EFAW:

As an instructor, there is no better feeling than when someone you have taught reaches out to say they put their newly learned skills to practice – particularly if they helped to save a life.

Just one example of this comes from a cycling club whom I trained, of which two of their members were involved in an incident, where they had to use their training to manage the scene until emergency services arrived and provide reassurance to a casualty.

This feedback was excellent as it emphasised the importance of not just being able to provide First Aid, but also the ability to remain calm and to provide clear instructions to others through clear communications.

2. Emergency First Aid

Basic First Aid done well is all it takes to save a life. In the last year, the Sandstone team and those we have trained have since faced numerous incidents. Varying in degrees of severity from life-threatening injuries to BSL, one particular incident comes to mind. Taking place during one of our courses, a learner unexpectedly had a seizure and hit the floor – hard. As a result, they knocked themselves out and stopped breathing. Using the simple intervention of providing a Jaw Thrust immediately cleared their airway and the individual started to breath again and thereafter made a full recovery. This was not a complicated intervention but without it could have proven fatal.

First Aid out with the workplace

Not the time for a pat on the back! Recently, members of the Sandstone First Aid team had to deal with a serious Road Traffic Collision whereby a cyclist had been knocked down by a car. Using their skills, they aided in managing the scene, supporting medical personnel and most crucially – they provided ongoing casualty care until an ambulance arrived. During this time, they did not sit back and give themselves a pat on the back, but continually looked for signs of injury and quickly identified that the injured party may have broken their pelvis and could possibly have internal bleeding. By providing basic interventions, such as blankets for warmth, the team delayed the possibility of hypovolemic shock setting in, until the ambulance service arrives on scene.