in its use. This warning comes after the partial collapse of an access cradle suspended from the exterior of a Sheffield office building in July 2003 which resulted in the death of one man, and injured three others. 

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning company directors and owners of the importance of implementing safe systems for working at height. This warning follows the prosecution of a Burton-on-Trent company after an incident in Uttoxeter when a worker, from Swadlincote, Derbyshire, was seriously injured.

To read an overview of the meeting please follow the link.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/review/june08.htm

Introduction
1 HSE recently conducted a consultation exercise on draft guidance for employers and first aid training providers to support changes to first aid training and approval arrangements. Findings of the consultation. Subsequently, HSE has met with stakeholder groups representing first aid training providers to address specific issues relating to the future approval of these training organisations. Summary note of that meeting.