First Aid for Small Business

First aid is one of those things that you hope you will never need, but is a good thing to have the training for if a situation arises. Bringing a trainer into the workplace can also be part of a team-building exercise, as it encourages people to work together to learn for a common goal.

Many Workplace First Aid courses also include a Workplace Safety component, which teaches staff to identify dangerous situations before accidents happen. This can have a significant impact on the bottom line in terms of both human cost (lost time, Worker's Comp claims administration time) and insurance and claims costs.

First Aid Precautions (know-how)

1. The first rule in first aid is SAFETY. When assisting someone else do not become the second casualty. For instance, do not enter a burning building to rescue someone unless you are trained to do so, and if you are not a swimmer, do not enter deep water to rescue someone who is drowning.
2. Make sure that you are not doing more harm than good. Avoid going beyond your training; leave the medical stuff to the Paramedics and the Doctors.

   Stay away from medication unless the patient/casualty has their own medication prescribed by their doctor for the problem that they are currently experiencing.

3. You can keep injuries to a minimum by knowing what to do when faced with an emergency. Take a first Aid or C.P.R. course and learn how to save a life

For C.P.R. courses in the GTA taught by Heart and Stroke Foundation Standards call: (905) 842-1136

Business First Aid Tips:

For Burns

Hold affected area under cold water; do not apply ointments or butter.

For sprains:

Use a cold pack.

Basic supplies for an office first aid kit:

This is a short list of items that every workplace should have on hand.

1. Sterile gauze pads
2. CPR pocket masks/key chain pocket masks (See drug store or Laerdal)
3. Cold pack
4. Adhesive dressings
5. Bandaids
6. Cotton pads (rolled)
7. Safety pins - mixed sizes

These tips were provided by Laura Alleyne, ITEC District Representative, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Halton and Hamilton-Wentworth. She can be reached at (905) 842-1136 for CPR training and Red Cross First Aid training.

You can find these and other tips in the Workplace Wellness section of NaturalHealthcare.ca.