Refreshing first aid training is a matter of life or death

Administering first aid should be a basic life skill, particularly as anyone could require help in any situation, whether they are at home, work, school or going about their daily lives. Being prepared and knowing how to provide on-the-spot first aid calmly and confidently can be the difference between life and death. In fact, research commissioned by the British Red Cross found that only 5% of adults have the skills and confidence to provide first aid in potentially life-threatening emergencies. A previous study conducted by the University of Manchester (commissioned by the British Red Cross) found that if first aid was given before the emergency medical services arrived, up to 59 percent of deaths from injury could have been prevented.

There are many tragic stories about how the loss of a life could have been avoided with basic first aid – therefore highlighting just how important it is to have an understanding of some fundamental first aid techniques. 

The Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 require workplaces to provide immediate help if their employees become injured or unwell at work, as well as having adequate and appropriate first-aid equipment, facilities and people to deal with it. Although there is no legal obligation to provide first aid to the public or children in schools, the HSE strongly encourages employers to include these groups in their assessment of first aid needs and make provisions for them. Therefore first aid training is applicable to every industry, adults, children, employees and non-employees. 

First Aid at Work, Emergency First Aid at Work and Paediatric First Aid are some of the available courses that can be completed face-to-face to become a qualified first aider. For a first aider to remain qualified they must renew their certificate every 3 years. It is recommended that refresher training is completed yearly but this can be online, unlike the practical qualification which must be assessed via face-to-face training. With the challenges of COVID-19 the HSE supports the use of online refresher training to keep skills up to date in this instance. On top of that online training is convenient, can be digested in bite sized chunks and easily accessible.

iHASCO, a market leader provider of video-based eLearning, has launched Paediatric First Aid Refresher Training to complement its online first aid courses. Designed to work alongside First Aid at Work Refresher Training and Emergency First Aid at Work Refresher Training, it provides a recap of paediatric first aid techniques gained in practical training, such as DR ABC (Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation), recovery position, giving CPR, using an AED and choking. The paediatric First Aid refresher is particularly beneficial to those working in the education or care sectors, however it is still applicable to remote workers with children/babies in the house and anyone trained in full first aid in any industry, given a workplace’s responsibility to ensure the health and safety of non-employees.  

“Our online first aid training courses have been created under the direction of an experienced paramedic” says Lottie Galvin, Studio Manager at iHASCO. “They provide clear and concise step-by-step demonstrations of first aid procedures, which refresh our learners’ memory and sharpen the skills they learned in their practical training.” 

“Regular refresher training is vital for first aiders, so they can ensure their knowledge and skills are the best they can possibly be, and our online courses proficiently bridge the gap between a learner’s practical sessions. Our courses also include guidance on administering first aid in light of COVID-19, with links to appropriate online sources that offer the latest advice.”

iHASCO’s online first aid courses provide affordable refresher training, which is a small price to pay for the knowledge that basic first aid training could save a life. iHASCO encourages organisations to get in touch for a free trial of their online first aid courses.