DESCRIPTION
The first aid risk assessment carried out for remote quarry workers at Marshall’s sites, determined that the existing first aid at work qualification was not suitable for operatives. The following risks
- Location of the quarries and their proximity to local A&E
- Excessive response times by the emergency services
- The operatives’ ability to deal with major trauma incidents
- The nature of hazard and risks present at these sites
- The type of injuries that potentially could occur
- The means of contacting the local emergency services by land-line telephone or mobile
- Inadequate planning for the management of emergencies
To address these risks, it was agreed to organise a “First Person on Scene (FPOS) Level 3 Training Course in Emergency First Aid and Trauma Management”. This course would give operatives the skill, knowledge and confidence to deal with major incidents should they arise.
The training course covered scene management, resuscitation, catastrophic bleeding, pelvic splinting, C-spine immobilisation and many other first aid topics. The course is a mixture of practical assessments and theory-based study. It is supervised by a trainer with over 20 years` experience as a senior officer and instructor within the Ambulance Service. To complement the training, each delegate was issued with a First Aid rucksack which included such items as oxygen, and defibrillators, each kit cost in excess £1,900.
36 operatives attended the intensive, 4-day course, they represented 84% of Marshall’s employees engaged in quarrying activities.
BENEFITS
- Operatives enjoyed participation and enthusiastic
- Operatives now have the skills to deal with serious incidents
- Operatives can manage incident until the emergency services attend
- Reduced potential consequences of an incident at a remote site
- Increased the confidence within the team
- Increased the moral for those who work remotely
- A safer environment for all