“He’s stopped breathing! What do we do?”
“YOU! Call 911, tell them where we are, the nature of our emergency, and report back to me. I am going to start CPR.”
Would you know what to do in the case of an emergency? Should you pound someone on the back when they begin to choke? Do you press your thumb onto their wrist to check for a pulse? Would you complain that you feel faint at the sight of blood, leaving someone with serious wounds to bleed out in front of you?
What is the right answer? If you have taken a First Aid and CPR course, then you know that the answers to all of those questions are no. Pounding on someone’s back can cause an object to get lodged even worse than it already is. Your thumb has a pulse of its own, masking that of the person you are trying to check. And your own personal qualms have no place when a life is at stake. You can protect yourself from transmittable diseases even while trying to save someone.
In an emergency, every second counts. When you know what to do, your actions just might save a life. Knowledge is the key. That is why the crew of CLC Tree Services attended a Standard First Aid & CPR certificate course through First Aid Junction this week.
Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye
In the tree services industry, we are exposed to dangers every day. Our crew climbs trees with the help of harnesses, but accidents happen. A fall can be serious and it is in our best interest if our staff knows what to do in case someone is injured. Likewise, our chipper is there to cleanup brush, but one false move could see a shirt sleeve pulled in for the unaware arborist. Plus we have chainsaws meant to cut down trees, but they are strong enough to cut through plenty of other things. The dangers are enough to make one cringe. At CLC, we pride ourselves on our safety record, but are smart enough to know that being prepared for accidents comes with the job.
So this week we learned about how to handle any potential emergencies. In first aid and CPR training, you learn about what to do in case of;
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- Airway Emergencies
- Bone, Muscle & Joint Injuries
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In an emergency, knowledge can save a life
Breathing & Circulation Emergencies
- Care for bleeding, shock
- Chest, abdominal, and pelvic injuries
- Childbirth
- Choking in adults, children, and babies
- First aid for poisons
- Heat/cold-related emergencies
- Head & Spine Injuries
- Multiple casualty incidents
- Soft tissue injuries
- Wound Care
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Sounds scary, but emergencies happen every day, from your home, to public spaces, to job sites and more. The scary part is not knowing how to respond when you are faced with a life-threatening situation. The good news is that today, the crew at CLC Tree Services is a little better prepared if any of them do come across an emergency. And the certifications they received are good for three years. That equals a lot of peace of mind.
So I ask you again, do you know what to do in an emergency? If you aren’t exactly sure then perhaps it’s time for you to brush up on your First Aid and CPR skills. Because everyone wins when we are all prepared.