FIRST AID TRAINING

First aid training is vital to all who wish to help victims of incidents, regardless of size. From the simplest bruise/scratch to a broken limb or full resuscitation, the first aider needs to be trained to cope with whatever he/she is faced with. Whether this is an accident at work or at another location, anyone providing first aid at work for an industrial accident, first aid in schools or at a sporting event, a good written record of what was done is as vital as a well stocked first aid kit and such a document should be part of every practitioner’s first aid equipment.

To assist with both first responder training and record keeping (an increasingly vital addition to victim treatment) the Firstaidform© has been developed.

This document does not take the place of the Accident Book, which is a legal requirement for any work place accident, but it allows the first responder to provide an accident report which is much more comprehensive.

This simple accident report form allows first aid trainers to remind first aid trainees what information they need to record and will also assist in teaching a systematic approach to victim evaluation and treatment. This will be of value to both the new trainee and to those who are being refreshed/retrained in new techniques or skills.

The multi part form allows the first aid practitioner to keep a copy of what they have diagnosed and treated, give a copy to their “employer,” a copy to the ambulance service (if they are involved) and a copy for the victim to give to his/her doctor.

The record may not be needed on that day but may prove invaluable subsequently, when the victim or their relatives allege that the first aid practitioner did not do what was needed on the day of the incident. Without contemporaneous records, such an allegation is difficult to refute. By using the Firstaidform© on the day, the first aid practitioner and their employer is safeguarded.