Recognized Workplace First Aid training in Australia

The Emergency First Response First Aid at Work course (Asia Pacific edition) is aligned to the Australian Nationally Recognized Training unit of competency HLTFA301B Apply First Aid from the Health Training Package. The majority of industries and companies in Australia are required to have a certain number of people employed with a recognized workplace first aid qualification. Emergency First Response First Aid at Work meets this requirement, thus providing a wider range of products for the Australian public to choose from. 

Emergency First Response uses state of the art training materials and teaching techniques, allowing for greater time spent on developing practical skills with the instructor instead of spending time in class developing knowledge. The wide range of First Aid at Work training materials include a handy participant manual for independent study, allowing students to develop their knowledge at their own pace and in the comfort of their home. The First Aid at Work (Asia Pacific) Participant Manual is sized to easily fit in a first aid kit and contains a very usual index to quickly find any references needed.

The unique design of the course allows the instructor the flexibility to develop a program that suits specific work environments whilst complying with all national requirements at the same time, for example a building site, warehouse orientated environment or a company whose business takes place on the 31^st floor of a sky rise. The benefits of a trainer coming to your workplace to conduct the course are endless, but here are a few immediate advantages that come to mind:

• The First Aid at Work course can be used as credit in the vocational training system
• The course meets workplace and vocational training requirements

• It addresses potential hazards specific to your individual workplace
• When conducted at your workplace, employees spend less time away from the office, allowing more employees to complete the course
• Scheduling to suit your business requirements

We hope that the above information provides you with some insight in how the Emergency First Response Fist Aid at Work course can meet your business needs whilst satisfying government regulations. Find an Emergency First Response Fist Aid at Work Instructor by searching the online course finder, selecting Australia and then your specific State or Territory.

Bring Your EFR CPR and First Aid class to “Life”

Want to make your EFR courses fun and exciting while imparting a sense of realism? Use scenario practice to introduce realism by using props to guide participants through problems they might face in their environment.

Step 1 – Research the Environment

The first thing you’ll want to do is research your audience and the environment in which they will apply their skills. If you are teaching a course involving warehouse workers at the local shipping company, consider the hazards they face. Heavy machinery to lift boxes? The boxes or crates themselves? In this case it might be a good idea to walk the area itself to see what the hazards actually are. Another easy way is to interview the safety officer and find out what injuries have actually occurred in the past.

The same goes if your audience is looking to help with incidents in the home. What are the injuries that they face in or around their home?

Last but not least, what about the large scale regional problems? Is the audience in an earthquake zone? In an area prone to tornados? A flood plain?

Step 2 – Props, Props, Props

Now that you know a little bit about the environment in which your participants live or work you can think about what kind of props will add realism.

This is where you can let your imagination run wild. Have a look at the scenarios you’ll be covering in your course then have a walk through your home to see what you can use during practice. Here’s just a partial list of what you might find and what you can use it for:

• Shaving cream – perfect to simulate blood and show responders where they are touching patients without gloves
• Adhesive notes – used to assign health problems for patients
• Stage blood, food coloring, makeup or lipstick – wound simulation
• Sporting equipment such as football helmets, skateboards or skates – adds realism to scenarios – especially those involving children
• Jumper cables – great to simulate an electrical emergency
• Lights, sirens or strobe lights – adds the realism of responders coming to the accident scene
• Car or motorcycle – great way to practice one of the most common ways your responders will use their skills
• Empty cardboard boxes and packing paper – for simulated earthquake rubble
• Newspapers and magazines – splinting material
• First aid kits or oxygen units – allow participants to use the real thing in practice
• Mobile phone or two-way radio – to practice calling for help. The two way radio is great because is lets participants interact with someone for added realism.
• Portable CD player – to add sound effects for wind, rain, lightning, street traffic, etc

Step 3 – Make it Fun

Although Emergency First Response courses deal with a serious topic that doesn’t mean you can’t make learning fun. You can do that by creating games or challenges based on certain skills. The glove removal exercise is a great example. Challenge the participants to see who can remove their gloves without touching the outside. Once they’ve all got a handle on that skill, you can bring in one of your props and up the ante by covering their palms with shaving cream. It seems simple and a bit silly but it’s an effective way of bringing the point home about why participants need to be careful with their glove removal.

