It appears that there is still a lot of confusion about what exactly the role should be of a first aider in case of an emergency. Many believe they are expected to provide medical assistance and safe lives. But the reality is much different and requires much less. In fact; it all boils down to applying common sense.
Ask any doctor and he will give you a lecture that will last for hours about how complex the human body is and that it is not always what it appears to be. So asking a first aider, who has attended an entry level training course, to provide life-saving interventions would be similar to asking an accountant to fix a car.
Although it would be much appreciated if a first aider could save lives immediately, the most important thing a first aider is expected to do is to establish a situation wherein professional doctors or paramedics can excel. For this to happen it is important that the first aider secures the accident scene and, if possible, moves the patient to a safer location, should this be required.
The first aider is also the eyes and ears of the emergency services until they arrive. It is, therefore, vital that they share as much information as possible with the operator who answers the emergency call. The information required includes:
- The exact location and condition of the incident scene
- The condition of the victim and, most importantly, whether the victim is breathing and/or conscious
- The possible cause of the incident
This information allows the operator to dispatch all required services to the correct address of the scene immediately.
With emergency services on their way, the next thing a first aider should do is to calm down to patient and bystanders by talking to the individuals.
However, if it appears that a victim is not breathing or in cardiac arrest, the airways need to be checked immediately and CPR should be provided.
Additional support a first aider could provide includes stabilizing the head if head or back injuries are suspected, monitoring breathing; prevent the victim's body getting too cold; and stemming loss of blood.
The above mentioned is no different from what people would actually do in their day-to-day life.
Once professional support arrives, the first aider will not be dismissed immediately. He or she will often be asked to assist the paramedic by passing equipment, holding up drips or continuing to monitor the situation. If the first aider is sufficiently trained, he or she might also be asked to assist with bandaging the injured or providing more advanced life support. However, with professional paramedics on the scene, the responsibility for the treatment and safety of the patient is now in their hands.
In order to be able to provide first aid, a first aider is required to attend a basic course and should be aware of the company layout, including the location of first aid boxes. First aiders who are appointed by the employer might also be tasked with the ongoing task of keeping first aid boxes up to date and fully stocked. My colleague Johnny Terblanche recently wrote a very informative post about this on his blog.
First aiders merely provide a service in the absence of a trained professional. They are not expected to replace the trained professional, but can certainly assist. Make sure that as many employees as possible attend such a course to ensure that you will always have assistance on-site. Even if employees have little inclination to attend such course, note that a trained employee will also be a prepared employee. Even if they can't add value in a situation; they will certainly know how to prevent things from becoming worse.
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