Learning at Work Week 2019: 13 - 19 May
Kindness comes in many forms. Many simple acts of kindness can come together to make a big difference to people in crisis. That’s why we connect people who’ve got kindness to share, with those who need it most.
Find out just how powerful a thing your kindness can be, by learning the skills to help save someone’s life during this year's Learning at Work Week.
Learning at Work Week 2019 takes place between 13 and 19 May. This year, we’re encouraging organisations to give their employees the opportunity to learn first aid during the working week. Learning first aid provides the skills and confidence to help someone following an accident or sudden illness.
We’ve made first aid easy to learn and simple to remember. As an organisation you need to comply with the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981 which govern the provision of first aiders required by a business. This initiative looks for organisations to go beyond the legal requirements for first aid and allow more employees to learn basic first aid skills in a variety of different ways so they can use their skills at home or in the community*. Simply download our first aid pack which details the range of ways you and your employees can learn first aid.
The importance of first aid in the workplace
During 2017/18, 31% of UK workplace injuries were caused by slips, trips and falls and 469,000 workers suffered from work-related musculoskeletal disorders (HSE, 2019). By learning some simple first aid tips, you could equip yourself with the knowledge and confidence to help someone who has hurt themselves in the workplace.
Simple first aid for a broken bone
If a colleague or someone at your workplace has had a fall or experienced a sudden impact with something, they may have broken a bone. They may be in pain and have a limb that is swollen, bruised and/or misshaped.
It can often be very difficult to tell whether a bone is broken without having an x-ray. Your objective is to keep the injury still and supported to minimise pain and prevent further damage.
First aid steps to take
1. Keep the injury still and supported.
The person can support it with their hand, or use a sling or items of clothing to prevent unnecessary movement. Try to support the limb on either side of the injury.
Keeping the injury still and supported may give pain relief and prevent further injury.
2. Call 999 if necessary.
3. Continue supporting the injury until help arrives.
First aid isn't just for the workplace
First aid doesn’t have to be complicated, you can learn via a few different methods:
- Book a course - if you prefer to learn through hands-on learning we offer a range of first aid courses for people over the age of 16 who want to learn first aid for their everyday life.
- First aid apps – download our apps which are packed with useful videos, animations and tips. Each skill only takes a few minutes to learn.
- Online annual refresher course - request an e-learning licence and learn online in your own time, at work or at home.
Why not organise a first aid training day at your workplace? Our first aid pack is crammed full of information on how to run your own first aid day, complete with quizzes, posters and step by step first aid skill guides.
*This does not qualify the learner as a first aider in the workplace. If your needs assessment identifies a requirement for a trained first aider, the individual must complete a workplace first aid course.