Healthy Summer Days

Photo Courtesy of Dreamstime

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between the years of 1979-2003 more people in the US died from extreme heat than from hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes combined. Heat related deaths are highly preventable so make sure your summer days of swimming pools and barbeques stay lazy, happy, and most importantly healthy.  Follow these rules for your home, family, and pets to make sure your summer is a great one!

In Your Home

• Install window air conditioners snugly; insulate if necessary.
• Check air-conditioning ducts for proper insulation.
• Weather-strip doors and sills to keep cool air in.
• Cover windows that receive morning or afternoon sun with drapes, shades, awnings, or louvers. (Outdoor awnings or louvers can reduce the heat that enters a home by up to 80 %.)
• Keep storm windows up all year.

For You and Your Family

• Increase your intake of non-alcoholic, non-carbonated, caffeine free beverages such as water and juice.
• Wear clothing that is light in color and loose fitting.
• Stay in an air-conditioned environment, if possible.
• Check on the elderly, as they are especially susceptible to heat related illness.
• Eliminate strenuous activity when temperatures rise.
• Eat fewer foods that increase metabolic activity / heat. Proteins are an example. Increased metabolic heat increases water loss.
• Complete a first aid class to know the signs of heat related health problems and how to respond.

For Your Pet

• Never leave your pet inside the car no matter what.
• Keep your pet hydrated. Check her bowl often and bring plenty of water when you venture out.
• Apply sunscreen. Like humans, sunburn can cause pain, peeling, and skin cancer. Be sure to rub a bit of sun block on the tips of her ears, the skin around her lips, and the tip of her nose.
• Keep your pet groomed. Her fur is designed to protect her from the sun and insulate her from the heat. If she has extremely thick hair or a lot of mats and tangles, her fur may trap too much heat.
• Keep your pet indoors on very hot days.

Responder in Action

Jeff Bloomer – Saint Charles, Illinois, USA

While out for a drive on the weekend, Jeff Bloomer came across an auto accident. A SUV had made a 180-degree turn in front of a passenger vehicle. The passenger vehicle had struck the SUV and flipped onto its roof. As Bloomer approached the scene, his training kicked in and he assessed the situation. He immediately had a bystander call for an ambulance and turned his attention to the agitated crowd who was attempting to help. The driver of the passenger car – a conscious woman – was hanging upside down and restrained by her seat belt. Bloomer approached and identified himself as an Emergency Responder and asked if he could help. This quieted the crowd – most of whom wanted to pull the woman from the car – and put him in control of the situation. After speaking with the woman and finding out she had emphysema and was having trouble breathing, Bloomer asked a bystander to retrieve her inhaler from the back seat. At the same time, he assessed the woman’s spine and extremities. He found no obvious problems and, with the assistance of others, released her seat belt and gently lowered the woman to the ground. Emergency medical personnel arrived shortly thereafter and took control of the scene. At a hectic and charged accident scene, Bloomer noted, “I was very surprised at how calm and in control I was while others made very emotional decisions.”

Responder in Action

Kathy Ravert had been regularly caring for a woman with Parkinson’s disease.  One morning, while eating a waffle, Kathy’s charge suddenly seemed to be in distress and appeared to be choking.  The woman pointed to a glass of water but there wasn’t any noise coming from her.  Kathy recognized this as a sign that the woman was not getting any air and in serious trouble.  At that point Kathy knew she had to act quickly. She took control of the situation by immediately telling the nearby housekeeper to call 911 and began to perform the Heimlich maneuver.  Luckily, Kathy was able to dislodge the piece of waffle!  As the woman began to breathe again the housekeeper proclaimed, “She’s back!”  

Emergency First Response congratulates Kathy on a job well done!

EFR Training Opportunities with the Boy Scouts of America

First-aid training is woven throughout the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) program as concrete evidence that Boy Scouts are prepared to help others. Consequently, Emergency First Response training is an ideal compliment to their motto, “Be Prepared.” Many EFR Instructors have found unique opportunities to provide first aid and CPR training through local BSA troops, teams, and crews. With over 4.5 million registered Scouts in the United States and it’s territories, BSA is one of the nations largest and most prominent youth development organizations.

