For the month of August, we are putting in the spotlight two key areas relating to our Hazard of the Month, Injuries & Accidents.
CPR Essentials
CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It combines chest compressions and rescue breaths to give a person the best chance of survival following a cardiac arrest. Being able to perform CPR can save a person’s life through buying time for the emergency services to reach the scene of an incident.
The proportion of people surviving a cardiac arrest that happens outside of hospital has reached its highest level of 10.8 per cent – twice the rate it was a decade ago. However, there is still a long way to go to increase this figure. In some cases, CPR can double the chances of survival from out of hospital cardiac arrest. It is therefore vital that anyone that witnesses a cardiac arrest, or finds a victim, has the skills, ability and confidence to step in and help.
Over the years, surveys have shown that around three quarters of people do not know how to perform CPR, although in a YouGov poll conducted for the BHF in September 2014, 47% of people said they had received formal CPR training. However, only 29% said they would be confident performing CPR on a loved one, family member or friend, and only 22% would be confident performing CPR on a stranger. As a result, increasing the number of people that have the skills and confidence to perform CPR is a crucial factor in ensuring the best rates of survival.
If you would like to learn the basic knowledge required to assist anyone who may be having a cardiac failure, our CPR Essentials online training course is a great resource to start with. Although the course is geared towards workplace incidents, this training could be of benefit to anyone who simply wishes to be prepared!
Learn more about the course HERE.
Managing Health and Safety
The primary piece of legislation which affects Health and Safety matters in the workplace is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and this must be adhered to by Health and Safety Managers. Whatever your industry, size or nature of your organisation, the key factors to complying with this law and effectively managing health and safety are:
- Leadership and management (including appropriate processes).
- A trained/skilled workforce operating in an environment where people are trusted and involved.
- Implementation and adherence to an effective health and safety policy.
A large part of a Health and Safety Manager’s role is to avoid and manage accidents. In 2019/20 alone, 111 workers were killed whilst at work, with 60 of these being in the construction industry. In 2018/19, 69,208 non-fatal injuries were reported to the HSE. To prevent these adverse events, Managers must monitor the effectiveness of measures to avoid these accidents and complete thorough investigations when these measures fail.
If you are a new Manager or a Manager requiring refresher training on how to manage health and safety in your area or department, our Managing Health and Safety online training course is an ideal and valuable introduction to knowing what your responsibilities are and how these can be enacted to keep your workers safe.
Learn more about the course HERE.
If these topics and their relevant courses are of interest, for this month only you can get a 10% DISCOUNT with the code ‘saveoversummer20’! But be quick, as it will expire at the end of this month!