If an emergency occurred in your workplace, would your employees know what to do? First aid training is a vital part of today's corporate America. Think about what would happen if someone in your office had a medical emergency and needed first aid or CPR before emergency personnel could arrive. Is there anyone in your office that can assist in a crisis?

Why First Aid Training?

First aid training saves lives, plain and simple. Everyone's seen first aid and CPR in the movies, but actually doing it is drastically different. (this is not the message we want to send. Please make is something like bystanders have to help if they witness an emergency, and to do so effectively they need training) Also, it can take an ambulance 8-12 minutes to arrive on scene to give aid. Those 8-12 minutes can be devastating to a victim if aid is not given at the scene.

Developing A First Aid Program

Bring in a qualified first aid instructor and your employees will get more than just a CPR card - they'll learn how to save lives. You'll want first aid training that utilizes a live person instead of relying on videos and books to teach CPR.

If your company has an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), you'll need to decide how many people should be trained to operate the device. Should everyone be trained, or just a select few? In any case, you'll want more than one person, just in case that person is gone for the day, or worse, becomes the person needing assistance. It is important to use a consultant who understands Public Access Defibrillation programs and program design.

Managing The Program

A properly managed program is vital. A poorly managed program is worse than no first aid program at all. A program director should find a professional training organization that is knowledgeable about regulations and offers complete medical direction and oversight. This support can be invaluable in managing a first aid program.

Oftentimes, a company buys an AED and thinks they're done. Instead, they need to renew the prescription yearly in order to remain legal. To ensure that the company's liability is limited when the AED is used, the first aid program administrator should make sure they are compliant with local, state and federal laws and regulations. You'll also want to find out if you'll need to register with the local emergency response system and if you'll need a doctor's oversight and program approval. These are only two small components of medical and legal compliance, and it varies by city and state.

A successful first aid training program is one of those things that everyone should have, but they hope they never need to use. The reward in knowing you've helped save a life, simply by training employees in first aid, CPR and AEDs will be well worth the effort and cost.