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First Aid Verification of Competency Service

1 May 2025/in Blog, News!

Ensuring Workplace Safety

In any workplace, the ability to respond effectively to emergencies, whether minor or extreme, is paramount. This capacity hinges largely on the competence of designated first aiders. However, maintaining first aid proficiency can be challenging, particularly given the recommendation in Australia that first aid skills be updated only every three years. This raises crucial questions: will your first aiders remember what they learned in their initial training? Who is responsible for ensuring that your workplace is staffed with first aiders who can act decisively and knowledgeably in an emergency?

Challenges in Maintaining First Aid Competency

First aid is a vital skill, yet like any skill, it requires regular practice to retain proficiency. Over time, without reinforcement and practical application, the knowledge and techniques learned can fade. This is particularly concerning in a workplace setting where the stakes are high; the inability to effectively administer first aid can lead to disastrous outcomes for the casualty involved.

It is not uncommon for employees trained in first aid to feel underconfident or even panic when faced with a real-life emergency if they have not had opportunities to practice their skills regularly. This is where the First Aid Verification of Competency Service comes into play, offering a practical solution to ensure that the first aiders in your workplace remain competent and prepared.

Introducing Luella’s Verification Service

Luella, an experienced first aid trainer with over 17 years of expertise, now offers a unique service designed to verify and refresh the first aid skills of your workplace first aiders. Her service is tailored to address the gap between initial training and ongoing competency, providing a means to ensure that your first aiders are ready to handle any emergency situation.

Service Components

Luella’s First Aid Verification of Competency Service includes:

2 Hour Session: This intensive session encompasses a knowledge test to determine the current level of first aid knowledge among your staff. Additionally, it includes 2-3 workplace-based scenarios using first aid equipment and props to refresh practical skills. This hands-on practice is crucial for reinforcing the techniques and procedures that may have lapsed.
Theory and Skills Refresh: Throughout the session, Luella addresses any areas where your staff feel uncertain or have forgotten critical aspects of first aid. This personalized approach ensures that all participants leave with a renewed sense of confidence and capability.
Performance Report: After the session, Luella provides a comprehensive report on each first aider’s performance. This report highlights areas of competence and identifies individuals who may need additional refresher training to meet the required standards.

Cost and Logistics

The cost for this service is $300, with an additional $50 travel fee (travel fee may vary if outside our service area – please enquire). GST is not included in these fees. Considering the potential consequences of having undertrained first aiders, this investment is a small price to pay for ensuring workplace safety and preparedness.

The Importance of Regular Verification

Regular verification and skill refreshment are essential to maintaining high standards of first aid competency within any organization. By opting for Luella’s service, you are taking proactive steps to safeguard your employees and create a safer work environment. The benefits are clear:

Enhanced Confidence: Verified training boosts the confidence of first aiders, ensuring they feel prepared to handle emergencies effectively.
Increased Preparedness: Regular practice and testing keep first aiders’ skills sharp, reducing the likelihood of panic or hesitation during an actual emergency.
Compliance: Ensuring your first aiders remain competent helps meet workplace health and safety regulations, protecting your organization from potential liabilities.

Conclusion

Investing in the First Aid Verification of Competency (VOC) Service is a commitment to workplace safety and the well-being of your employees. By regularly verifying and refreshing the skills of your first aiders, you ensure that your workplace is prepared to respond to emergencies swiftly and effectively, no matter how minor or extreme. Luella’s expertise and tailored approach offer a practical solution to maintaining first aid competence, providing peace of mind and security for your entire organization.

Don’t leave your workplace’s emergency preparedness to chance. Ensure your first aiders are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to act decisively and confidently. Contact Luella today to schedule a verification session and take the first step towards a safer, more prepared workplace.

Call 07) 3901 0599

Email: info@firstaidaction.com.au

Severe Bleeding – tourniquet or pressure?

29 April 2025/in Blog

When to Use a Tourniquet

According to the Australian Resuscitation Council Guidelines, a tourniquet should be used in situations where there is severe bleeding that is life-threatening and cannot be controlled by direct pressure. Time is a critical factor to prevent blood loss that can lead to potential fatality. Stopping a life threatening bleed will take a priority over airway and breathing interventions. Scenarios where a tourniquet is appropriate include:

Extremity injuries with significant blood loss such as an amputation, partial amputation, open fractures, shark attack, propeller cuts or similar.
Instances where direct pressure does not suffice to manage the bleeding on a limb
Situations where the location or nature of the injury makes it difficult to apply direct pressure on the limb.
Inadequate resources or time to control bleeding through other means such as applying pressure to the wound.

