Alice worked as a first aid trainer for more than ten years before transitioning into product management and joining the senior leadership team at Red Cross Training.
Feeling faint in the workplace: How first aiders are trained to respond
Find out how first aiders are trained to respond to help someone who is feeling faint in the workplace.
Knowing how to react when someone faints is an essential first aid skill. There can be many reasons to cause someone to feel faint in the workplace - from dehydration or exhaustion to medical conditions. Unfortunately, in the midst of such situations, many people find themselves unsure of how to help. Our blog aims to help you, and your team have the skills and confidence to help, if you are ever faced with this scenario in the workplace.
How our training prepares first aiders to help someone is feeling faint
Our course learners discover how to recognise the signs of someone who may be feeling faint and the first aid steps to assist them effectively.
To enhance engagement and practical understanding, the training includes dynamic learner-led activities that encourage collaboration and critical thinking. Participants might take part in practical re-enactment scenarios where they practice self-treatment techniques in simulated situations, helping to build confidence and readiness. To round off the session, we often introduce a fun and competitive classroom quiz that reinforces key concepts, ensuring learners are well-prepared and energized for real-life situations.
What happens when someone is feeling faint?
Fainting happens when someone briefly loses consciousness due to reduced blood flow to the brain. It’s a common experience, and some people may be more prone to it than others. There are many reasons why someone might feel faint including:
- anxiety attacks
- stress
- feeling too hot
- pregnancy
- hunger
- pain
- standing or sitting still for long periods of time.
In what workplace situations or environments are people likely to feel faint?
People are more likely to feel faint in workplace situations or environments involving prolonged standing or sitting, high-stress conditions, or excessive heat. For example, employees working long shifts at a retail checkout might experience faintness due to standing still for extended periods. Similarly, staff working in a restaurant kitchen could feel faint if exposed to high temperatures and physical exertion without adequate hydration or ventilation.
What to do if someone feels faint in the workplace
If someone is feeling faint at work, take the following steps:
- Help the person to lie down on their back; raise and support their legs. This will improve the blood flow to their brain.
- If the person does faint, they should quickly become responsive again and you can treat them as above. If they do not respond when you call their name and gently shake their shoulders, the situation is potentially more serious: they are unresponsive and the priority is to open their airway and check for normal breathing.
How can you be prepared for someone feeling faint in the workplace?
It’s helpful to remember that most cases of people feeling faint are a one-time occurrence rather than a symptom of an underlying medical condition. By completing a first aid needs assessment template, you will be able to identify any risks in your workplace that may increase the risk of someone feeling faint, along with identifying the need for first aiders who have skills and confidence to act in a workplace first aid emergency.
The British Red Cross Training 3-day First Aid at Work course and 2-day First Aid at Work Requalification course feature training on how to help someone who is feeling faint.