Rescue or first aid training is widely available and is of great importance as it is about saving lives.

If you are still hesitating to train yourself or your staff to prevent occupational hazards or potential life-threatening emergencies, here are some reasons why you should be aware of the importance of first aid. 

A.   Benefits for individuals 

1. Saving lives

First aid or first aid training is a simple way to learn skills and reflexes that could be useful if an accident occurs in or near your home. They are inexpensive and only last about 10 hours at most. Knowing how to help a person who is choking or how to react to an unconscious individual will help you keep cool and save their lives when necessary.

2. It is a professional asset

Having some basic first aid skills is a professional asset. Most community facilities have a defibrillator and require these skills. In schools or summer camps, this training may even be mandatory. For example, it is impossible to run some businesses without having someone with basic first aid certification.

3. It is a gesture of citizenship

Let’s face it, the day you need it, you’ll be glad you have some basic first aid skills. Whether it’s to help a loved one or a stranger in the street. Knowing the first steps that save lives means being ready to help whenever a situation occurs. It also means having the self-confidence to intervene in emergency situations and avoid the risk of loss of life for the people in your company.

B.   Benefits for companies

Not all jobs are dangerous, but every employer is responsible for the safety of their employees in the workplace. One of the best ways for employers to meet their legal and moral obligations to their employees is to provide first aid training to employees. Employee training offers benefits that are not always obvious. Here are some of the ways in which first aid training can benefit employers. 

1. Quick response in case of emergency

In the event of an emergency, quick employee response can save lives. Employees trained in first aid will understand the steps to take in an emergency through increased confidence and preparedness. A quick response can reduce recovery time, which reduces time lost to injury.

2.   Reduction of accidents in the workplace through awareness

First aid training helps employees learn to be more safety conscious in the workplace, which reduces accidents and injuries. Minimizing risks to workers and reducing workplace incidents is a benefit to everyone, but for employers, it has implications for all aspects of business operations.

3.   A safe working environment

 By making first aid training available to employees, employers can show their staff that they care about providing a safe work environment. First aid training provided in the workplace can even be used as an excellent team-building and morale-building exercise.

In conclusion, with these reasons to learn first aid, know that there are many ways to learn life-saving first aid.

First aid and CPR courses from specialized organizations, emergency response training programs, online resources (via platforms like LiveLearn can help you learn and develop skills in many areas and interests), workshops and seminars.

Overall, learning first aid remains easy and accessible.  It is important that individuals and employers seek out training and educational opportunities that meet their needs and help them to be better prepared for emergencies.