Model Agency 411

Since we spend so many of our waking hours at work, giving attention to basic first aid in the workplace is an important consideration. Even a seemingly benign office environment has the potential for accidents: cuts, scrapes, slip and fall injuries, or burns from hot food coming out of the microwave. Business owners and managers can take practical steps to make sure that basic first aid resources are available. These include having a first aid kit, providing first aid training to employees, and making sure that everyone knows what to do in case of an emergency.

First aid kits especially designed for the workplace are available on the market; usually the first aid kit will specify how large a group of people it is equipped to support. A good first aid kit should include disinfecting wipes, bandages, sterile dressings, antiseptic cream, burn cream, and a basic first aid guidebook. The first aid kit should be easy for all employees to locate, and it should be kept well stocked.

Depending on the type of hazards particular to the workplace, it may be advisable for each employee to have basic first aid training. Local fire departments or community colleges may offer first aid classes, or an employer may arrange on-site training. It may even be advisable for selected employees to have advanced training in handling medical emergencies. Of course, in case of emergency, it is essential to have important phone numbers on hand. 911 is an excellent resource, but in addition, it can be very helpful to have phone numbers for your local police department, fire department, poison control center, and local hospitals or emergency care facilities.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 20th, 2009 at 11:09 am and is filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.