health & safety
Changes to First Aid Training
If you’re thinking about refreshing your workplace’s first aid training, now is a good time. In February 2016, the Canadian Guidelines
Consensus Task Force, which includes organizations like the Heart and Stroke Foundation, St. John Ambulance and the Canadian
Red Cross, released new guidelines on first aid and CPR.
The new guidelines reflect the task force’s collaborative discussion and interpretation of the new science and best practice rec-ommendations
as they relate to first aid and resuscitation training.
Some of the changes include:
• Instead of cleaning a cut with soap
and water, skip the soap and rinse
the wound for five minutes with
clean, running tap water instead.
Several studies demonstrated pos-sible
toxicity to cells when exposed
directly to soap and water.
• Adults experiencing chest pain
should chew one adult or two low-dose
aspirins while waiting for
emergency medical assistance to
arrive (unless they have an allergy
or bleeding disorder).
• In the case of severe allergic reac-tion,
first aid providers should help
administer a second dose of epi-nephrine
if there are no signs of
improvement after the first dose.
Some studies have shown that it
is most effective to administer the
second dose within 5-10 minutes
of the first if symptoms have not
stopped progressing.
• When someone experiences a blow
to the head, she should stop activity
immediately, whether sport-related
or in the workplace, and seek med-ical
aid (even if there aren’t signs of
a concussion).
• The routine use of cervical collars is
no longer recommended as they can
cause complications and discom-fort
for the injured person. Instead, in
suspected cervical spine injury, the
new guidelines recommend manu-ally
supporting the head in position,
limiting angular movement, until
more advanced care arrives.
• If an adult is experiencing hypogly-cemia
(low blood sugar, usually as
a diabetic), he needs glucose tab-lets,
which provide the needed 15
to 20 grams of sugars or carbo-hydrates
that raise blood glucose
levels. If glucose tablets aren’t
available, other dietary sugars are
recommended, including (in order
of preference):
• Glucose candy (Mentos)
• Sucrose candy (Skittles)
• Jelly beans
• Orange juice
• Fructose (fruit leather)
• Whole milk
If symptoms persist after 10 minutes,
another dose can be administered.
emergency situation. We’re using data like
this to shape the way we teach first aid.”
The Canadian Red Cross advocates for
an injury prevention culture in the work-place
by working with management and
HR in companies to teach them what they
need to create a safe space.
In order to better reach all workplaces
and employees, they are transitioning to
a learner-centered method of delivering
training.
“We want facilitators to adapt the con-tent
of first aid training to the audience’s
needs. If you have a workplace with a high
hazard for slips and falls, the training
should focus on that. It’s a massive shift
for us,” said Marentette.
GETTING THE TRAINING
HR professionals can have a role to play
in ensuring their workplaces get the right
training for their particular environment.
Marentette suggests initiating brainstorm-ing
as a team, floor or organization about
the kinds of hazards and health risks that
are likely to affect your workplace. From
there, you could request first aid training
from certified professionals that focuses
on those risks, as well as other basics, such
as CPR.
The Canadian Red Cross and other cer-tified
first aid training organizations offer
train-the-trainer workshops to make it
more cost-effective and convenient for ap-pointed
workplace officials to train their
colleagues, so that everyone takes on the
responsibility.
“It can be as simple as pointing out that
someone’s shoes are untied, or recognizing
wet spots on the floor that could be slip-pery.
Identifying hazard areas is a huge
part of reducing injuries and shouldn’t just
be done by management,” said Marentette.
Ideally, first aid skills should be re-freshed
and practiced quarterly or at least
a couple times a year, says Marentette.
Though the most common workplace
hazards vary by industry, Marentette
says that slips and falls are number one in
most workplaces, followed by sprains and
strains and cuts and scrapes.
It’s critical that every employee has basic
first aid training, knows where the first aid
kit is (including what’s in it and how to use
it) and can spot and do something about
hazards in the workplace.
Marentette says the contents of the 36
approved first aid kits in the country will
vary, but each kit should contain:
■■ CPR mask
■■ Gauze
■■ Non-latex examining gloves
■■ Self-adhesive bandages
■■ Triangular bandages (cravat)
“At the end of the day, regular conversa-tions
about first aid and engaging everyone
in safety is what’s most important. If we
can get people to be okay to talk about
safety and first aid as part of everyday life,
we’re pretty convinced it will help prevent
injuries,” said Marentette. n
HRPATODAY.CA ❚ JULY/AUGUST 2016 ❚ 33