For anyone working in any business, first aid could genuinely be a life saving skill when you least expect it. However, don’t make the mistake of thinking that random life-threatening situations are the only reason to go on a professional course to learn about emergency first aid.
There are many more benefits which could help you or employees in your workplace, and businesses should consider these. We have spoken to the experts at First Aid Training & Event Cover, who provide first aid training in Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool, to come up with this list which covers just a few of those benefits.
1) Cut down on accidents
Unnecessary accidents in the workplace can be dangerous, plus they cost time and money. Often, observing simple health and safety guidelines can eliminate risks and prevent these from ever happening. As such, someone trained to be responsible for enforcing these guidelines could be a valuable asset.
2) Prevent people from panicking
If people don’t know what to do, they will often freeze instead and do nothing. Worse still, they could panic and make mistakes. This wastes valuable time in an emergency and can even contribute to unnecessary deaths. Training on what techniques may be useful and when it is appropriate to use them can give people a lot more confidence about offering help.
3) Provide better emergency treatment
Of course, an obvious advantage which we already mentioned is that someone qualified to provide first aid in the case of an emergency or severe injury could literally save lives. It is important for managers and employers to do all they can to ensure the safety of their employees or colleagues, and first aid training from a professional expert could be an excellent step.
4) Help people outside of work
Your employees won’t forget everything they learn about health and safety when they leave work, as long as they have been taught proper techniques and procedures which can be applied to multiple situations. This means you are helping to protect them and others in their daily lives outside of the workplace.
5) Build better relationships
Training in itself can be a very beneficial experience when done as a group. This can help colleagues learn new ways of interacting and communicating more effectively. Since first aid is all about thinking quickly and acting responsibly, these qualities could be beneficial when applied to other areas of life and work.
6) Make good use of equipment and supplies
You may have first aid kits and other medical supplies on site, but nobody actually qualified to use them or even know when they are appropriate. This is highly inefficient and could lead to severe consequences in unforeseen circumstances. Proper training equips people to make use of the resources they have available.