First Aid Course: Importance In Business And Home Life

EMCARE, founded in 1997, is a training company specializing in health and safety, located in all major cities in South Africa. The various courses offered here at EMCARE include emergency evaluation training, health & safety, firefighting, emergency medical, and first aid courses. The following article will address the importance participating in a first aid courses for work life as well as home life.

Introduction

Acquiring training through first aid courses offers participants an invaluable skill set that equips them with the necessary knowledge needed to help in a medical emergency. One might think knowledge and training that is derived from first aid courses is only essential for businesses and in the workplace, but training in first aid can seriously aid and provide beneficial time and life-saving skills for accidents that have occurred in a person's home and domestic life. Below you will find a comprehensive list of the key benefits acquired by training in a first aid course. So let us review what these courses can do for you in the workplace as well as in your home life.

First Aid Courses and the Workplace Environment

1. Workplace Accidents
   First aid courses can prove to be critical in lessening the amount of workplace accidents. In many instances, businesses and workplaces can contain potentially hazardous and dangerous environments, machinery, tools, or structures to name but a few. These factors increase the likelihood of accidents occurring.
   
   A misconception of first aid courses is that a person is merely trained to provide medical assistance to another once they are already injured. But this is not the case, in fact first aid courses train people and employees to act swiftly and effectively in circumstances where there is potential for accidents as well. This minimizes the potential severity of injuries and can even negate damage caused be hesitancy.
   
   When there are first aid trained personnel in the work environment your place of employment is more likely to be able to handle and prevent medical emergencies, which in turn makes the environment safer overall.
   
   
2. Legality
   In terms of law, namely the Occupational Health and Safety Act 85 of 1993, there is a legal obligation for businesses and organizations to have employees trained in first aid courses available and on-site. The provisions of the Act and law provide for the safety and well-being of employees, when a business fails to comply with this requirement, legal consequences will ensue.
   
   
3. Confidence Booster
   A sense of confidence is instilled in anybody who has completed a first aid course, along with this confidence, employees feel more safe and secure in the work environment, knowing themselves or another employee is able to deal with medical emergencies if necessary. This confidence can lead to a more productive and positive work environment.
   
   
4. Response to emergencies
   Workplaces are no strangers to accidents, such as fires, structural damage, and medical emergencies - like workplace injuries or an inflammation of medical conditions. Without proper training in a first aid course, there would be a lack of response and situational awareness, resulting in more damage and injury occurring.
   
   With a skillful and knowledgeable person trained in a first aid course, there is a faster assessment of the situation and immediate medical care can be administered in the time it takes for medical professionals to arrive in on the scene. Time management is a vital skill that is enshrined in a first aid course, as fast thinking and assessing emergencies correctly can help improve the chances of a person's survival and reduction of permanent or increasing damage and injury.

First Aid courses and Home-life application

1. Household injuries
   Accidents, as much as they occur at work and on the job, also occur frequently in a home environment. Where children, the elderly, and pets are involved, first aid courses can be highly beneficial to protect and negate serious injuries to your loved ones. Choking, cuts, bruises, falls, and burns are all common household injuries. A first aid course can teach individuals, homemakers, nannies, and parents how to manage and address these injuries effectively and reduce pain and further complications.
   
   
2. Coping ability
   In instances where a family member has a pre-existing medical condition, such as epilepsy, diabetes or asthma, having experience and first aid training allows family members and individuals to be able to quickly analyse the situation and use their training effectively to remedy the situation. Knowing what to do in a medical situation can be the difference between life and death.
   
   
3. Preparedness
   A first aid course is not limited to cuts and bruises but to a wide array of different medical emergencies that may arise. First aid courses provide training that helps households prepare for a variety of emergencies ranging from natural disasters, power outages to acts of violence. Individuals who participate and complete a first aid course are statistically more likely to have, at least one, well-stocked and maintained first aid kit in the house, and a plan in case of emergencies with the knowledge and skills to use and execute their plans if necessary.
   
   
4. Safety
   With an education and certificate in a first aid course, a culture of safety is cultivated and provided for within the home and family unit. Households where family members are knowledgeable and aware of any potential risks and have the means to address and deal with them effectively, are statistically more likely to ensure and adopt safer practices that reduce the likelihood of accidents from occurring within the family and house, thus creating a safer and more secure home and living environment.
   
   

EMCARE

As confirmed above, training and knowledge in a first aid course are highly beneficial for both workplace employees and for home life and family members. Do not hesitate to enroll your employees, or even yourself in a first aid course at EMCARE. EMCARE ensures that you will receive high-quality service and training through our industry leading first aid courses. To invest in a first aid course, is to invest in your safety and the safety of those around you.