How to Use a Tourniquet for a Life-Threatening Bleed

Using a tourniquet effectively can be vital in controlling severe bleeding. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Identify the site of the severe bleeding.
Place the tourniquet approximately 5-10 cm above the bleeding site, avoiding joints.
Tighten the tourniquet until the bleeding stops, ensuring it is secure but not causing further injury.
Cover the exposed wound with sterile dressings if available but do not cover the tourniquet.
Note the time of application, as prolonged use can cause damage to the tissues.
Seek the ambulance immediately after applying the tourniquet.

Alternative Tourniquet Options

If a commercially manufactured tourniquet is not available, various items can be used as improvised tourniquets. These include:

Belts
Strips of cloth or clothing
Scarves or bandanas
Ropes or cords

When using an improvised tourniquet, ensure that the material used is strong enough to withstand the pressure needed to stop the bleeding and that it can be secured tightly. Follow the same guidelines for placement and tightening as for a standard tourniquet.

The appropriate and timely use of a tourniquet can save lives in critical situations. Always prioritize seeking professional medical assistance promptly and follow the guidelines to ensure safety and effectiveness. Follow the ANZCOR guidelines of DRSABCD if the casualty becomes unconscious and not breathing.

Can you assist with an Asthma Attack?

8 April 2025/in Blog

Staff from Dexus (Indooroopilly Shopping Centre Management) learning how to assist with an Asthma Attack.

Facts on Asthma in Australia: (information collected from Asthma Australia):

Almost 2.8 million people have asthma in Australia
Asthma is the leading cause of disease for children up to 14 years
There were 474 deaths due to Asthma in 2023.

As a First Aider in the workplace, it is important to know the signs and symptoms of asthma and how to help a work colleague if they develop symptoms.

Asthma symptoms include:

Coughing that won’t go away
Wheezing
Shortness of breath
Unable to speak or say sentences
Chest Tightness
Feeling tired
Becoming sweaty
Silent asthma – no symptoms at all until they are unwell.

Please download the below poster from Asthma Australia and pop it up in your first aid room in the workplace as a reminder on how to assist a casualty with Asthma:

AAFA-First-Aid-2023-A3_CMYK_v10_Blue-1

It is highly recommended to practice assisting a casualty with a spacer and inhaler under professional instruction in a first aid class near you. Please contact First Aid Action RTO 31668 on 07) 3901 0599 to book into one of our courses or check out our website www.firstaidaction.qld.edu.au for more information.

What is a Log Roll?

3 April 2025/in Blog

Luella demonstrating a Log Roll.

A log roll or also known as a spinal roll, is when you are needing to place a casualty with a back injury onto their side very carefully. The main reasons why you would need to do this is to protect the airway & breathing if the casualty is unconscious, or the casualty is needing to vomit or there is severe bleeding to stop on their back to access the wound. If the casualty is conscious and able to breathe then it is best to hold their head and not move them (unless danger is present) so that unnecessary movement may cause further injury to the neck and spine. Leaving an unconscious casualty too long on their back can increase the risk of choking on their tongue relaxing onto the airway and bodily fluids. The Australian Resuscitation council guidelines state that the protection of a person’s airway and breathing is priority.

The person at the head always takes control of the roll with at least two other people on one side and roll the person together keeping the neck and spine in alignment. It is always best to learn this important technique under instruction from a trained professional in a first aid course so you have the confidence to perform this skill at home or in the workplace.

Contact First Aid Action RTO 31668 for further information: 07 3901 0599 or email us at info@firstaidaction.com.au

What to do if your child is choking?

31 March 2025/in Blog

Please download the below free PDF and print it out to put on your fridge, wall or anywhere to remind you what to do if your child is choking. The information is based on the Australian Resuscitation Council guidelines. A common mistake is to hit the child hard on the back while they are actually trying to cough up the blockage themselves. This can cause the blockage to go further into the airway and completely block the airway.