Scout leaders are required to maintain current CPR and first aid certification. First aid requirements are integrated throughout the BSA system of rank advancement.  Over 80,000 boys earned the First Aid merit badge in 2008. Additionally, first aid requirements are scattered throughout many of the other 121 merit badges. Merit badges are required for rank advancement and the First Aid merit badge is required for the highest rank in the Boy Scouts, “Eagle Scout.”

As Emergency First Response Instructors, you are uniquely qualified to become First Aid merit badge counselors. In 2005, Emergency First Response programs were recognized to meet the CPR and first aid training requirements of the Boy Scouts of America. Merit badge counselors are people who are knowledgeable about the various merit badge subjects approved by BSA and experts in their field. Emergency First Response Instructor may apply to serve as a counselor for the First Aid merit badge.  The counselor is responsible for ensuring all the defined skills are completed to a satisfactory level. They act as a mentor and instructor to the youth. To qualify as a merit badge counselor, you must complete a BSA adult application form. Applicants go through the same background review and approval process as registered adult leaders.  Visit http://www.scouting.org for a merit badge counselor orientation guide (how to be an instructor).

How do I contact my local BSA Council or District?

Visit http://www.scouting.org/ to find a Boy Scout Council near you.  On the home page of www.scouting.org, click on Local Councils tab – put in your zip code and it will return the council information.  You can then search for the smaller Districts that make up the Council.  Doing this should provide you with contact information for the District Executive. Contact the District Executive to discuss your interest in getting involved by providing EFR training to meet the CPR and first aid training needs of the scouts in your area.

Atta-Boy

Here at Emergency First Response we pride ourselves on offering high quality training.  It is a pleasure to recieve letters such as this one from Jessica Mitchell, a Human Resource Director from Premier Pan Company

Dear Mr. Doviat:

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of having a Mr. Andreas (Andy) Kunig come into my organization to perform First Aid/CPR/AED training for several members of my staff. This is training that we are required to offer to our employees who are our first responders for accidents, injuries and other significant incidents that may happen in our manufacturing facility.   Our last instructor left a bit to be desired, so we looked elsewhere for someone to do the training. Andy was kind enough to spend the entire day here, teaching the class twice for us. I usually don’t get much in the way of feedback from our staff when we have these things, so I was a bit surprised at how many people stopped me to tell me how the program went. If they got that much out of it, I thought perhaps you would want to know. It is my experience that if there is a problem, people are more than willing to tell you, but that good deed and actions often go unnoticed. I have sent a similar note to his boss.

I personally did not sit in on either session, so I am just passing on the feedback that several members of my staff gave. Everyone that I spoke with was thrilled with the information he gave them. Our Safety Director, who has been through these classes dozens of times, said Andy was the best trainer we’ve ever had. We’ve had other organizations as well as local EMS providers in to do our training in years past, and they not NEARLY as thorough as Andy was. The consensus was that he was professional, funny, and knew this information inside and out, and my staff thoroughly enjoyed what is normally a very dry and boring training session.  This is the first training class that they came out of thinking that they had the knowledge that they needed to help someone in case of an emergency. I’ve never had anyone tell me they LIKED a training session before! By far, this was the best training on any topic that our employees have received!

I know I’ll have to re-train on this in 2 years, and he’ll be the first person I call.  

Sincerely,

Jessica Mitchell – Premier Pan Company

EFR  applauds Andreas (Andy) Kunig for a great job!

Connecticut AED Bill Effective July 1

Gov. M. Jodi Rell of Connecticut has signed a bill that makes automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) available in schools. The legislation, Senate Bill 981, was prompted by the 2007 death of 15-year-old athlete, who died after collapsing during a run. There was no AED available.

“Today, with this law, we can help do much more,” Gov. Rell said. “Beginning July 1, the law will help ensure that every school has an AED on site. They are proven life-saving devices but only if they are accessible.”

The law requires that a school board have an AED in each school in its jurisdiction if funding is available. It also ensures at least two staff members are trained to use the live-saving equipment. The governor also signed companion bill, Senate Bill 1089, which reduces liability issues for AED users.