It is hard to overestimate the importance of effective first aid at work training. There is always a risk that employees will suffer injuries or medical emergencies when they are performing their roles and when incidents like this occur, it is crucial there is someone on standby who has been on the appropriate first aid at work courses.
Figures released recently by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) drew attention to the significance of this issue.
According to organisation, a total of 173 workers were killed between April 2011 and March 2012. While this was down by two compared with the previous 12-month period, the rate of fatal injury remained the same at 0.6 per 100,000 workers.
Breaking the statistics down on a national basis, the HSE revealed that 130 fatalities occurred in England, 20 took place in Scotland and 18 were recorded in Wales.
Meanwhile, commenting on the findings, HSE chair Judith Hackitt said: “We must not forget that these are lives cut short, not statistics – every single one of these deaths will have caused terrible grief and anguish for family and friends as well as workmates and colleagues. This is the real tragedy of health and safety failures – lives cut short and loved ones lost.”
She added: “We want employers to focus on the real risks that continue to cause death and serious injury… Protecting people from death and serious injury at work should be at the heart of what we all do.”
While it might not be possible to completely eradicate risks to workers health and wellbeing, employers can make sure they do everything within their power to protect their personnel and, as part of this, they can invest in first aid at work training.
When people have been on first aid at work courses they are better able to deal with emergencies and to secure the best possible outcomes for injured and ill individuals.