If your child is able to cough, speak or breathe then let them lean forward and keep trying to cough it out or let them lay over your lap and cough. If they are becoming more distressed and unable to cough or breathe then call the ambulance. If your child is unable to cough, breathe, talk or make little or no sounds then proceed with 5 back slaps across the shoulder blades with your child over your lap and then place your hand across the chest and give 5 gentle pushes into the chest (called chest thrusts). Call the ambulance. Alternate these until the child coughs out the blockage or the ambulance take over. Be prepared if your child falls unconscious to follow the DRSABCD steps of CPR.

Teach your children to make a noise to alert you if are not watching your children eat their food. Whether they bang the table, throw their food at you, stamp the floor or simply come to you if they are choking as they will be unable to speak or scream to alert you that they are in trouble.

It is always recommended to learn these life saving skills under guidance from a professional first aid trainer in a first aid course. This will give you more confidence to be able to help your children or others.

Choking Child

Contact First Aid Action on 07) 3901 0599 or email us at info@firstaidaction.qld.edu.au for more information about our courses.

What to do if your baby stops breathing?

13 March 2025/in Blog

Learning Infant CPR is important for all parents, grandparents, older siblings and any other person that may look after your baby. It would be more traumatic to do nothing than to be able to do something that may save your babies life.

Thankfully the ambulance staff are amazing and will guide you through the steps of CPR. But, what happens if you have no service on your mobile or your phone is flat or you have left it somewhere and can’t find it? Many people have no landlines anymore and prefer to just use mobile phones.

Follow the steps of DRSABCD as per the Australian Resuscitation Council guidelines:

D – Danger – Ensure the safety of yourself, any other people and your baby before commencing CPR

R – Response – Check to see if your baby is response by talking and touching their hands and feet. Making a clicking or clapping noise with your hands may wake the baby from an unconscious state.

S- Send for an ambulance (000 or 112 on mobiles) and ask if there is a defibrillator available

A – Airway – open your baby’s mouth and check for any vomit or blockages. Turn your baby on their side to clear any blockages.

B – Breathing – check for any breathing for up to 10 seconds

C – Commence CPR – 30 compressions in the middle of the chest and then give 2 cheek full puffs of air into your baby’s mouth and nose. Ensure that you keep your baby’s head in a neutral position only. Use only two fingers and press down 1/3rd the depth of your baby’s chest and aim to press 2 compressions per second (100 – 120 min).

D – Defibrillation – If there is one available, immediately turn it on and follow the voice prompts.

It is always best to practice these skills on a manikin under the guidance of a first aid instructor so that you are better prepared for this type of emergency. Join one of our public courses on the course calendar tab or Luella is more than happy to do a live Zoom session with you. Check out the home page about Live Webinars.

You can also check out Luella’s YouTube channel and watch the video on Infant CPR:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCO49Wu-VLtuFVFmATqPG1mg

First Aid action Provide first aid to family friends and workplace

First Aid Risks Associated With Flooding

10 March 2025/in Blog

During a flood, first aid risks include drowning, cuts and wounds from debris, contaminated water leading to infections, and potential exposure to hazardous materials or animals.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the first aid risks associated with flooding:

Immediate Risks:

Drowning:

Floodwaters can rise rapidly and unexpectedly, leading to drowning, especially in areas with strong currents.
Cuts and Wounds:

Floodwaters can carry debris, including broken glass, sharp objects, and submerged items, which can cause cuts, scrapes, and puncture wounds.
Trauma:

Fall
ing debris, collapsing structures, and the force of floodwaters can cause injuries like fractures, sprains, and concussions.
Electrocution:

Floodwaters can come into contact with downed power lines, posing a serious risk of electrocution.
Hypothermia:

Prolonged exposure to cold floodwaters can lead to hypothermia, especially if people are caught in the water or become wet.

Infection Risks:

Contaminated Water:

Floodwaters can be contaminated with sewage, bacteria, and chemicals, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases and infections.
Skin Infections:

Contact with floodwater can lead to skin infections, especially if there are cuts or abrasions.
Infectious Diseases:

Exposure to floodwater can lead to the spread of diseases like leptospirosis and melioidosis.
Wound Infections:

Cuts and wounds exposed to contaminated floodwater are at a higher risk of infection.

Other Risks:

Exposure to Hazardous Materials:

Flooding can cause the release of hazardous materials from damaged infrastructure or industrial sites, posing risks to health.
Animal Encounters:

Flooding can displace animals, including venomous snakes, increasing the risk of encounters.
Allergic Reactions:

Floodwaters can carry pollen and other allergens, potentially causing allergic reactions.

