Safety in the workplace can consist of many different things, such as using tools and equipment in the safest way. It can also be using the proper PPE when performing certain duties.
I would argue the most important form of safety in any work environment is CPR training. CPR training consists of skills that can help identify many different life threatening situations and the proper way to react to them. These skills can save your life, a co-workers life, and even a family member’s life.
Recently my family experienced an emergency situation that we will never forget. My youngest daughter had a seizure that lasted a few minutes. As we raced into the room where she was sleeping, we found her shaking uncontrollably and her face beginning to turn blue. Since she had never had a seizure before many thoughts raced through our minds such as, “Was she choking on something and had lost consciousness?”
We began to perform CPR and quickly determined that nothing was lodged in her throat, since I could tell air was entering her lungs. Her face returned to a normal color. By then, we had contacted 911 and they gave us instructions on the proper way to treat someone having a seizure. What seemed like seconds were actually minutes as the whole experience raced by in a blur. Although we did many things right in this situation, it also made all of us very aware of how uneducated and unprepared we were for a life-threatening situation like this.
CPR training is much more than learning how to resuscitate someone. It teaches you how to recognize the symptoms of many life-threatening situations such as heart attacks, strokes, choking, seizures and more. CPR training also teaches you how to take action once you have recognized what type of problem someone may be having. If you are like many, you may have done CPR training as a requirement and began implementing it into the workplace to check a box. What we have learned in our workplace is that this is one of the most important and beneficial trainings that we can offer to our staff. In the past year I have had at least three different employees resuscitate a family member by applying what they had learned in CPR training. Earlier this year on a job site, one of our tile setters began experiencing chest pains, loss of sight and function. The tile finisher working with him recognized there was a problem and called 911. Paramedics had to shock his heart when they arrived and then took him by ambulance to a nearby hospital. The doctors praised the tile finisher for recognizing the problem and acting quickly. The quick response saved the life of his co-worker who was experiencing the beginning stages of a massive heart attack. If he had arrived at the hospital a few minutes later he would have died. CPR training makes the workplace safer and your home safer. As an employer, this is a gift that you can give to your employees that shows you value their safety, their lives, and their families’ lives. As an employee, being CPR certified can set you apart from others. This is a tool that you should not be without. Best to your success, Sam Bruce NTCA President
CPR training is much more than learning how to resuscitate someone. It teaches you how to recognize the symptoms of many life-threatening situations such as heart attacks, strokes, choking, seizures and more. CPR training also teaches you how to take action once you have recognized what type of problem someone may be having. If you are like many, you may have done CPR training as a requirement and began implementing it into the workplace to check a box. What we have learned in our workplace is that this is one of the most important and beneficial trainings that we can offer to our staff. In the past year I have had at least three different employees resuscitate a family member by applying what they had learned in CPR training. Earlier this year on a job site, one of our tile setters began experiencing chest pains, loss of sight and function. The tile finisher working with him recognized there was a problem and called 911. Paramedics had to shock his heart when they arrived and then took him by ambulance to a nearby hospital. The doctors praised the tile finisher for recognizing the problem and acting quickly. The quick response saved the life of his co-worker who was experiencing the beginning stages of a massive heart attack. If he had arrived at the hospital a few minutes later he would have died. CPR training makes the workplace safer and your home safer. As an employer, this is a gift that you can give to your employees that shows you value their safety, their lives, and their families’ lives. As an employee, being CPR certified can set you apart from others. This is a tool that you should not be without. Best to your success, Sam Bruce NTCA President