You don’t need to be a doctor or a first responder to take first aid courses. Having first aid certification is useful for any citizen because emergencies can happen at any time: at home, at work, at school, you name it. So what are the key takeaways from typical first aid training courses? Read on to find out more.
1. Emergency Situations
There are many things that can be considered an emergency. Someone may go into cardiac arrest. Maybe someone is choking, has suffered a puncture wound from a knife or, in extreme cases, has been shot. When you take first aid courses, you learn what to do in various crises. For example, you learn how to initiate CPR when someone stops breathing.
2. Safety Protocols
Safety hazards are all around us. It could be a crack in the sidewalk, a slippery floor, or an unstable hanging fixture. Certain jobs also come with a particular amount of hazards, especially construction. According to the CDC, 27% of the 888,220 nonfatal work injuries in 2019 were related to slips, trips, and falls. Understanding proper safety protocols can help reduce these types of accidents.
3. Different Injuries
First aid training courses teach you how to manage different injuries that can occur. During such accidents or emergencies, if somebody has a stroke, broke a leg, suffers a burn, or goes into cardiac arrest, there are different ways to deal with each situation. When you’re helping somebody who has suffered an injury, you want to make sure you don’t inadvertently make the situation worse. The goal is to save their life and prevent life-altering injuries if possible.
4. Proper Use of Equipment
When you’re trying to save someone’s life or prevent further injury, you may need to use certain equipment until trained medical staff can arrive. A first aid course will teach you how to use such equipment. For example, you may learn how to create a splint in case someone breaks a bone or how to create a tourniquet to stop someone from bleeding out. The course also teaches you the best way to bandage someone to prevent infection from setting in.
These are just some of the key takeaways from first aid training courses. Anyone who has the time or the initiative to do so should certainly invest in this certification. Contact ETC Compliance Solutions today for more information.