For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
By Colonel Panic
#1838764
I was first on scene today where a cyclist had been knocked off his bicycle by a car at a roundabout; thankfully no broken bones or blood, but I now wish that I had been more useful in such a situation.

Don't want to spend toooo much money, but any Top Tips for what to look for in a course? (I am aware that I might need to wait for lockdown to end etc).

TIA
By riverrock
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1838770
I'm not sure where you're based, but there are lots of providers for public (rather than workplace) first aid courses.
eg (Scotland focused): https://www.firstaid.org.uk/course_cate ... d-courses/

Most courses are based on this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/First-Aid-Manu ... 241241235/ (many other suppliers, many cheaper, are available) which I'd strongly recommend getting. Its probably too detailed - you may well get a bit lost - until you've got some familiarity but good to brush up on from time to time.

There isn't really an audit process for courses - so do look for local recommendations.
The last first aid in the workplace course I went on, from one of the national providers, was pretty poor. For some people on it, it was a refresher for which it may have just about been adequate, but for some on there, for which it was a first course, it missed some of the basics. Lets just say I gave A LOT of feedback to them afterwards.

I will say, I know people who have been on courses but who aren't comfy at all at doing anything, and whose brain will go blank in a real incident, so don't hesitate to call 999 and follow the call taker's advice and guidance. No two incidents are identical, so much of first aid is really enhancing your knowledge and providing tools and techniques so that you can better apply common sense.
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#1838773
Another vote for St John’s Ambulance. They have a long and creditable track record of delivering practical courses and will not rip you off. I have a stack off certificates from my previous life being tested every 3 years in the first 2 ranks of my career and every one is St John’s.

PW
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#1838804
[quote="Jim Jones"]I found the First Aid at Work course (3days) extremely useful despite professional qualifications and 25 years of health care practice. (It was when I moved into university roles). i was fine in a healthcare environment with access to a whole team to support, but knowing what to do in the field with the contents of a first aid kit, (with hands on practice/ simulation), is a different ball game. I had input from St John’s Ambulance and update days from Red Cross and some commercial providers. All trainers were former ambulance staff crew with good tales to tell to illustrate the teaching.. :thumleft:

And don’t forget , at an incident, a valuable role is to manage onlookers and traffic. So, if you can’t stand the sight of blood, a commanding presence can still be of help
.
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By Fellsteruk
#1838834
St. John’s are really good done first aid with them about four times over the years, thankfully paid for by work on the condition I would be a first Aider.

Thankfully never needed to use it for anything nasty at work however did come across a lady who had an heart attack on the way to work once.

Sadly though she didn’t make it despite efforts.

Everyone should know CPR and some first aid it can save lives!

One thing to note! Not sure if the law has changed or not but when I did my last first aid with SJA through work the public liability insurance offered was only for when I did first aid in the workplace and so no cover if I did first aid in public, something went wrong and I got taken to court, thankfully though this ain’t USA so not everyone you help wants to sue you.
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By Jim Jones
#1838862
No one to my knowledge has ever been successfully prosecuted for attempting first aid as long as they worked within their competence, so no tracheostomy or internal cardiac massage however many episodes of casualty you’ve seen.

(for health care professionals not offering help could put you in hot water with your regulatory body.)
By Fellsteruk
#1838864
Jim Jones wrote:No one to my knowledge has ever been successfully prosecuted for attempting first aid as long as they worked within their competence, so no tracheostomy or internal cardiac massage however many episodes of casualty you’ve seen.

(for health care professionals not offering help could put you in hot water with your regulatory body.)


WAT... all you need is a bic pen and a Swiss Army knife, job done :lol: :lol:
By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1838904
The Red Cross is a good place to start. They did one in the village courtesy of the Parish Council and I have had their app on my phone ever since which provides prompts and checklists.
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By johnm
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1838910
On the liability front, most household policies have public liability cover and I asked my insurer about how wide this cover was, their response was " If the courts find you liable you are covered"
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By Genghis the Engineer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1838912
Having been a first aider most of my life I agree that I have never seen a St John course less than well run.

Private sector providers I have seen have been a lot more variable- but ask for local recommendations indeed.

And yes, these are really valuable skills that everyone should have.

G
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By TheKentishFledgling
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1838915
I did a day long course in first aid a few years back, provided by my (at the time) employer. I'd done a course at school years back, and it was striking how much stuff had changed in there intervening 15 years or so. Very glad I did - about six weeks later I was in a waiting room when an elderly chap keeled over.

Everything happens very quickly when you need to do it for real, and I vividly remember the moment, having got him on the floor and realised he had no pulse, I realised I'd need to start CPR. Be under no illusion - performing CPR is seriously tiring, and not a pleasant thing to have to do. My wife dashed off to try and find a defibrillator (scarily the gym about 100m away didn't have one), and after about 10 minutes another bloke starting helping with the CPR. A defibrillator was tracked down just as the paramedics arrived (just under 15 minutes after he collapsed) and they took over. His heart restarted on the second shock attempt, and they had in the amby and on his way to hospital not longer later. On the suggestion of the paramedic, we hot footed it straight to the nearest boozer.

About three hours later, we'd not moved and said paramedic who was passing very kindly stuck his head into the pub on the off chance we were still there to update us: bloke had had a stent fitted, was just about conscious and his wife was with him. That felt pretty special, I must say.

Sadly he died from complications about a month later - I'd quite like to have met him properly but it never happened. However, it does feel good he got to spend a few weeks with his wife he'd perhaps not have had otherwise.
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By eltonioni
#1838919
Good topic as it's long past time for a refresher (it's a sobering 40 years since I did a course at Boys Brigade) but the SJA don't seem to be running courses at the moment, due Covid. https://www.sja.org.uk/courses/workplac ... /book-faw/
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By Propwash
#1838921
TheKentishFledgling wrote:That felt pretty special, I must say.

Sadly he died from complications about a month later - I'd quite like to have met him properly but it never happened. However, it does feel good he got to spend a few weeks with his wife he'd perhaps not have had otherwise.

I am not sure there is any better feeling than helping to save the life of a fellow human. Sadly, every attempt that fails takes a little bit of you with it.

Well done, TkF.

PW
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By kanga
#1838940
Genghis the Engineer wrote:.. I have never seen a St John course less than well run.

Private sector providers I have seen have been a lot more variable..

.., these are really valuable skills that everyone should have.

G


:thumright:

I'd also recommend a SJA course, even if not actually joining the SJA, for youngsters. Not only is it potentially useful to others, it looks good on a CV or Personal Statement :)

[One of our Air Cadets, whose academic qualifications were not brilliant, reckon she got an office job on leaving school because at interview she could talk enthusiastically about the FA Course she had done with Cadets, which she'd mentioned on her application. And a party of Cadets on their DoE Gold expedition in the Brecon Beacons probably save a walker whom they found collapsed because of the FA training they'd had]