When you become certified in first aid, you gain a set of skills that can help you save a life or assist someone else who is experiencing sudden illness or injury. In the unfortunate event that one of your co-workers or customers becomes ill or injured while on the job, first aid can make all the difference between them getting back to work as soon as possible or being sidelined for days with a debilitating injury or illness.When you work in a dangerous business, such as construction, manufacturing, or mining, these employees are also the people who are most likely to need help during an emergency. That means that someone who works on an oil rig or a coal mine will almost certainly need to perform first aid on another person at some point in their career — and might need to do it as often as once a week or even more frequently than that. The same goes for workers in law enforcement, emergency services, and any other occupation where danger is part of the job.

Get certified

The best way to become proficient in first aid is to complete a course that is approved by a national organization like the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association. These courses are generally offered as a one-day event, and they are often offered at a local health department or hospital.If you don’t have time to take a full-day class, you can also complete a self-paced online course, but be aware that many online courses are not as thorough as a classroom course.For example, many online courses are only about 20 hours long, not the 60-100 hours that a full classroom course typically covers. This difference in hours can make it difficult for you to get your certification at the same level as a classroom course. Be sure to do your research to find a reputable online training company that offers thorough and high-quality courses that are not just an online version of a classroom course.

Take an initial assessment

The first step in performing a successful first aid rescue is to do an initial assessment of the situation. You can do this by asking the injured person a series of questions about their symptoms, as well as their past medical history to see if there are any red flags. For example, if the person has a history of seizures, you may want to ask them if it is safe for them to continue working.If the person is not responsive, you can also use an assessment tool like the A-B-C chart, which will allow you to quickly determine if the injury is a serious medical emergency and if you need to call an ambulance. If the person is responsive, you can still use the A-B-C chart to determine what the problem may be.For example, if someone is having a heart attack, you can use the A-B-C chart to determine what type of emergency the situation is and how to help them.

Check for responsiveness

Your next step is to check to see if the injured person is responsive. If they are not, you will want to continue to do everything you can to help them until they regain consciousness.There are a few methods you can use to check for responsiveness:The most common way to check for responsiveness is to use a series of simple questions. For example, you can ask the person if they can feel a specific part of their body, such as their hands or their feet, if they can hear you speaking to them, or if they can see you.If the person is not responsive to any of these questions, you should continue to help them until they regain consciousness.If you are concerned that the injury is more serious, you can use a more detailed assessment to help you determine if the injury is a concussion or a stroke. If you suspect a head injury, you should not move the person unless it is an emergency.

Help them with breathing

If the injured person has trouble breathing or is clearly in the middle of a full-blown asthma attack, you should continue to assist them until they can breathe normally again. If you continue to assist them, they should be able to breathe on their own within a few minutes.However, if the person has no gag reflex and you have not been able to get them to breathe normally on their own, you should attempt to provide them with artificial respiration. This is a challenging skill to master, but if you follow these steps, it is very effective.Start by placing your fingers on the person’s chest, just below their breastbone. Place one hand on top of the other and press down firmly, but not so hard that you cause the person pain. Once you have the person’s chest covered, give them a few seconds to take a breath. Once the person breathes in, let go of their chest and push down on their abdomen. This should force air out of their lungs.

Keep them from going into shock

If someone is experiencing a serious injury or illness, they may go into shock and become unresponsive. In this situation, you may need to perform CPR to try to keep them alive until emergency help arrives. However, before you attempt to perform CPR, you should first check to make sure the person isn’t in shock.Shock occurs when the body’s response to a traumatic injury or illness is too severe to be treated by conventional medical methods. This can occur with a wide range of injuries and illnesses, such as serious blood infections, severe burns, or cardiac arrest.If someone goes into shock, you can try to manually administer CPR if you have been trained, but you should not attempt this without first checking to make sure that the person is not also having a heart attack.

If you suspect a spinal injury

If the person has a spinal injury, you must not move them. Instead, you should carefully brace their spine and neck to avoid exacerbating the injury and causing permanent damage. You should also cover the person with a blanket or something similar to keep them warm until emergency help arrives.

A broken bone or dislocated joint

If someone has a broken bone or a dislocated joint, you should immobilize the injured area as much as possible with a splint or sling. This will help to relieve the pain and encourage the bone or joint to heal properly.If you cannot splint the injury, you should attempt to keep it as still as possible and prevent it from moving.

Conclusion

A first aid course is a great way to gain the skills you need to perform first aid rescues effectively. It is also a good idea to get your co-workers and customers involved in these courses so that they are more likely to use them if an emergency occurs.When you become certified in first aid, you gain a set of skills that can help you save a life or assist someone else who is experiencing sudden illness or injury.