First Aid Considerations:

Clean Wounds:

Thoroughly clean any cuts or wounds with clean water and soap or antiseptic wipes/solutions to prevent infection.
Dress Wounds:

Cover wounds with sterile bandages to keep them clean and protect them from further contamination.
Seek Medical Attention:

Seek medical advice for any wounds that show signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, pain, or pus.

Prevent Dehydration:

Ensure access to clean water and encourage people to stay hydrated.

Monitor for Illness:

Be aware of the signs and symptoms of waterborne diseases and seek medical help if necessary. These may include: headaches, nausea and vomiting, stomach cramps, diahorrea.

Follow Emergency Instructions:

Listen to and follow the instructions of emergency services and local authorities.
Stay Informed:

Monitor local news and weather reports for updates on flood conditions and safety advice.

Please feel free to email us at info@firstaidaction.qld.edu.au if you would like advice on first aid.

Emergency Checklist from Get Ready Queensland

5 March 2025/in Blog

GRQ Emergency Kit checklist

Please go to “Get Ready Queensland” website : https://www.getready.qld.gov.au/emergencykit to find out what to pack in an emergency kit. I have attached it to this blog but it is well worth reading the other important information about getting ready for any emergencies – cyclone, fire, flooding etc.

It is very important to have your first aid kit ready to be prepared for emergencies that can happen from broken glass, flying debris, falls and building collapses. Some of these incidents can cause severe bleeding, broken bones, spinal injuries and unconsciousness. I have never personally been through any cyclone before and it certainly is a bit daunting as it really is “unknown” what will happen. All I can do is be prepared! Brush up on your first aid skills if you have done a course a while ago and I wish everyone to stay safe. My fingers and toes are crossed that Alfred will behave himself!

Follow the steps of DRSABCD in an Emergency

3 March 2025/in Blog

Emergency Action Plan – DRSABCD

Do you know the below facts on Cardiac Arrest in Australia:

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in Australia.
Only approximately 10% of people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital survive.
Performing immediate CPR and attaching an AED (Defibrillator) by a bystander can significantly increase the chances of survival, potentially doubling or tripling the survival rate.
Nearly 80% or out-of-hospital cardiac arrest happens at home – so are you prepared?
Statistics indicate that men are more likely to experience cardiac arrest than women.

Learning how to perform CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) is important skill to have that you hope you will never need to use. A lot of people are caught out and not prepared when an emergency happens at home. Even just performing compressions on a person will give them a better survival rate than doing nothing. CPR is all about maintaining blood flow and oxygen around the body as the person’s heart is no longer pumping. Call the ambulance as soon as you can and use a Defibrillator if there is one nearby and follow the voice the prompts! Survival rates are greatly increased with the use of early defibrillation.

Learn the DRSABCD of CPR as per the attached flyer and practice these skills in a first aid course so that you are better prepared for an emergency. Give us a call if you wish to know more information about Cardiac Arrest, CPR, Defibrillators or you wish to come and learn first aid with us – 07)3901 0599.

FAST – what does this acronym mean?

24 February 2025/in Blog

First Aid Acronyms.

Do you know how to determine if a family member, friend or work colleague could be having a life-threatening Stroke?

A Stroke is caused by either a blood clot or ruptured blood vessel in the brain and is one of Australia’s biggest causes of death. The Australian Stroke Foundation states that stroke kills more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer.

Some Facts from the Australian Stroke Foundation:

Strokes can happen at any age.
80% of Strokes can be prevented
In 2023, 1 in 4 Strokes occurred in people below 65 years of age
When a stroke strikes, it attacks up to 1.9 million brain cells per minute
Without action by 2050, it is predicted the number strokes experienced by Australians annually will increase to 72,000.

The FAST test is an easy way to recognise and remember the signs of stroke.

Using the FAST test involves asking these simple questions: (The below information has been adapted from the Australian Stroke Foundation)

Face – Check their face. Has their mouth drooped? Can they smile evenly? Has one side of face dropped? Do they all of a sudden feel numbness or tingling on one side of the face?
Arms – Can they lift both arms? Or get them to squeeze both your hands.
Speech – Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?
Time – Time is critical and Act FAST! If you see any of these signs, call 000 or 112 (mobile phones) straight away.

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