Responding to any situation on the jobsite—an accident, a broken machine, or even a quality problem—requires more than equipment. You need relevant knowledge so you can make good decisions about what to do or what equipment to use. If someone gets a cut, you need to know whether to put a bandage on it or send them for stitches. If someone hits their head, you need to understand a little about concussions and decide whether to have them take a break or send them to the doctor. A little knowledge will help you and your people make better decisions in the aftermath of an incident.
Follow up with the resources below if you’d like to know more about how to handle some medical emergencies.
- Find out about first-aid classes in your area by going to the Red Cross webpage.
- Learn about the signs and symptoms of heart attack on this Mayo Clinic webpage.
- Review the CDC's signs and symptoms of stroke here.
- Read about the signs and symptoms of concussion here. Note that while this information from the CDC is aimed at the teen athlete, it applies to brains of any age.
- Find out what the Mayo Clinic says about using tourniquets to control life-threatening bleeding.
You could have the very best safety program in the country, and you could still have an incident that injures one of your people. Being ready for an emergency takes more than a well-stocked first-aid kit and an AED. To be prepared, you have to put in some time to learn about first aid. But once you have that knowledge, you carry it with you everywhere, not just around the jobsite.