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Posted By Outdoor Living Direct Pty Ltd on 02/06/2022 in News

What To Know When Getting Workplace First Aid Training

What To Know When Getting Workplace First Aid Training

Safety is an important concern for every business owner, because no-one wants an injured staff member! But what happens when a staff member does get injured? We know that good First Aid can make a difference.

What are the first aid arrangements at your business? No doubt you know it’s important to have a staff member trained. How many staff do you need to train though? What training do they need? And, what should you look for when choosing a course? We’ll discuss the answers in this article.

How To Choose A Course?

We have two main first aid courses in Australia. HTLAID011 Provide First Aid: is a full-day course that needs to be completed every three years to be a qualified workplace first aider. In between, first aiders take HTLAID009  Provide CPR, a half-day refresher course they need to complete every 12 months. Other industries such as electrical or childcare may have additional requirements. Some in remote areas choose to take advanced first aid courses.

Most of us don’t give too much thought to what company we choose to do first aid training with, as long as it is compliant with the current regulations. However, since new first aid courses were released in 2019, there can be quite a difference in course quality! When you’re looking for a course to complete, it’s important to check the length of the course. Some providers offer full-day or half-day courses, while others have shorter options available. Why bother with a full day or half day course if you can finish in 30 minutes?

Imagine you've just seen a huge car crash. There are multiple people injured. You’d want to be confident that the first aid training you received was good enough to save your life…not just good enough to pass a test. Short online first aid courses won't help you feel as confident for life-or-death situations like this one; they don’t let you ask questions or go into depth about the underlying principles behind first aid.

How Many Staff Should I Train?

In Australia the minimum amount of staff to train is set out in a first aid code of practice based on national standards from Safework Australia. The First Aid Code of Practice recommends that workplaces with low risk activities have one first aider for every fifty workers. It also states that high risk workplaces have one first aider for every twenty-five workers in urban areas, but if they are in remote area the ratio changes to one first aider for every ten workers.

Business owners who run swimming schools, fitness centres, amusement parks or hotels—businesses with large numbers of patrons—often decide to train more than the minimum number of staff in first aid techniques. Also to think about: Does your workforce work different shifts or ever have a sudden increase in numbers. What if someone is sick and a first aider calls in sick, will there be sufficient people on hand to meet the challenge?  Often it's wise to train more than the bare minimum to ensure you maintain that ratio at all times.

Conclusion

So when you are looking for first aid training, remember: make sure you get a course that will leave your staff confident, make sure to get the right course and train an appropriate amount of staff. These decisions will do more than protect your business, they may save a life!

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