Unpleasant though it may be, the fact remains that accidents happen. Even experiencing it as a bystander, an accident is not a pleasant scene.
If an accident happens in the workplace, you cannot be a helpless witness, since simply standing by can potentially worsen the situation. This is why it’s important to have at least a basic knowledge of first aid.
At its most basic, first aid is the initial assistance given to a victim of injury or illness. Comprised of relatively simple techniques that can be performed with rudimentary equipment, first aid is usually carried out by a layperson until professional medical assistance arrives.
Providing quick medical treatment until professional assistance arrives
The importance of first aid is hard to overestimate. Among the major benefits of first aid are the following:
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It affords people with the ability to provide help during various emergency situations. If someone ingests hazardous substances, or suffers health-related issues like a heart attack, or if a natural disaster occurs, a person knowledgeable in first aid becomes more than just another bystander. Instead, they become an invaluable support not only to victims, but also to professional emergency responders and medical practitioners.
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First aid helps ensure that the right methods of administering medical assistance are provided. Knowing how to help a person is just as important in emergency situations. It only takes six minutes for the human brain to expire due to lack of oxygen. As such, ineptitude and misinformation will not be of much help to a person in need of medical assistance.
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Knowledge in first aid also benefits the individuals themselves. Whether the emergency affects themselves directly, or involves people they live and work with, first aid stems the severity of an emergency in a given time and place.
While everyone can benefit from first aid training, it may be a more necessary requirement for certain people. People who educate and watch over children ideally should be able to perform first aid. Day care center personnel and nannies should be able to assist children immediately in case of emergencies. Lifeguards should also be certified in first aid procedures.
Various businesses require their employees to be trained in first aid. The type and extent of the training depends on the job specifics. However, anyone who works in high-risk environments should have basic first aid knowledge. As such, many employees in factories, machine shops and industrial plants are provided with lessons in first aid procedures.
Accidents will always happen. Because of this, properly-trained individuals and the right first aid equipment help ensure better safety for everyone. Without the proper first aid, a simple injury could turn into something much more severe. Many fatalities resulting from accidents and emergency situations result from lack of immediate medical treatment. First aid doesn’t just facilitate recovery. It helps save lives.