Our team recently went through a course given by Construction Safety Specialists, Inc. The class consisted of comprehensive first aid and a CPR course. A large range of emergency situations and the proper responses were covered. Construction and welding work can be a high-risk environment and the course gave our team the knowledge needed to handle medical issues that could occur at the workplace. We value the safety of our team and the added safety training that creates a safer workplace is a top priority for McMahan Industrial Services.
First aid training is important for many reasons.
Knowledge of life-saving procedures can be the difference between life and death in everyday emergencies. Being able to properly address the issues can prevent situations from becoming worse.
Training creates a willingness to respond. When individuals know the proper response to emergency situations they are more likely to take action when these problems occur.
This training not only gives you the ability to act at work. It gives you the knowledge to act when in public with the community or when with loved ones at home.
Construction and welding environments often provide unique risks that put workers in positions for more serious injuries. Our team must be more aware of safety procedures. While we discuss proper PPE and prevention safety frequently, having the skills to address injuries should they arise gives our team the ability and confidence to handle any emergencies that may arise.
Emergencies and Responses:
First Aid Basics:
The team got to learn about their role within the EMS system and how to address situations including obtaining consent to help. The basics also involved learning about minimizing infection, steps for action, and the difference between checking responsive and unresponsive people.
Cardiac Emergencies and Choking:
There are tools and tactics for cardiac medical emergencies including CPR and AEDs. This section of the training taught our team how and when to do CPR and use an AED. Learning the distinction between heart attacks and cardiac arrest as well as learning how to address situations as a team was all part of the process.
Another large risk is that of choking. This was especially important for team members with younger children as they can be at higher risk for choking. The team learned their risks, signs, and first aid for choking.
First Aid for Common Situations:
This section was comprehensive learning that focused on how to handle a variety of injuries or illnesses that may be seen on the job. Respiratory distress, asthma, allergic reactions were all discussed. This is important to welders because there are situations where gasses and dust may be heavily present.
The team learned about the signs for diabetic emergencies, strokes, and seizures. Strokes are a time-sensitive emergency and often knowing the signs can be the difference between saving someone and severe brain damage or death. The team can now know how to recognize and handle these types of emergencies.
This section also covered more traumatic injuries such as burns, head, neck, bone, and spinal injuries. While these may not be as common in office settings this training is very relevant to those working in construction. It served as a reminder that injuries can happen and a caution to what happens when safety procedures are ignored. Knowing how to address more serious injuries can bring comfort to our team and relevance to further safety meeting discussions.
Prevention:
There are ways to prevent many of the emergency situations that were covered. The class also discussed some of the safety steps that can be taken to prevent dangerous situations. At McMahan Industrial Services we hold weekly team meetings that often center around safety. We also do pre-project meetings to discuss the safety of each site and project. This section enforced many of the safety steps that we prioritize and have previously discussed.
